ALMORA: Almora’s Katarmal village, famous for housing Kumaon’s only sun temple, is being developed as the region’s first spiritual village. Under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, which aims to promote, develop and harness the potential of tourism in India, the central government will develop the village as a spiritual destination at a cost of Rs 13 crore.
Meanwhile, the Almora district administration is also working in this direction. District tourism officer, Rahul Choubey, told TOI, “Facilities like a café, a yoga centre, and a meditation centre, among others, will be built in the village, located at an altitude of 2,116 metres.” He added that at least 15 homestays are currently being built in the village. “All these homestays will be run by village locals,” said Choubey.
Further, a market will be set up in the village for locally-made products. This, according to district officials, will encourage self-employment in the region.
At present, devotees of the Sun god trek for three kilometres to reach the Katarmal temple, locally known as Bara Aditya Mandir. In order to attract more tourists, the village will be also marketed as a trekking destination.
Located 17 kilometres from Almora, the Katarmal temple is also famous for its unique architecture. Apart from beautifully carved pillars and doors, the temple also has intricate stone and metallic sculptures. The temple, built by Katyuri king Katarmalla in the nine century AD, is surrounded by 45 smaller shrines.
