CHAUKORI
Chaukori is a hill station located in Berinag Tehsil of Pithoragarh district of the Kumaon region in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The bowl-shaped town of Chaukori is set at an altitude of about 2010 meter among the lofty peaks of the western Himalayan range. Chaukori is bounded by Tibet to its north and Terai to its south and River Mahakali is running along its eastern boundary. Chaukori is situated around 10 km from the sub – district head Berinag and 86 km away from the district head Pitthoragarh. On a clear day Chaukori offers spectacular views of the Himalayan ranges of Panchachuli group, Nandakhat, Nandakot, Trishule, Nandaghunti, Chaukhamba and others. On a glistering day Chaukori offers a stunning view of sunrise and sunset which is really admirable. All over the region of Chaukori one can see diversified fruits orchards, wide species of flora and fauna and thick woodlands of Oak, Pine, Chir and Rhododendrons. Once during the past Chaukori had numerous tea gardens which were established by British during the pre independence era. Though at present many of these tea gardens are left abandoned, but still few of these exist. Chaukori forms one of the very unique destinations of the entire Kumaon region for these tea gardens. The KMVN Tourist Rest House is also constructed on this abandoned land of the tea gardens. Chaukori is an ideal destination for landscape photographers and bird photographers.
Things to do in Chaukori:
While at Chaukori tourists can enjoy a village walk or one can lie back on an easy chair and enjoy the stunning beauty of the Himalayan ranges along with valleys and tea gardens of the Kumaon region. Tourists can also take part in the spiritual retreats though it is very common in all over the regions of Uttarakhand. Being far away from the commercialization and the hustle and bustle cry of the city life, Chaukori is also a perfect getaway for honeymoon goers. Chaukori can be a retreat to one’s soul.
Places to visit around Chakouri
Nag Devta Temple at Berinag: The Nag Devta Temple also known as Berinag Temple at Berinag is a famous temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Berinag is a small hill station in the Pithoragarh district and the name of this hill station derived from Berinag Temple. Barinag Temple or Nag Devta Temple is situated at the top of Berinag Hill. Nag Devta Temple or Berinag Temple is located around 12 km from Chaukori and was established during 1400 AD by Panth purohits of Maharashtra. Berinag temple is surrounded by many small temples that are dedicated to the Nag Devta or Snake God. The region of Berinag is also known for its abundance of tea gardens that were established during the British era.
Gangolihat: Gangolihat is a small hill town in the Pithoragarh district of the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand and located around 35 km from Chaukori. Gangolihat is nestled at an altitude of about 1760 meters (5773 ft) and is home to many temples which are mainly known as Shakti Peeths. The region of Gangolihat is guarded by two different rivers namely Saryu and Ramganga. Gangolihat offers majestic views of the Himalayan range like Panchachuli and Nanda Devi. Gangolihat is popularly known for its number of temples and caves like Haat Kalika, Ambika Dewaai, Chamunda Mandir and Vaishnavi Mandir. The caves are Patal Bhubaneshwar, Shalishwer Gufa and Mukhteshwar Gufa.
Haat Kalika Temple of Gangolihat: The Haat Kalika Temple is one of the famous shrines located in Gangolihat which is located around 35 km from Chaukori. The Haat Kalika Temple has great religious significance for the people of Kumaon, especially for the soldiers of the Kumaon regiment. A popular legend goes by that once a ship of the Indian Army carrying Kumaon soldiers was hit by a turbulent storm. When all the efforts of the soldiers failed, they resorted to Goddess Haat Kali and prayed for rescue, resulting in the ship miraculously reaching the shore. The Haat Kalika temple dates back to around thousand years old and was established by Guru Adi Shankaracharya. The temple is set amidst dense forest of Deodar and is also regarded as a Shakti Peeth. The name of Haat Kalika Temple is also found in many puranas. The Chamunda Devi Temple is located around 02 km from the Haat Kalika Temple within its vicinity.
Ghunsera Devi Temple: Ghunsera Devi Temple is situated inside the Ghunsera Cave at Chaukori which is perched on a hill top. The Ghunsera Devi Temple is enshrined with the stone images of Gods and Goddess which were installed by Khol Kings of the Kartikeya Pura. Among all the images installed here, there are two images those date back to the Gupta period. The Asurchula Temple is also located near the Ghunsera Devi Temple.
Chineshwar Waterfall: Chineshwar Waterfall is one of the most enthralling waterfalls of the Kumaon region situated in the Garaun Village of Chaukori, Uttarakhand. The Chineshwar is also known as Cheend or Cheen waterfall located amidst dense forest of Pine and Oak trees. Chineshwar waterfall is coming down from a height of about 161 ft. According to the local myths, behind the Chineshwar waterfall there is a hidden temple of Lord Shiva. One needs to cross the flowing water from the fall to reach the Shiv temple, which is a difficult task.
Musk Deer Park: The Musk Deer Park at Chaukori is one of the main attractions of the region. This Musk Deer Park is a ‘Centre for preservation and breeding of Musk Deers’. The Musk Deer Park at Chaukori was established in 1976 and is set at an altitude of 2275 meter. The Musk Deer Park is located around 4.5 km from Chaukori towards Bageshwar on the way to Kotmania Dharamgarh. From Chaukori by bus around 3 km tourists will reach Kotman, from there another 1.5 km by trekking route is the center of Musk Deer. Tourists need to trek about 30 – 35 minutes to reach this point. Researchers and scientists used to look after these animals.
Dharamghar: Dharamghar is a small town located within 09 to 10 km from Chaukori. Dharamghar is mainly known for its splendid views of the Himalayan ranges from Himdarshar Kutir. One of Mahatma Gandhi’s disciples Sarla Behn spent her last days at Dharamgarh in Himdarshan Kutir.
How to reach/ Getting There
By Air: Chaukori does not have an Airport. The nearest Airport is Pantnagar which is about 223 km from Chaukori. Direct flights from Delhi connect with Pantnagar Airport. Hired cars are easily available from the Airport to Chaukori.
By Rail: The nearest rail head to Chaukori is Kathgodam which is also the gateway to the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. Kathgodam is well connected by strong railway networks with other major cities of India. Kathgodam is located around 198 km from Chaukori. From Kathgodam railway station hired cars are available for Chaukori. From Howrah railway station Bagh express reaches Kathgodam. Other trains are weekly Lalkuan express leaves every Friday from Howrah Junction at 08.15 am and reach Lalkuan the next day at 08.40 am. From Lalkuan around 20 km is Haldwani and 26 km is Kathgodam.
Another means of Kumaon visit is from Delhi. Kumaon is well connected by strong railway networks with Delhi. Trains like Uttaranchal Sampark Kranti express and Ranikhet express both reach Kathgodam.
By Road: Chaukori is well connected with strong motorable road links with major destinations of Uttarakhand. Tourists are advised that not to depend only on government bus options for the entire Kumaon trip, hired cars are also available on this route. The three main hubs of transport at Kumaon are Lalkuan, Haldwani and Nainital. Chaukori is located around 84 km from Kausani, 110 km from Almora, 173 km from Nainital, 110 km from Binsar, 39 km is Patal Bhuvaneshwar. Both government and private transports are available on these routes.
Best time of visit: Though Chaukori can be visited throughout the year, the best time to visit this hill destination is from October to May. The summers at Chaukori offer pleasant weather, which is the best to escape the scorching heat of the plains. While the winter season in Chaukori is extremely cool with the temperature falling below the chilling point. But on the other hand winter is the best time to experience the snow that covers the valleys of Chaukori and the sky also remains clear to view the snow capped Himalayan ranges as well. One can also visit Chaukori during the onset of monsoon. But it is advisable to avoid the monsoon season.