There are very few places in the Himalayas which can compare with the beauty of Kaushani. Situated among mountains and trees, the peaks Trishul and Nanda Devi are clearly visible from here. In 1929, Mahatma Gandhi spent 12 days here. He was so enamoured of Kaushani that he called it the Switzerland of India and brought his thoughts out in his book called Anasakti Yoga. The place where he stayed is called the Anasakti Ashram. This Ashram was earlier the guest house in a tea estate.
After Gandhiji’s visit, this place was made a memorial for him. Even today tourists go there to see the sunset and sunrise. 300 people can be accommodated in this ashram. Every evening prayers are conducted in the main hall. The famous poet of Hindi literature, Sumitranandan Pant was born here. In his earlier writings a beautiful description of Kaushani is seen.
Kaushani is ideal to visit with the family. Because of its beauty, tourists come here all through the year. From morning to evening, from valleys to peaks, thousands of different colours can be seen here.
Places of Interest:
Pant Museum: A little away from the Kaushani bus stand is a museum named after the Hindi poet Sumitranandan Pant. The house which has the museum is the poet’s house of his childhood days. His daily use articles, drafts of his poems, letters, his awards etc. are displayed here.
Lakshmi Ashram: 1 km away from the Anasakti Ashram, this place is a center run by women who do social service. Gandhiji’s disciple, Sarala Behen spent her life here doing social service. This ashram is located in a solitary area in a dense jungle.
Pinakeshwar: 9050 feet above sea level, this hill station is 20 kms from Kaushani. Here there is a temple of Shiva from where one can view many valleys. Around Pinakeshwar are other places like Old Pinakeshwar, Gopalkot, Huria etc.
Baijnath: 17 kms from Kaushani, the most important historical place in Uttarakhand is Baijnath which is situated on the banks of the Gomti river. The Baijnath temple here was built thousands of years ago and can still be admired for its carvings and sculptures. Some old temples can also be found here.