Mr. Jim Corbett undoubtedly loved this country more than any Indians do. Many heart-touching historical facts about this distinguished personality can be found in this magnificent museum. After visiting the museum, you will definitely acknowledge Mr. Jim Corbett’s life.

Location

Jim Corbett museum is located at Choti Haldwani, 3 km form Kaladhungi, on Ramnagar Road in the state of Uttarakhand. It lies half way between the Corbett National Park and Nainital. The total area of the museum is 1.65 hectares.

GPS Coordinates: 29°17'34"N   79°20'16"E

History

The house, which has turned into museum now, was built by Edward James Jim Corbett, a colonel in the British Indian Army, in 1922 with lime mortar and stone. It was here that Jim Corbett lived with his sister Maggie during the winters while their summer house was located in Nainital. He lived here for a long time till he sold it off in 1947.

Presently, the house is under the Forest Department, which has been transformed it into a museum dedicated to honorable Mr. Jim Corbett.

Corbett was famous for hunting the man eaters. Man eaters are the animals that have incorporated human flesh into their usual diet. Corbett used to be called upon by the British Government for hunting the man eaters (tigers and leopards) who troubled the people living in the villages of the region which now forms a part of the states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. It was for this reason that Corbett earned great respect from the people of these regions and was considered a saint.

Corbett played a key role in convincing the British government for the creation of a national reserve for the protection of the famous Bengal Tiger, which is now known as the Jim Corbett National Park, after his name. What a change of heart! The man who once killed the wild beasts turned into a conservationist!

Corbett was also a great author, “Man-eaters of Kumaon” is a great contribution of his to literature. This man was very fond of tigers and called it “the large hearted gentleman”.

Corbett had also made a village called “Choti Haldwani” in 40 acres of land bought by him and took good care of the villagers who were like family members for him. When he left India, he distributed the land among the villagers, instead of selling it off.

Description of the Museum

The house has been preserved as it was at that time when Corbett lived in it.

There is a beautiful garden at the entrance of the compound of the house and the house lies in the middle of it. There is a statue of Jim Corbett in the garden.

There are a number of paintings which throw light on the life of Jim Corbett, his parents and his 13 brothers and sisters. There are maps which show the locations of the man eaters which were killed by him and also the record of the number of human beings each man eater managed to kill. Then, there are his personal belongings and things that were left over by him when he moved to Kenya after India’s independence in 1947. There are plaques, oil paintings of life-size, his furniture made by him, his hunting weapons, his hunts from the place, photographs, letters written by him and his friends, antiques, etc. that have been preserved very well. There are also the graves of the two dogs of Corbett in the garden. The museum also has information about the men who assisted him when he went for hunting the man eaters. There is also a piece of paper carrying Jim Corbett’s autograph preserved in the museum.

There is a Souvenir shop here where you can buy books related to the National Park, rural handicrafts like T-shirts with the print of tiger, wooden articles, stuff toys made of jute and leaves, pen stands with the print of tiger, etc.

Nearby Places to Visit

Kala Dhungi Falls, Bajauniyahaldu village, Garjia Devi Temple, Kosi River, Mata Mansa Devi Mandir, Dhangarhi Museum, Dhikala Zone

Timings

• Summers: 8 am to 6 pm
• Winters: 8 am to 5 pm
• The museum remains open throughout the year except on the day of Holi.

Entry Fees

The entry fee is Rs. 10 for Indians, Rs. 50 for the foreigners and only Rs. 3 for students.

The entry fee is revised with time. Visit duration of the trip is 1-2 hours.

How to Reach

By Air

The nearest airport is Pantnagar Airport at Kasauni. Major airport is Indira Gandhi International Airport at Delhi at a distance of nearly 300 km.

By Train

There are train stations at Haldwani and Ramnagar. Kathgodam Station is the nearest major train station at a distance of 66 km. Kathgodam railway station is connected to all the major cities such as Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata Howrah Junction, Jammu Tawi, Dehradun, Kanpur, Moradabad, etc.

By Road

Kaladhungi is just 30 km from Nainital. Kaladhungi is connected by road to Delhi via Bazpur, Tanda and Moradabad. Regular public and private transport services make this spot easily accessible.