Ranikhet in Uttarakhand is a hill station and a place associated with the legends of Himalayas. According to historical accounts, Queen Padmini of Kumaon was enchanted by this hill paradise; and King Sudhardev obliged her by building a palace here and named it Ranikhet. Unpopular for long, the hill station was rediscovered by the British. They bought the land from the native villagers and build it into a summer resort apart from establishing an army recruitment centre. Situated at a height of 1,829 m, with an area of 21.76 sq km, Ranikhet also boasts of one of the best hill golf greens in the country. Popular tourist attractions in and around Ranikhet include Chaubatia Gardens, Bhalu dam, Upat Kalika, Mankameshwar, Tarikhet, Jhoola Devi and Ram Mandir, Dwarahat, and Sitla Khet.