Culture · Almora and Kasar Devi, Kumaon
Kasar Devi and the Crank's Ridge walk
Climb to the Kasar Devi temple, where Swami Vivekananda meditated in the 1890s, then walk the pine ridge beyond it that drew Buddhist scholars in the 1930s and Beat poets in the 1960s. Today it is a quiet road of guesthouses, cafés and long views.
Photo: Alexkom000 · CC BY 4.0 · CommonsThe Kasar Devi temple is reached by a stepped path from the main road at the start of the village. The temple to the goddess, a form of Durga, is said to be very old, and the present building dates from 1948. Swami Vivekananda came here in the 1890s and wrote of meditating in the area. From the top you see Almora, the Hawalbagh valley and on clear days a long line of snow peaks.
The ridge beyond the temple became a haunt of artists and spiritual seekers in the 1930s. The scholar W. Y. Evans-Wentz, the Danish mystic Alfred Sorensen, known as Sunyata, and the Buddhist teacher Lama Anagarika Govinda all lived here. In 1962 Allen Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky, Gary Snyder and Joanne Kyger came to visit Govinda, and later in the decade Timothy Leary and Ralph Metzner spent time on the ridge.
The name Crank's Ridge, sometimes Hippie Hill, comes from that period. Walk the road slowly, look for the gate of the old Govinda estate and the small Buddhist meditation centre, and stop at a café that looks over the valley. The Kasar Devi fair is held on Kartik Purnima, in November. Respect private homes; many long-stay residents value quiet.
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Trips through Almora and Kasar Devi
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Each of these trips stops in Almora and Kasar Devi. Tell us and we keep a slot for this day.
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Almora, Binsar and Jageshwar on a budget
Shared taxis and jeeps, with two shared private-cab legs
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Hostel trail: Mukteshwar and Kasar Devi
Shared taxis and jeeps
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Munsiyari and the Johar valley by shared jeep
Shared jeeps and buses via Almora, Chaukori, Thal and Bageshwar
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Kasar Devi and Binsar, slow and private
Private car with driver
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Stays in Almora and Kasar Devi
Questions
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Why is it called Crank's Ridge?
The pine ridge beyond Kasar Devi drew Western Buddhists, writers and artists from the 1930s, and Beat poets and counter-culture figures in the 1960s. The nickname Crank's Ridge, or Hippie Hill, came from that era of eccentric visitors.
How far is Kasar Devi from Almora?
About 8 km, 20–25 minutes by road on the Binsar road. Shared jeeps run from Almora for ₹30–60 a seat, and taxis charge ₹300–500 one way.
Who visited Kasar Devi?
Swami Vivekananda in the 1890s; W. Y. Evans-Wentz, Lama Anagarika Govinda and Alfred Sorensen from the 1930s; Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder and Peter Orlovsky in 1962; and Timothy Leary and Ralph Metzner in the mid-1960s.