Gananath Fair is a famous fair held at Gananath Temple, located about 47 km from Almora. Gananath Temple is an ancient temple famous for its caves and Shiva temple. Gananath mela is celebrated every year on Kartik Purnima, which falls 15 days after Maidan Diwali. The fair is celebrated exuberantly. In the Gananath fair, gamblers from the regions of Almora and Nainital will gather and play cards. At night, couples and women wishing to have children visit the temple and worship Lord Shiva. Women worship Lord Shiva all night with diyas in their hands. This was also said to cure ailments. However, both these traditions have declined due to the ban on gambling and advances in medical treatment.
The festival of Gananath in the Almora district was also very famous till a few decades ago. Here it was organized 15 days after Maidan Diwali. This was known as an appeal to the gamers of the region. In this, the gamblers of Almora, Nainital districts used to gamble by gathering here for their appeal. Apart from ‘Dyutkreeda’ and ‘Prakash Parv,’ on this day, childless women of this region or women who wished for a son’s progeny used to stand in the worship of Shiva all night with a burning lamp in their hands. However, in the last few decades, due to the ban on gaming and the decline of people’s faith in divine means of procreation, now this festival is becoming obscure.