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Himachal Pradesh in the north-west, Uttar Pradesh in the
South and shares international borders with Nepal and
China. Uttaranchal constitutes the regions of Garhwal
and Kumaon, named after former mountain kingdoms.
Garhwal consists of the districts of Pauri, Chamoli
Tehri, Dehradun and Uttarkashi; and Kumaon consists of
Nainital, Almora and the well known Pithoragarh.
Dehradun is the interim capital city of Uttaranchal.
Uttaranchal consists of 13 districts which are Almora,
Pauri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal, Bageshwar, Chamoli,
Haridwar, Champawat, Nainital, Dehradun, Udham Singh
Nagar, Uttarkashi, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag. These
districts form two divisions which are Garhwal and
Kumaon, named after former mountain kingdoms. Garhwal
includes Chamoli, Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal,
Rudraprayag, Tehri, and Uttarkashi districts, and Kumaon
includes Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital,
Pithoragarh, and Udham Singh Nagar. Uttaranchal is
famous not only for some well known hill stations like
Mussoorie and Nainital, but also for Dev Bhumi, Land of
the Gods, in Garhwal. Hindi, Garhwali, English are the
main languages which are spoken in Uttaranchal. The best
time to visit this place is between April and October.
Geography of Uttaranchal
The state of Uttaranchal can be grouped into three
distinct geographical regions, the High mountain region,
the Mid-mountain region and the Terai region. About 88%
of the region is hilly and the remaining 12 percent
falls in the plains. This magical land has such an
awesome charm, splendour and enchanting beauty which
cannot be seen anywhere else. Uttaranchal is blessed
with magnificent glaciers, sparkling and joyful rivers,
gigantic mountain peaks, valley of flowers, skiing
slopes and dense forests. Pindari, Milam, Sundar Dhunga,
Gangotri, Chetrangi, Khatling, Jumdar and Dukhroni are
the mighty glaciers of the state. The Garhwal region in
Uttaranchal has many peaks over 7,000 metres including
India’s second highest peak, Nanda Devi, named after
Parvati, Lord Shiva’s consort. The other famous peaks
are Kedarnath, Trishul, Bandarpunch and Mt. Kamet. The
Ganga, Yamuna, Ramganga and Sharda are the main rivers
that originate in Uttaranchal. Among these rivers, Ganga
is the most holy and prominent river and represents the
soul of India. Sahastratal, Kedartal, Vasukital, Sattal,
Naukichiatal, Bhimtal, Bhadarsartal and Kakbushandital
are the sparkling lakes. One of the most stunning
panoramas in the region is the Duirital, the lake set
like an emerald in the heart of the Himalayas. Dodital,
the pristine and unspoiled lake is just 400 km from Delhi.
Although Dodital is only about 10 acres in area, it has
a rare, thriving population of brown trout. Sahasratal
literally means thousand lakes. Though there are
hundreds of pools here, but there are only seven lakes.
The Valley of Flowers is also situated here which is at
its best in July-August. This valley offers 500 species
of flowers.
Economy of Uttaranchal
The state of Uttaranchal has tremendous potential of
developing tourism industry due to the beautiful
landscape, religious places, trekking trails, national
parks, mountain peaks and historical and archeological
sites. Most of the rural population is engaged in
agriculture. Doon Valley, Nainital district, Udham Singh
Nagar and Haridwar districts produce large quantities of
food grains. The state has immense potential for the
development of horticulture crops. Apple, orange, malta,
pear, grapes, peach, plum, appricot, litchi, mango,
guava are widely produced fruits. The region also holds
good promises for developing herbal pharmaceutical
industry owing to abundant medicinal plants. Due to its
water resources, the state has the capacity to generate
many mega watts of power. Presently, it is producing 500
MW of power. There are 17 hydro-electric projects and
various power projects including Tehri Dam, which has
recently been constructed in the Tehri-Garhwal region.
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agriculture and grazing. It was in Garhwal that a
people’s movement “Chipko” was started by women with a
view to saving its forests from greedy commercial
intests. The women clung to trees willing to sacrifice
their life for trees. They succeeded in the end and
today, felling of trees in these mountains is banned.
Kumaoni and Garhwali dialects are spoken is Kumaon and
Garhwal region respectively. Jaunsari and Bhotia is also
spoken in the region by some tribal communities. In
various regions a mixture of both Kumaoni and Garhwali
is also spoken. The city population however converse
mostly in Hindi.
Fairs and Festivals of Uttaranchal
The fairs and festivals of Uttaranchal are very
colourful and distinctive, and reflects the blend of
various natural, social and cultural factors. The fairs
of Uttaranchal are closely linked to the economic
activities of the region. Makar Sankranti, Basant
Panchami, Phool Dei, Haatkalika Fair, Kumbh Mela, Syalde
Bikhauti, Somnath Fair, Punyagiri Fair, Jageshwar Fair,
Bat Savitri, Ganga Dusshera, Harela and Bhitauli, Olgia
or Ghee Sankranti, Janopunyu, Khatarua, Jauljibi and
Thal fairs and Nandadevi Fair are some of the major
fairs and festivals of Uttaranchal.
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Pilgrimages in Uttaranchal
Uttaranchal, also known as the Dev Bhumi has many
shrines and places of pilgrimage. The source of the
Yamuna and the Ganga river has led to setting up of some
of holiest shrines in Uttaranchal. Char Dham is one of
the most famous pilgrimage circuit which consists of the
four most sacred and revered Hindu temples. Badrinath,
Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are the famous Hindu
temples which constitute the Char Dham. These places are
snow covered and situated at an altitude of some 10,000
feet above sea level. The best time to take this
pilgrimage tour is from April to October. Haridwar and
Rishikesh are the two other famous holy and pilgrimage
shrines in Uttaranchal. This is also the land where
Vedas and Shastras were composed and great Indian epic,
the Mahabharata was written. The land has always been
the source of inspiration for nature lovers and seekers
of peace and spirituality.
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Adventure Sports in Uttaranchal
The terrain of Uttaranchal offers immense opportunities
for adventure sports. The region abounds with a splendid
combination of flora and fauna, flowing rivers and
snow-capped mountains which infuse the spirit of
adventure in all. Skiing, trekking, river rafting and
various other water sports can be undertaken in
Uttaranchal. The large slopes of Uttaranchal hills
covered with snow become an ideal place for skiing in
the winter months. One can feel the adrenaline levels
rising as one negotiates the challenges of the steep
gradients and traverses unimaginable distances. Auli is
the most famous famous place in Uttaranchal for skiing.
The natural advantages of Auil’s slopes, coupled with
state of the art facilities have made it one of the best
place in the world. The hills of Uttaranchal offer
various breathtakingly adventurous trekking routes.
Trekking is the best way to know the land, its people,
culture and traditions.
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Hill Stations in Uttaranchal
The Uttaranchal region nestles two exciting hill resorts
where Indians move during summer. Mussoorie is one of
the famous hill station which is also known as the Queen
of Indian Hill Stations. The other hill resort is
Nainital. Nainital is the summer capital of Uttar
Pradesh Government. It is a popular resort in the Kumaon
Hills with a sparkling lake in the center of the city.
Every year during summer, Nainital has a national level
regatta on its famous lake. Almora is situated about 65
kms from Nainital. Almora, the famous hill station is
perched on a 5 km ridge, and offers a majestic view of
the snow clad station with round bracing climate. This
resort attracts the tourists throughout the year.
Wildlife Sanctuaries in Uttaranchal
Uttaranchal is very rich in terms of wild life and
forest area. The thick forests and mountains houses a
variety of wildlife, birds and plant species, depending
on the climate of different regions. The ecological
zones likely to fall in Uttaranchal are upper Himalayas
called the snow-bound zones, lower Himalayas and
Shivaliks. All these zones support many rare plants and
animals. Tiger and elephants are found in Shivalik
range, black bear, wild sheep and goats and musk deer in
the Himalayan range and the snow leopard and brown bear
in Himadri region. Nanda Devi National Park, Valley of
flowers National Park, Rajaji National Park, Kedarnath
Wildlife sanctuary and Govind Wildlife Sanctuary are the
famous wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in
Uttaranchal.
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