Tourism in Pilibhit
One of the popular historical and religious places of Uttar Pradesh is Pilibhit. Located at the borders of Nepal, this district is spread over a huge area where the majority is covered with dense forests. With a strong historical background Pilibhit has its existence from 15th century. Even during Mughal era, the district served as an administrative unit. One of the most magnificent inheritances of Pilibhit is the architectural brilliance which is evident in all historical places and buildings from that time. The city has such brilliant art work from ancient times that now the city is known for its art and craft. Present in the Tulamar locality is the Kumar community engaged in making mud craft for years now.
Apart from art and architecture, Pilibhit also has a wide array of holy shrines which all can be a very peaceful and satisfying destination for the visitors. The famous Pilibhit Tiger Reserve is one of the popular destinations of Pilibhit. With excellent connectivity with different other states and cities of the country, Pilibhit is slowly turning out to be a pleasant tourist spot for all. Some of the finest attraction awaits here to be explored and enjoyed.
Best Time to Visit Pilibhit
The best time to visit Pilibhit is the winter months between October and April. It is during this time of the year that the temperature of the district remains around 23-350C and the weather remains cool and pleasant. Cool breeze and clear sky turns Pilibhit into a more enjoyable destination. One can visit different places and enjoy the stay in the best possible wa. The weather may turn chilly during December end till mid January when the temperature sometimes drops down pretty low. It is advisable to avoid visit in summer season in Pilibhit since it is very hot during May June and July.
Major Tourist Attractions of Pilibhit
Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
Covering an area of 1087 sqkm, Pilibhit Tiger Reserve falls under the Lagga Bhagga Forest Range. Established in 2008 in September, this was sanctioned under “Project Tiger”. The Tiger Reserve remains bounded Indo-Nepal boundary and Rivers Sharda and Khakra. The presence of 12 male and 22 female tigers in Pilibhit Tiger Reserve is a major attraction. Apart from tigers there are other species present in this Reserve and they are leopard, deer, hispid and others.
Jama Masjid
There are various large building with excellent artwork which were constructed at the time of Mughals. Such a famous construction is Jama Masjid in Delhi built by the fifth Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The exact copy could be seen in Pilibhit Jama Masji. Hafiz Rahmat Khan built the masjid in 1769. Gateway's structure is almost Mughal style with the designs of the walls around are specifically curvilinear. It is believed that in those times a sum of Rs 3 lakh were spent to construct the temple. Every Friday devotees from nearby places come together to pray to the Almighty in this Masjid. However, due to lack of maintenance a few portions of the masjid premises are destroyed.
Chattvi Padshahi Gurudwara
The Chattvi Padshahi Gurudwara is located in Pakrdiya. It is one of the famous religious shrines specially for Sikhs. According to the popular belief, Guru Govind Singhji while travelling to Nanalmatta, rested here and spend some wonderful time. Guru Govind Singhji was so pleased with the beauty of Pilibhit that he took the initiative of constructing a Gurudwara in the 6th Sikh Guru's name, Guru Har Govindji and named it Chattvi Padshahi Gurudwara. In 1983, due to some urgent necessary renovation requirement, a popular social servant renovated the Gurudwara and made it a popular religious tourist destination.
Devha-Ghagra Sangam
It is the sangam of the rivers Devha and Ghagra that is popularly named as Devha-Ghagra Sangam. Situated in the Khakra locality, next to Pilibhit Ayurvedic College lays the beautiful Brahamchari Ghat which witnesses the Sangam. Huge devotees visit here every year and especially at the time of Kartik Purnima, a huge fair is organized where many devotees come to offer prayers before the Sangam.
Gauri Shankar Temple
Situated at the banks of River Devha and River Khakra, this is a temple around 250 years old. It depicts the belief, culture and glimpses of the historical period. Ever year in Shravan, Raksha Bandhan and Shivratri there is a fair organized which attract more visitors to this temple. There is a dharamshala outside the temple premises. A major attraction is the big gates built in temple's south and east direction.
Dargah Hazrat Shah MD Sher Mian Ki
Dargah of qutebe Pilibhit Hazrat Kibla Haji Shah Ji Mohammad Sher Mian Sahib Rahmat Ullah Aleh is located in the north of Pilibhit city. It is a popular holy shrine and people from different countries and states travel to Pilibhit to seek the blessings of the Hazrat. It is a harmonious place which down the years has been capable of pulling in devotees from all caste and religion. People believe that offering a chaader in this dargah can prove to be really fruitful for the devotee and their family.
Ardhanarishwar Temple
This temple is a newly constructed yet well decorated. A large number of devotees visit the temple premises in the month of Shravan or in the festivals of Shiv Ratri and Kali Puja during Diwali.
Jaisantri Devi Temple
Having much historical and religious significance this temple has its existence long back, It is believed that in the temple premises there is 200-year-old Peepul tree and has witnessed 1857 Sepoy Mutiny. During Navaratri, the temple attracts many devotees from different parts of the state.
How to Reach Pilibhit
The nearest airport to Pilibhit is the Lucknow airport. It is among the busiest airports with much connectivity with major states and cities of the country as well as many other countries outside India. Apart from direct flights the airport has well maintained connecting flights to many domestic and international destinations around the world. Some of the frequent flights from Lucknow are to Dubai, Sharjah, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Riyadh, Patna, Hyderabad and many others. From Lucknow airport one can easily travel to Pilibhit by road with the help of car hire or luxury bus trips. Apart from air travel one can also come to Pilibhit by train as it is the most comfortable and easier journey to Pilibhit. The ticket prizes of trains are much lesser and they run through, Lucknow, Nainital and Agra. The cities within the state are also well connected with Pilibhit. From New Delhi, one need to travel to Bareilly and once reaching there, there is option for buses or paid car service. Local meter gauge trains are also there to reach Pilibhit. By road connectivity to Pilibhit is equally good as National Highway 74 crosses the city and one can easily travel from major cities.
Shopping in Pilibhit
Shopping in Pilibhit may not be a grand affair as in big metro cities but the city is also not devoid of good shopping places and branded shops for the native citizens and tourist. One of the main markets, which have good collections of shop, is the Station Road market with versatile products. The Churi wali Gali is equally important place for shopping. There are good numbers of shops on clothing in J P road market.
Food in Pilibhit
One should really try the versatile foods in Pilibhit. The collection of food starting from Chinese to fast food, traditional north Indian dishes to sweets corner all are absolutely amazing. The restaurants are mainly located at Station Road with the cost per plate on every item is much low and quite reasonable. Fast food is another good option for food in the city.
Accommodations in Pilibhit
There are few good hotels at Pilibhit station road which has good amenities yet reasonable price. Nirmal Hotel in Pilibhit is one of the good hotels with good interior decoration and excellent room service. Another of the best Hotels is Rama Palace Hotel with excellent well mannered staff and really high quality food. The rooms are quite clean with prompt room service. Lastly, there is Santosh Hotel which has also made a name in the last few years with excellent service and good quality. All the accommodations are quite cheap yet worthy.
Pilibhit is one of those areas which has a lot to offer be it the religious sights of temples or historical buildings. It has enough capability of providing the best hotel to stay and have good entertainment options in mode of shopping and enjoying good food. The best thing about the city is that it has warmth, gives a peace to mind and a pleasant feeling in heart.