Ransi Stadium

Ransi Stadium is a high-altitude sports ground set on a forested ridge roughly 2.5 kilometres south of Pauri, the hill-station headquarters of Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal district.

• Laid out at approximately 2,100 metres (about 7,000 feet) above sea level, it is regularly described in Indian sports and travel writing as one of Asia's highest stadiums — several accounts rank it as the second-highest in Asia.
• Whatever the exact placing, the setting is unmistakable: a level green playing field carved onto a ridge, ringed by deodar and oak forest, with the great snow wall of the Garhwal Himalaya rising on the northern horizon on a clear day.
• The ground was developed as Pauri's principal venue for cricket and football, and local tournaments still animate it through the milder months.
• For the travelling visitor, though, Ransi is less a match-day destination than an accidental viewpoint and a wonderful place to walk.
• The thin, cool air, the openness of the field after the enclosed forest road, and the panorama of terraced hillsides folding away toward the plains make it a natural spot for a slow morning stroll, a picnic on the grass, or simply sitting on the embankment as the light shifts over the peaks.
• It sits close to the Kandoliya forest and the Kandoliya Devta temple, and the two are easily paired into a short ridge outing from town.
• Sunrise and the hour before sunset are the rewarding times, when the Himalayan skyline — including glimpses of distant high peaks in exceptionally clear weather — is at its most defined.
• The stadium is an open public ground with no ticket, and there are no facilities to speak of on the field itself, so carry water and a windcheater; the ridge is breezy and temperatures drop quickly once the sun is low.
• During active matches or upgrade works the field may be roped off, so it is worth confirming access locally before setting out.
• On the food front, Pauri is a mixed hill town rather than a strictly vegetarian pilgrimage centre, so vegetarian travellers should choose consciously.
• There is nothing to eat at the ground; the practical plan is to carry a packed vegetarian snack for the ridge and return to Pauri bazaar or the Kandoliya area afterwards for a hot meal.
• Simple Garhwali vegetarian fare — mandua (finger-millet) rotis, jhangora, kafuli greens, rajma and rice, aloo ke gutke, pakoras and chai — is widely available at pure-vegetarian dhabas and the GMVN tourist rest house canteen in town; ask for a shudh (pure) vegetarian kitchen when in doubt.