Mukteshwar
Encyclopedia
Mukteshwar is a town and tourist destination in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand
, India
. It sits high in the Kumaon
Hills at an altitude of 2286 meters (7500 feet), 51 km from Nainital, 72 km from Haldwani
, and 395 km from Delhi.
, known as Mukteshwar Dham, situated atop the highest point in the town, within the IVRI campus, and close to which lie the overhanging cliffs, locally known as Chauli-ki-Jali, used for rock climbing and rappelling, with an excellent view of the valleys below. The sunrise point is at the government-run PWD Guest House. One can also visit the Indian Veterinary Research Institute
. IVRI hostels and the PWD resthouse were the prominent shelters for ages. Now, KMVN operates a Tourist Rest house (can be booked from Delhi as well as on Phone / Wireless from other KMVN guest houses). Several other hotels, resorts, guest houses and seasonal tent / hut based camps come up. Valley Unwind Resort is one of the best resort for various eco-tour activities around the valley. Nice scenery can be viewed from Chaulli ki Jaali, where rocks jut out from the hill face at a bizarre angle. This is a great place to observe eagles and other feathered scavengers as they swoop down at their prey.
IVRI laboratories (experiments on tiny rats, gold plated books, cattle-sheds), 16 mile x 14 mile wide Deodar forest, prestine 22 snow-peaks view, advanture of living among wildlife like tigers and bears, are some of the major attractions of this sleepy town. Mukteshwar is abode of a saint - Shri Mukteshwar Maharaj ji - who lived at the Top Cottage Temple where his samadhi is situated. One of his disciple - Swami Sanshudhanand ji - now stays there. Whole temple complex is a Tapovan, and an ideal place for meditation. Charm of visiting Mukteshwar lies in enjoying nature, listening to air gushing through deodar forests, bird watching, meditation, and seeking peace. If you are the city dwelling, club hopping, TV-Multiplex-Mall addicted type, then give this place a miss, the cleanliness, solitude and nature will bore you.
Commission, the Institute then known as the Imperial Bacteriological Laboratory had its genesis on December 9, 1889 at Pune
, and later relocated to Mukteshwar in 1893 to facilitate segregation and quarantine
of highly contagious
organisms. Initially the laboratory at Mukteshwar was completed in 1898 but destroyed by fire in 1899. It has been resurrected again in 1901. Then annual expenditure on the research was Rs. 50,000. Later it was developed into the Indian Veterinary Research Institute
(IVRI), which later moved its headquarters to Izatnagar. Still Mukteshwar serves as the hill campus of IVRI, including various facilities such as an experimental goat
farm. The noted nobel winner scientist Robert Koch visited this place on request of then GOI. The microscope used by him and other historical articles are kept in the museum maintained by IVRI. Hill carved cold room in 1900 is a place of attraction for visitors. It was made to store biological materials then.
Because of the hilly topography, agriculture in the area consists chiefly of potato
fields and fruit orchards on terraces cut into the hillsides.
Robert Koch visited IVRI Mukteshwar to work on cattle plague.
Famous saviour of horror stricken people of mountains from Man-eating tiger and writer Jim Corbett visited Mukteshwar. He wrote a story of Man-Eater tiger of Mukteshwar in one of his books. Jim Corbett had given befitting and thrilling account of his experiences in the jungle. His books can be freely downloaded from internet archives.
Mukteshwar is rich in scenic beauty, with magnificent views of the Indian Himalayas
including India's second-highest peak, Nanda Devi
.
, TERI
launched 'Kumaon vani', a community radio service on March 11, 2010. Uttarakhand Governor Margaret Alva
inaugurated the community radio station, the first in the state. The 'Kumaon Vani' aims to air programmes on environment, agriculture, culture, weather and education in the local language and with the active participation of the communities. The radio station covers a radius of 10 km reaching out to almost 2000 locals around Mukteshwar
. The renewable park uses solar electricity for most of its electricity needs. Recently, the town has experienced some construction activity and townships have begun to mushroom in and around Mukteshwar. Many people are buying holiday homes here to escape large chaotic cities.
, and nearest railway head is at Kathgodam
, 65 km from the town, from where vehicular transport is easily available, as from neighbouring towns of Bhimtal
, Bhowali
, and Nainital.
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It sits high in the Kumaon
Kumaon Division
For Kumaoni/Kumauni People see Kumauni PeopleKumaon or Kumaun is one of the two regions and administrative divisions of Uttarakhand, a mountainous state of northern India, the other being Garhwal. It includes the districts of Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh, and Udham Singh Nagar...
Hills at an altitude of 2286 meters (7500 feet), 51 km from Nainital, 72 km from Haldwani
Haldwani
Haldwani is a city, which along with its twin township of Kathgodam forms the Haldwani-Kathgodam municipal board in Nainital District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand....
, and 395 km from Delhi.
Local attractions
Mukteshwar gets its name from an 350-year-old temple to ShivaShiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, known as Mukteshwar Dham, situated atop the highest point in the town, within the IVRI campus, and close to which lie the overhanging cliffs, locally known as Chauli-ki-Jali, used for rock climbing and rappelling, with an excellent view of the valleys below. The sunrise point is at the government-run PWD Guest House. One can also visit the Indian Veterinary Research Institute
Indian Veterinary Research Institute
For the singular of Ivrit , see Jewish.Indian Veterinary Research Institute or IVRI is located at Izzatnagar, Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh state. It is India's premier advanced research facility in the field of veterinary medicine and allied branches. It has campuses at Mukteshwar, Bangalore,...
. IVRI hostels and the PWD resthouse were the prominent shelters for ages. Now, KMVN operates a Tourist Rest house (can be booked from Delhi as well as on Phone / Wireless from other KMVN guest houses). Several other hotels, resorts, guest houses and seasonal tent / hut based camps come up. Valley Unwind Resort is one of the best resort for various eco-tour activities around the valley. Nice scenery can be viewed from Chaulli ki Jaali, where rocks jut out from the hill face at a bizarre angle. This is a great place to observe eagles and other feathered scavengers as they swoop down at their prey.
IVRI laboratories (experiments on tiny rats, gold plated books, cattle-sheds), 16 mile x 14 mile wide Deodar forest, prestine 22 snow-peaks view, advanture of living among wildlife like tigers and bears, are some of the major attractions of this sleepy town. Mukteshwar is abode of a saint - Shri Mukteshwar Maharaj ji - who lived at the Top Cottage Temple where his samadhi is situated. One of his disciple - Swami Sanshudhanand ji - now stays there. Whole temple complex is a Tapovan, and an ideal place for meditation. Charm of visiting Mukteshwar lies in enjoying nature, listening to air gushing through deodar forests, bird watching, meditation, and seeking peace. If you are the city dwelling, club hopping, TV-Multiplex-Mall addicted type, then give this place a miss, the cleanliness, solitude and nature will bore you.
History
Till 1893 the place was known for its shrines and temple before it was selected for serum production to protect animals from cattle plague. On the recommendation of the Cattle PlaguePandemic
A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic...
Commission, the Institute then known as the Imperial Bacteriological Laboratory had its genesis on December 9, 1889 at Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, and later relocated to Mukteshwar in 1893 to facilitate segregation and quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
of highly contagious
Contagious disease
A contagious disease is a subset category of infectious diseases , which are easily transmitted by physical contact with the person suffering the disease, or by their secretions or objects touched by them....
organisms. Initially the laboratory at Mukteshwar was completed in 1898 but destroyed by fire in 1899. It has been resurrected again in 1901. Then annual expenditure on the research was Rs. 50,000. Later it was developed into the Indian Veterinary Research Institute
Indian Veterinary Research Institute
For the singular of Ivrit , see Jewish.Indian Veterinary Research Institute or IVRI is located at Izzatnagar, Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh state. It is India's premier advanced research facility in the field of veterinary medicine and allied branches. It has campuses at Mukteshwar, Bangalore,...
(IVRI), which later moved its headquarters to Izatnagar. Still Mukteshwar serves as the hill campus of IVRI, including various facilities such as an experimental goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
farm. The noted nobel winner scientist Robert Koch visited this place on request of then GOI. The microscope used by him and other historical articles are kept in the museum maintained by IVRI. Hill carved cold room in 1900 is a place of attraction for visitors. It was made to store biological materials then.
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
fields and fruit orchards on terraces cut into the hillsides.
Robert Koch visited IVRI Mukteshwar to work on cattle plague.
Famous saviour of horror stricken people of mountains from Man-eating tiger and writer Jim Corbett visited Mukteshwar. He wrote a story of Man-Eater tiger of Mukteshwar in one of his books. Jim Corbett had given befitting and thrilling account of his experiences in the jungle. His books can be freely downloaded from internet archives.
Geography
Mukteshwar is located at 29.4722°N 79.6479°E. It has an average elevation of 2,171 metres (7,123 feet).Mukteshwar is rich in scenic beauty, with magnificent views of the Indian Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
including India's second-highest peak, Nanda Devi
Nanda Devi
Nanda Devi is the second highest mountain in India and the highest entirely within the country ; owing to this geography it was the highest known mountain in the world until computations on Dhaulagiri by western surveyors in 1808...
.
Kumaon Vani
With the aim to create a common platform for local communities of Supi in UttarakhandUttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
, TERI
The Energy and Resources Institute
The Energy and Resources Institute, commonly known as TERI , established in 1974, is a research institute based in New Delhi focusing its research activities in the fields of energy, environment and sustainable development.-Introduction:TERI is an independent, not-for-profit, research institute...
launched 'Kumaon vani', a community radio service on March 11, 2010. Uttarakhand Governor Margaret Alva
Margaret Alva
Margaret Alva is the Governor of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Alva became Uttarakhand's first woman governor in July 2009...
inaugurated the community radio station, the first in the state. The 'Kumaon Vani' aims to air programmes on environment, agriculture, culture, weather and education in the local language and with the active participation of the communities. The radio station covers a radius of 10 km reaching out to almost 2000 locals around Mukteshwar
New development
There is also a 'Renewable Park' developed by TERIThe Energy and Resources Institute
The Energy and Resources Institute, commonly known as TERI , established in 1974, is a research institute based in New Delhi focusing its research activities in the fields of energy, environment and sustainable development.-Introduction:TERI is an independent, not-for-profit, research institute...
. The renewable park uses solar electricity for most of its electricity needs. Recently, the town has experienced some construction activity and townships have begun to mushroom in and around Mukteshwar. Many people are buying holiday homes here to escape large chaotic cities.
Transport
The nearest airport is at PantnagarPantnagar
Pantnagar is a town and a University campus in Udham Singh Nagar district, Uttarakhand. Nainital, Rudrapur and Kiccha, Haldwani are the major cities surrounding Pantnagar....
, and nearest railway head is at Kathgodam
Kathgodam
Kathgodam is a town in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand state of India. It is part of the twin township of Haldwani-Kathgodam , and is immediately north of Haldwani.-History:...
, 65 km from the town, from where vehicular transport is easily available, as from neighbouring towns of Bhimtal
Bhimtal
Bhimtal Lake is a lake in the town of Bhimtal, Uttarakhand, India. There is an island at the centre of the lake. It is the largest lake in the only real lake district of India...
, Bhowali
Bhowali
Bhowali is a town and a municipal board in Nainital District in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It lies close to Ghorakhal, known for Golu Devta temple and Sainik School Ghorakhal.- Geography :Bhowali is located at...
, and Nainital.