Mukteshwar

Mukteshwar sits at about 2,170 metres on the edge of a cliff, and the Shiva temple that gives the village its name stands on the highest point with a long Himalayan view behind it. Just beyond the temple, the ground drops away at Chauli ki Jali, a set of rock formations at the cliff edge that are used for rappelling and rock climbing and give a wide view over the Kumaon foothills. A colonial-era veterinary research institute, established in 1893, occupies a large campus in the village. Fruit orchards, apples, apricots, peaches and plums, cover the surrounding slopes.

History

The village was known as Muktesar, the name Jim Corbett uses in his book The Temple Tiger, and it was known for its shrines and temple until 1893, when it was chosen as a site for making serum to protect animals from cattle plague. The Nobel laureate Robert Koch visited at the request of the government, and the institute's museum keeps the microscope he used, along with a cold room carved into the hill around 1900 to store biological materials (Wikipedia, Mukteshwar).

The main sights

• The cliff temple - the Shiva shrine on the highest point of the ridge.
• Chauli ki Jali - rock formations at the cliff edge used for climbing.
• The orchards - apple, apricot and peach slopes around the village.
• The research institute - the 1893 veterinary campus and its old buildings.

When to go

March to June and September to November; blossom comes in spring and fruit in late summer. The monsoon brings cloud and landslides. Winter is cold with occasional snow and clear peaks.

Good to know

The cliff edge at Chauli ki Jali is unfenced in places and genuinely dangerous. The village is small with limited facilities. Weekend crowds from the plains are heavy in season.

Nearby

Nainital lies southwest; Almora is north.

Key facts