Champawat travel guide

The first capital of Kumaon – carved Chand-era temples, Abbott Mount and Jim Corbett country

📍 Uttarakhand 7 places to visit 🏨 1 stay to book Updated 31 Oct 2026

Champawat is a small, green hill town at about 1,600 m in eastern Kumaon, Uttarakhand. Once the capital of the Chand kings, it has finely carved stone temples, quiet forests and orchards, and is close to Lohaghat, Abbott Mount, the Mayawati Ashram and Devidhura.

History of Champawat

Champawat was the first capital of the Chand kings, who ruled Kumaon for centuries before moving their capital to Almora in the 16th century. They built the beautifully carved stone Baleshwar temple group, a highlight of Kumaoni temple art, and the town is also linked with Golu Devta, the god of justice widely worshipped in Kumaon.

Champawat is known worldwide through Jim Corbett: his first famous hunt was the Champawat tigress, a man-eater blamed for more than 400 deaths in Nepal and Kumaon, which he shot in 1907. The story opens his book Man-Eaters of Kumaon.

The town became the headquarters of a new district in 1997. Nearby Mayawati has the Advaita Ashram, founded in 1899 at Swami Vivekananda’s wish.

Best time to visit Champawat

March–June and September–November are best. Winters are cold with occasional snow on the higher ridges; July–August is rainy.

Mar–Jun

Spring & summer · Pleasant, about 12–28°C

Orchards and clear mornings.

Best

Jul–Aug

Monsoon · Heavy rain

Roads from Tanakpur can have slides.

Avoid

Sep–Nov

Autumn · Clear, about 8–22°C

Good Himalayan views.

Best

Dec–Feb

Winter · Cold, about 0–14°C

Frosty mornings; snow on high ridges.

Good

How to reach Champawat

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Nearest airport

Pantnagar Airport (PGH)

About 160 km (5 hours by taxi).

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Nearest railway station

Tanakpur (TPU)

About 75 km (2.5–3 hours by taxi or bus).

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Bus stand

Champawat bus stand – Uttarakhand Roadways buses to Tanakpur, Haldwani, Delhi, Lohaghat and Pithoragarh. Shared jeeps run to Lohaghat and nearby villages.

From	Distance by road	Travel time
Lohaghat	About 15 km	30 minutes
Tanakpur	About 75 km	2.5–3 hours
Abbott Mount	20–25	1 hour
Pithoragarh	About 75 km	2.5–3 hours
Nainital	About 160 km	5 hours
Delhi	About 400 km	9–10 hours

Distances and times are approximate and change with traffic and weather.

Famous places to visit in Champawat

1Baleshwar Temple

Temple 📍 Town 🕘 Day time

A group of stone temples of the Chand period with delicate carvings – Champawat’s most famous monument.

2Golu Devta Temple

Temple 📍 Near town 🕘 Day time

A temple of Golu (Gwalla) Devta, the Kumaoni god of justice, where devotees tie bells and petitions.

3Kranteshwar Mahadev

Temple 📍 Hill above town 🕘 Day time · short climb

A hill-top Shiva temple with views over Champawat and the surrounding ridges.

4Ek Hathiya ka Naula

Heritage 📍 About 5 km 🕘 Day time

An old carved stone water spring said to have been made by a one-armed craftsman.

5Abbott Mount

Viewpoint 📍 About 20–25 km (near Lohaghat) 🕘 Day time

A small colonial-era hill settlement with old cottages, a church and Himalayan views.

6Mayawati Advaita Ashram

Heritage 📍 About 25 km 🕘 Set visiting hours

A peaceful ashram of the Ramakrishna order in forest and orchards, founded in 1899.

7Devidhura (Barahi Devi)

Temple 📍 About 55–60 km 🕘 Day time

A forest temple among giant boulders, known for the Bagwal stone-throwing ritual on Raksha Bandhan.

Timings and entry fees change – please check locally before you go.

🐅 Jim Corbett and the Champawat tigress

When: Shot in 1907
Story: A man-eater blamed for more than 400 deaths in Nepal and Kumaon
Read: The first chapter of Man-Eaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett

Local guides can point out places linked to the hunt.

Champawat itinerary

2 days in Champawat

Day 1

Baleshwar temple, Golu Devta and Ek Hathiya ka Naula.

Day 2

Lohaghat, Abbott Mount and the Mayawati Ashram.

3 days – Champawat & Devidhura

Day 1

Champawat temples.

Day 2

Abbott Mount and Mayawati.

Day 3

Devidhura forest temple.

Trip budget for Champawat

Item	Cost	Note
Stay (homestay / cottage)	About ₹1,000–3,500 / night
Food	About ₹300–700 per person / day	Simple Kumaoni food
Taxi Tanakpur → Champawat	About ₹2,000–3,000	2.5–3 hours
Weekend for 2 (approx.)	₹6,000–11,000	2 nights’ stay + food + local taxi

Costs are rough estimates for Oct 2026.

Champawat vs Mukteshwar and Nainital

Looking for a quiet Kumaon trip?

Place	From Delhi	Vibe	Best for
Champawat	About 400 km, 9–10 h	Temples, forest, very quiet	Heritage, off the tourist trail
Mukteshwar	About 350 km, 8–9 h	Ridge with peak views	Himalayan views
Nainital	About 300 km, 7–8 h	Lake town, busy	Families

Where to stay in Champawat

Stay in Champawat town for the temples, or in village homestays around Lohaghat and the forest roads – such as near Chauki and Lammai – for orchards, birdsong and quiet.