Uttarakhand A Quick Guide To Kasauni

On a clear day, Kausani (6,201ft) offers a lovely view of the Himalayas. Scores of wild flowers and ferns grow all over this region steeped in myth and folklore, where in the local imagination the lines of the Katyuri kings mix freely with the Pandavas and the avatars of Goddess Durga.

Things To See &ampDo

Kausani is virt ually a village and most of it can be covered on foot. The Anasakti Ashram was built as homage to Mahatma Gandhi, who fell in love with Kausani and wrote his treatise Anasakti Yoga here. The ashram has a reading room and library, a prayer room with photographs from Gandhis life, and a small bookshop. Sarlaben, a disciple of Gandhi, founded the serene Lakshmi Ashram overlooking the Kosi Valley. There is a workshop where you can

buy sweaters, gloves, bags, prayer mats and suchlike. You can also visit the ancestral house of the legendary Hindi poet Sumitranandan Pant. It has been converted into a memorial.

Where To Stay & Eat

All around the Anasakti Ashram are a clutch of guesthouses and hotels. The most trustworthy of these is Hotel Sagar (Cell 09997255933, 09873635370 Tariff 9903,500). Aashritha Kausani (Tel 258016, Cell 09761895012, 08126886255 Tariff 4,0004,500) boasts the best views of the mountains. Krishna Mountview (Cell 09927944472 Tariff 2,2509,000) boasts a gift shop, gym, pool table, ice-cream parlour and a discotheque. KMVNs Trishul Tourist Rest House (Tel 258006, Cell 086500 02545 Tariff 1,5004,500) offers the best Himalayan views. The staff is polite. They also organise tours and treks.

A number of resorts are located near the tea gardens on the Baijnath Road. The Heritage Resort (Cell 08958667000, 09720193444, 09412092099 Tariff 5,5008,500, with two meals) has 18 rooms, a good restaurant, a coffee shop and amazing views. Himalaya Darshan Resort (Cell 09719247224, 097584 42888 Tariff 4,0009,000, with two meals) offers eight cottages. Divya Darshan Ashraya Resort (Cell 09756694250 Tariff 1,550 2,500) offers rooms and cottages, a restaurant and guided treks. Garden Restaurant and Yogi Restaurant on the Mall, and Hill Queen and Saurabh offer vegetarian Punjabi, Gujarati and sometimes Kumaoni cuisine. Try the ubiquitous tea shacks that serve cups of sweet milky tea, and everything from buttered toast and omelette to delicious pakoras and paranthas.