Kashipur

Kashipur is one of the oldest towns of the Kumaon Terai, with a history reaching back to ancient and medieval times when it was an important seat of regional power. Named after Kashipur Chand, a governor of the Chand kings, it is rich in temples, ruins and legends layered over centuries.

Its best-known landmark is the Moteshwar Mahadev temple, an ancient and revered Shiva shrine, alongside the historic Drona Sagar lake, traditionally associated with Guru Dronacharya of the Mahabharata, and the Chaiti Devi temple where a large annual fair is held.

Today Kashipur is also a growing industrial and educational centre on the plains, but for travellers it offers a compact dose of history and pilgrimage, conveniently placed on the route between the plains and the Kumaon hills.

October to March is most comfortable; the plains are hot in summer and humid in the monsoon.