Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand:

Uttarakhand, the land of celestial beauty became the 27 Th state of the Indian union on the 9 Th of nova. 2000. The charming hilly state carved out of uttar Pradesh, comprises of two regions Garhwali in the west and kumaon in the east. Both the region are Himalayas. The state is studded with stunning snow covered peaks, glorious glaciers, alpine meadows, crystal clear lakes, holy rivers and exotic flora and fauna. When in Uttarakhand, it is quite easy to believe the legend that lord Brahma, while creating the world reserved the best place for his fellow deities. Uttarakhand is also called as the dev boom' or the abode of the gods, as it is land of great pilgrimages and has attracted pilgrims and seekers of spiritual fulfilment from world over since time immemorial,. Pilgrimage to the sacred char dams Gangotri ,  Yamunotri, kedamanth and badrinath is a dream for every devout Hindu. While the Sikhs consider hemkund, lokpal, nanakmatta, meth teethe sahib and piranha kaliyar very sacred. Ganga  and Yamuna, the two holiest rivers of Hindu mythology originate in the mountains of the state.

Uttarakhand is also a paradise for nature lover's and adventure sports enthusiasts. Missouri, the Queen of hills neonatal the lake district amoral, the Switzerland of India ranikhet, pithoragarh, pauri and Munsyari are just few highlights for the nature lovers. For adventure and excitement, one may choose mountaineering (Bhagirathi, chowkhamba, nanda devi kamet, pindari, sahastrataal, milam, kafni, khatling, gaumukh), trekking, skiing (Auli, dayara bugyal, munsyari, mundali), skating, water sports like rafting, boating and angling and aero sports like hand gliding, paragliding (Pithoragarh, jolly grant, pauri).

The state is also a treasure house  of exotic flora and fauna and is an ideal location for eco tourism as well as wildlife tourism. The world famous Corbett

national park is the pride of Uttarakhand. Other important sanctuaries are, rajah national park, govind wildlife sanctuary, as an barrage, chill etc.

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Govind wildlife sanctuary & har ki doon valley

Govind wildlife sanctuary & har ki doon valley:

The sanctuary was set up in 1955, sprawling over an area of 953 sq.kms. dotted with peaks like swarg rohini, black peak and bandarpoonch. Himalayan black  bear, brown bears, snow leopard, tahr, serow, monal, trogopan, chir, bharal, musk deer, koklas, kaleej pheasants and chukor etc. can be sighted here. The  stunning beauty of Har ki Doon valley, snow clad peak and glorious glaciers also attract a large number of trekkers to this part of the state.

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Gangotri

Gangotri:

It is the spiritual source of ganga, the holiest river in the country and is one of the char dams of Uttarakhand. The gangotri temple is situated at an altitude of 3048 meters, about 99kms. from Uttarkashi. The 20ft. High temple on the left bank of Bhagirathi is made of white granite. It was built in early  18 Th century by amar Singh Thana, a Gorkha General and was renovated in 20 Th century by the ruler of Jaipur. It is believed that Raja Bhagirathi Worshipped lord Shiva at the sacred stone nearby. There is also a submerged shivlinga, which is believed to be the site where Ganga descended into the matted locks of  Lord shiva.

Around Gangotri:

Gaumukh (18kms.): The Gaumukh galcier is the physical source of Bhagirathi (Ganga) and is of great importance to the pilgrims. One has to trek Gangotri to  Gaumukh.

Kedartal (18kms.) The trek to this enchanting lake surrounded by majestic peaks is quite tough, but is worth taking the trouble.

Yamunotri:

Yamunotri, the mythological source of river Yamuna is one of the sacred Char Dham' sites.

Yamunotri temple:

The temple dedicated to Goddess Yamuna was built in 19 Th century by maharani Gluaria of Jaipur. It is set at an altitude of 3,235 metres and is dominated by the towering banderpoonch mountain (6,316m.) in the back drop. The temple remains closed from Nov to Apr./may.

Divya shila: This rock pillar is worshipped before entering the Yamunotri temple.

Surya kund: The hot spring here is formed due to volcanic heat. The blistering water immediately cooks potatoes and rice tied loosely in a piece of cloth. These are taken as prasad by the pilgrim.

Around Yamunotri:

Sapta reship kund: It is the original source of river Yamuna. to trek upon to here is a true test of endurance.

jankichatti(5kms.): Hot springs.

Hanumanchatii(13kms.) : Confluence of Hanuman Ganga and Yamuna rivers. Trek to Fodi tal.

Sayanachatti(8kms.): scenic spot on the banks of river Yamuna.

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Rudrapur

Rudrapur:

It is the headquarters of the Udham Singh nagger district.

Atariya temple:

The famous shrine of Goddess atariya is 2kms. from the bus stand off rudrapur haldwani route. A ten day fair is held here doing the sacred avatars. A large  number of devotees visit the shrine on this occasion.

Around rudrapur:

Nanak Mata (56kms.) This important Sikh pilgrim centre lies on the Rudrapur Tanakpur route. It is believed that Guru Nanak, the first Sikh guru visited  here. Thousands of pilgrims come there throughout the year.

Nanak matte dam built across river sari. It is a popular picnic spot and the beautiful lake has facilities for boating and fishing.

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Dev prayag

Devprayag:

It is set on the confluence of Alakhanda and Bhagirathi rivers and is considered to be one of the panch prayags. The town lies on the Rishikesh to badrinath route about 87 kms. from narendra nagar. There are suspension bridges on the Bhagirathi and the Aleksandra. It is also the seat of the pandas (priests) of the  Badrinath Dham.

Around devprayag:

Chandrabadani devi:

The sacred shrine on chandrabadani mountain is 10kms. from kandi khal and about 22kms. from Devaprayag. Legends suggest that the rorso of  Goddess sati, the consort of Lord Shiva fell here. There are some old statues and lots of iron trishuls (tridents) outside the temple. A fine view of the  sirkanda, Kedarnath and Badrinath peaks can be enjoyed from here.

The district was carved out of Nainital district in October 1995 and was named after shri Udham Singh, a great freedom fighter, who killed General Dyer and  took revenge for the jalinawala Bagh messacre. The district also called as the Gateway to kumaon hills. There are three amin sub-divisions rudrapur, kashipur  and khatima; four tehslis kashipur, kichha, Khatima, Sitarganj and two sub tehsils Bajpur and garadpur.

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Madmaheshwar

Madmaheshwar:

It is one of the panch kedar sites set at an altitude of 3,289 meters, about 25kms. north-east of guptkashi. It can be reached by road from guptkashi upto  Kalimath, form where one has to trek upto madmaheshwar.

Kalimath is known for the kali temple, enshrining the best statue of Har Gauri in India.

New Tehri:

The newly built well planned modern town nestles at a height of 1,550 metres to 1950 metres overlooking the massive artificial lake and tehri dam built on the Bhagirathi river. It has taken over as district headquarters of tehri Garhwal from the old tehri town and was established to rehabilitate the old Tehri, which has been submerged into the waters of the tehri dam. In fact, New tehri is considered to be Asians most comprehensive and successful rehabilitation programme. The gleaming township has developed into a lovely hill resort.

Old tehri

The town now submerged under water was 16kms. from new tehri and 84kms. from Rishikesh on the confluence of Bhagirathi and Bhillangana rivers. It was chosen as the capital of Tehri-Garhwal by Raja sundarhsan shah after the explusion of the Gurkhas with the help of the East India company in 1815.

Tehri Dam:

The huge dam sprawls over an area of 45sq.kms. in the Bhagirathi and Bhilangana valleys near tehri town. the dam rises to a height of 855 ft. (261m.) making it the fifth tallest dam in the World. It is expected to produce 2400 MW of electricity, provide irrigation and drinking water.

The dam is being opposed by scientists and environmentalists, as it is considered to be an environmental catastrophe. Opponents of the project argue that  this mammoth project is destined to be a failure.

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Kedarnath

Kedarnath:

Kedarnath, one of the holiest Hindu pilgrim sites is perched at an altitude of 3584 metres, amidst towering snow-clad Himalayan peaks on the head of river Mandakini. It is 86 kms. from Rudraprayag.

Kedarnath Temple:

The 8 Th century temple built by Adi Shankracharya is a stark grey stone structure, enshrining one of the twelve sacred jyotirlingas of lord Shiva. The Jyothirlinga in the sanctum resembles a hump of a bull. In front of the temple door is a large statue of Nandi. The madapa walls are adorned with idols of the five panamas and draped. There is also an image of lord Gnash. The shrine closes for the winters on the first day of kartik (Oct-Nov) and re-opens in Vaisakh (Apr-may).

Around kedarnath:

Chorabari Glacier:

The snout of the 6 kms. long glacier is about 3 kms. from kedarnath temple. River Mandakini emerges from here and later merges into the  Alknanda at Rudraprayag. About 2 kms. from the temple is the glacial lake of Gandhi sarovar, between the rock face and right lateral moraine of the glacier. The sight of floating ice on the crystal clear waters is enchanting.

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