The Himalayas are an enigma, and so be it! Spanning a distance of 2,500 km in length and between 350 and 150 km . in breadth, with a maximum summit of approximately 9 km . above sea level, the greatest mountain range on Planet Earth is renowned for its rarefied grandeur and diversity in terms of geography as well as centuries-old culture.

Legends and exhilarating tales of epic adventures and stellar mountaineering feats abound, glorifying the Himalayas. The quintessential richness of Himalaya’s folklore and mythology has drawn the imagination of the world since ancient times. No wonder, the adventure goes on in the form of ever-evolving prototypes, in humanity’s bid to fathom the sheer magnitude of the Himalayas.

A peek into Kumaon Himalayas

Kumaon is an administrative division of the North Indian state of Uttarakhand and forms the eastern part of the state. It is surrounded by Tibet to the north, Nepal to the east, Gharwal to the west, and the state of Uttar Pradesh to the south. Kumaon is popularly referred to as the “Lake District of India” and is renowned for its many bewitchingly beautiful lakes.

The Himalayas in Kumaon consist of the imposing Siwalik Range to the south and a portion of the Great Himalayas to the north. India’s second highest peak, the awe-inspiring Nanda Devi, which is all of 7,817 m, is an absolute teaser. This part of the Himalayas is considered to be ecologically fragile, and thus preservation of the ecosystem and achieving carbon neutral footprints are high on the priority list of the government.

Since ancient times, Kumaon Himalayas has been the bastion of some of India’s most fascinating tribes—the Tharus, Bhutiyas, Jaunsaris, Buksas, and Rajis whose unique lifestyle and folklore have been the subjects of awe to anthropologists and culture researchers.

In the days of yore, the British had tremendous affinity for Kumaon and built some exquisitely beautiful hill stations like Nainital, Ranikhet, and Almora, which are renowned for their quintessential colonial architecture.

Wilderness legacy of Jim Corbett

James Edward Corbett (25th July 1875 - 19th April 1955), one of the world’s greatest hunter-conservationists, was a British-Indian hunter who was a naturalist, famous for hunting, and renowned for hunting a large number of man-eating tigers and leopards in Kumaon.

In the days of yore, the entire region was teeming with man-eating tigers and leopards, and Jim’s expertise was often sought after by the then British government. It is believed that these man eaters of Kumaon had killed more than 1,000 people, leaving behind a trail of devastation on the entire populace.

The manner in which Jim Corbett made Kumaon free of man eaters is the stuff of legends and finds expression in biographies and films. Corbett documented his exploits as a hunter in his best-selling books, ‘Man-Eaters of Kumaon’ and ‘Jungle Lore,’ wherein he lucidly explicates his wild encounters with Tigers and Leopards of Kumaon.

As a mark of admiration, there is an exclusive wildlife reserve—The Jim Corbett National Park (125 km . from Almora), considered by many as one of India’s top 5 wildlife reserves, which has the highest density of tiger population.

Binsar wildlife sanctuary—Beauty & the Beast!

Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary is classified as an IUCN Category IV Species Management Zone and is home to Leopards, Himalayan Goral, Musk Deer, Wild Boar, Jungle Cat, Sumatran Serow, Rhesus Macaque, and Giant Flying Squirrel, to name just a few. However, it is for leopards that Binsar is most famous.

Binsar might not be on the bucket list of India’s wildlife parks like Ranthambore, Bandhavgarh, Corbett National Park, Kaziranga, etc., yet it is unputdownable and off the beaten track. No other wildlife zone in India offers the kind of Himalayan spectacle, and I am talking about the scale—an uninterrupted sight of a 300 km . stretch with powdery peaks like Nanda Devi, Nanda Kot, Kedarnath, Panchachuli, etc., all lined up as if a beauty pageant were on!

In spite of the onslaught of modernity, Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary has fiercely kept its biodiversity protected, vehemently forsaking attempts of commercialization of the tourism phenomenon, which finds reflection on the solitary single road that criss-crosses the entire sanctuary.

Fusion of Wilderness & Star Gazing

Uttarakhand’s maverick Chief Minister, Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami has been very decisive when it comes to the question of opening up the state’s Himalayan vistas, particularly those at rarefied heights to embrace Astro-Tourism, given the plethora of smokeless and unpolluted virgin ecosystems that the state has in its cradle. The idea is to offer Tourism with Spirituality and Astronomy, by adhering to the carrying capacity limits.

At Binsar, as night descends, you get a chance to unravel the mysterious celestial drama up above from the high-tech telescopes provided to you by the operator. Here the air is crisp and the utter seclusion is every bit worth savouring. Indeed, Binsar Sanctuary and the surrounding villages are amongst the best specimens of Resurgent India’s newfound entrepreneurial zeal to showcase the nation’s stupendous diversity to a global audience.

In the higher reaches of Binsar the light pollution is low, the population is sparse and the night sky is stunning with the Himalayan mountain ranges offering a picture-perfect backdrop, in which to engage in stargazing. Through Astro Tourism, the government aims to instil a deep sense of pride within the local community, and also economically empower youths, enabling them to engage in astrotourism activities and advocate for Binsar as a premier dark sky destination. The involvement of the local community in preserving the pristine nature of the place plays a big role in developing this sanctuary as a dark sky location.

If tourism statistics are anything to go by, there is a reverse migration of sorts taking place from large urban metros to the unpolluted and pristine Himalayas and Uttarakhand is by far the most preferred Dark Sky Tourism hub of India. The trend to escape from the cacophony of the cities took an upward turn during the Covid period (Post 2019) and the Government of Uttarakhand through its nodal agency – Uttarakhand Tourism Board has its eyes set on seizing the opportunity to develop a cluster of Astro Villages to remote Himalayan hamlets like Devasthal, Bhimtal and Kausani to name just a few.