Uttarakhand
is a region of outstanding natural beauty. Most of the
northern parts of the state are part of Greater Himalaya
ranges, covered by the high Himalayan peaks and glaciers.
Two of India's mightiest rivers, the Ganga and the Yamuna
take birth in the glaciers of Uttarakhand, and are fed
by myriad lakes, glacial melts and streams in the region.
Uttarakhand
has two distinct climatic regions: the predominant hilly
terrain and the smaller plain region. The climatic condition
of the plains is very similar to its counterpart in
the Gangetic plain. Summers are extremely hot with temperatures
going over the 40°C mark and a lot of humidity. Winters
can be chilly with temperatures going below 5°C at times.
Indian
National Parks in Uttarakhand include the Jim Corbett
National Park (the oldest national park of India) at
Ramnagar in Nainital District, Valley of Flowers National
Park and Nanda Devi National Park in Chamoli District,
Rajaji National Park in Haridwar District, and Govind
Pashu Vihar National Park and Gangotri National Park
in Uttarkashi District. Berinag and Chaukori are tiny,
pristine hill stations with spectacular views of the
Himalaya peaks.
Badrinath & Kedarnath : The
temples of Shiva and Vishnu at Kedarnath and Badrinath
have been the destination of pilgrims for centuries.
The route to the two sources begins at Rishikesh and
passes ancient temples and Valleys along the way.
Badrinath is one of the four Dhams; a devout Hindu
has to visit in his lifetime to attain salvation.
One of Hinduism's holiest sites, it was founded by
Sri Shankaracharya, in the ninth century. The temple,
also known as Badri Narayan, is dedicated to Vishnu,
who is said to have done penance in the mythical Brindavan
that once covered the mountains of Uttarakhand.
Kedarnath : Kedarnath is the most
important Hindu shrine in Himalayas, and among the
major Shiva temples, of the country. Located at the
source of the river Mandakini, Kedarnath is one of
the twelve Jyothirlingas, of Lord Shiva, and one of
the Panch Kedars. Mythology identifies the deity at
Kedarnath temple, with the rump of a bull, a form
assumed by Lord Shiva, when eluding the Pandavas,
who had come for repentance for killing their kith
and kin, in the great battle of Kurukshetra. It is
believed that the Pandavas constructed the temple
of Kedarnath.
Corbett National Park : Corbett
National Park lies in two districts - Nainital and
Pauri - in the hill state of Uttaranchal in northern
India. It covers an area of 521 sq. km and together
with the neighbouring Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary
and Reserve Forest areas, forms the Corbett Tiger
Reserve over 1288 sq. km. Corbett has been a haunt
for tourists and wildlife lovers for a long time.
Tourism is allowed in selected areas of Corbett Tiger
Reserve so that people get an opportunity to see its
splendid landscape and the diverse wildlife living
here.
Dehradun : Nestled in the mountain
ranges of the Himalaya, Dehradun is one of the oldest
cities of India and is recently declared as the Provisional
Capital of newly created Uttarakhand State in the
month of Nov'2000. The city has many beautiful rest
houses and good hotels to provide accommodation to
the tourist. For many years, it has been one of the
best known educational centres in northern India.
Dehra Dun is well linked by rail and road with Delhi,
Bombay, Calcutta, Lucknow and Varanasi.
Gangotri : In the hinterlands of
the Himalayas is Gangotri where, it is believed, Ganga,
the stream of life, touched earth for the first time.
According to the Hindu religious scriptures, the goddess
manifested herself in the form of a river to absolve
the sins of King Bhagirathi's sons, following his
penance of several centuries. The Goddess Ganga is
worshipped by the devout as a deity. The Gangotri
temple was built in the early 18th century by a Gorkha
commander, Amar Singh Thapa and later rebuilt by the
Maharaja of Jaipur.
Yamunotri : Yamunotri, the source
of the river Yamuna, is the westernmost shrine in
the Garhwal Himalayas, located on a flank of the Bandarpunch
peak. The trek along the riverbank is quite magnificent,
dominated by a wide panorama of mountains.
Haridwar : Haridwar, on the right
bank of River Ganga at the feet of Shivalik ranges,
an ancient pilgrim city is one of the holiest places
for Hindus. Haridwar is at the point where the river
Ganga spreads over the northern plain. It lies at
the base of the Shivalik Hills where the Ganga passes
through its last gorge and begins a 2000 km journey
across the plains. One of the four venues for the
Kumbh Mela, a festival held once in twelve years,
it is among the seven sacred cities of India. A holy
dip at Har-Ki-Pauri is a must for every devotee.
Rishikesh : Rishikesh is one of
the most popular pilgrim centres and gateway to the
Himalayan shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri,
& Yamunotri. The Yoga centres of Rishikesh have
enhanced the significance of the place. Legend has
it that the sage Raibhya Rishi did severe penance
and, as a reward, God appeared to him in the form
of Rishikesh. Rishikesh also represents the site where
Lord Vishnu vanquished the demon Madhu. The place
is known as the Tapo Bhumi or the place for meditation
of the Gods. In the 1960s, the place came into limelight
as the place where the pop group Beatles met their
guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
Mussoorie : The queen of hill stations
is about 89 km from Haridwar and the salubrious climate
and deep woods make it an ideal hill station. The
name, Mussoorie, derives its name from plants of 'Mussoorie',
found in abundance here. After its discovery, this
place gradually developed as a center of education,
business, tourism and beauty.
Nainital :
Dotted with lakes, Nainital has earned the epithet
of 'Lake District' of India. Nainital’s unending
expense of scenic beauty is nothing short of a romance
with awe-inspiring and pristine Mother Nature.
Ranikhet :
Ranikhet is a place, which has preserved its virginity
and pristine charm. The sweep of Himalayan range visible
from here is arguably the largest available from any
place. It is a pure heaven 6,000 feet above the sea
level, away from the bustling lifestyle of city life.
In Ranikhet, nature's beauty overwhelms with its sheer
abundance. It is believed that the hill resort of
Ranikhet derives it name from the Rani Padmini, queen
of Raja Sukherdev, the local ruler. The queen was
awe-struck by the beauty of the place. The queen was
so captivated by the place that she decided to stay
there, and the place came to be known as Ranikhet
i.e. "the queen's field".
Festivals & Events
The
people of Uttarakhand celebrate almost all the major
Indian festivals including Basant Panchami, Bhitauli,
Harela, Phooldei, Batsavitri, Ganga Dusshera, Dikar
Puja, Olgi or Ghee Sankranti, Khatarua, Ghuian Ekadashi
and Ghughutia. Kumbha (Kumbha means pot) Mela is a sacred
Hindu pilgrimage takes place at Haridwar where the river
Ganga enters the plains from Himalayas. Haridwar is
one of the four locations where pilgrimage occurs once
at each locations every twelve years.
The
best time to visit Uttarakhand is during the summer,
when the weather is very pleasant. Some parts of the
hills will be inaccessible in winter. The plains region
is best visited in winter, when the weather is milder.
During the period of
their stay in Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, Beatles, the
famous pop group wrote forty-eight songs.
