Uttaranchal Travel Guide
About
Uttaranchal
Uttaranchal, blessed with magnificent glaciers, majestic snow-clad
mountains, gigantic and ecstatic peaks, valley of flowers, skiing slopes
and dense forests, this 'Abode of Gods' includes many shrines and places
of pilgrimage. Char-dhams, the four most sacred and revered Hindu
temples: Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are nestled in the
mighty mountain range of Himalayas. A picturesque state, with a
breathtaking panoramic view of Himalayas, Uttaranchal promises its
tourists a visit full of fun and unforgettable moments. Comprising of
eight hill districts and an area and population that equals the state of
Himachal Pardesh, Uttaranchal is an expression of divinity, austerity,
meditation, penance and attainment
Fact File
Area : 55,848 sq. km
Capital : Dehradun
Population : 7.045 Million
Religion : Hinduism
Languages : Hindi, Garhwali, Kumaoni
Best Time to Visit : April to July
Major Cities : Almora, Nainital, Haridwar, Dehradun,
Mussoorie and Rishikesh.
Reaching Uttaranchal
Air
The main airports of Uttaranchal are Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun
(Garhwal) and Pantnagar Airport, Pantnagar (Kumaon). Both these airports
are connected to Delhi, a major international airport of India. One can
get taxis, buses and luxury coaches to move to different cities from
these airports.
Rail
The major rail heads of Uttaranchal are Dehradun, Haridwar, Kathgodam
and Roorkee. These railway stations are connected to the major cities of
India by direct trains.
Road
The roadways network of Uttaranchal makes it conveniently connected
internally as well with nearby states. The major gateways to Uttaranchal
are dehradun and Nainital. Dehradun is on the NH 45. The Himachal road
transport, Delhi and Haryana road transport, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan
state transport buses, ply regularly to Dehradun. Some important
distances are Agra- 381 Km, Gwalior- 499 Km, Jaipur- 493 Km, Shimla- 344
Km, Kolkata- 1562 Km, Delhi- 235 Km, Lucknow- 582 Km, Mumbai- 1578 Km
and Varanasi- 895 Km. Nainital is connected to NH 87. Regular buses run
from Delhi, Agra, Dehradun, Haridwar, Lucknow, Kanpur & Bareilly.
Distances of some major cities from Nainital are Kathgodam- 34 Km,
Bareilly- 140 Km, Lucknow- 400 Km, Agra- 403 Km, Delhi- 310 Km,
Dehradun- 300 Km and Haridwar- 245 Km.
Tourist Attractions:
Uttaranchal consists of two main regions, they are
Garhwal and
Kumaon. Both the regions are very
similar on cultural terms.
Garhwal
The Garhwal Himalayas area is remote and mountainous, filled with oak
forests and alpine meadows. The forests are home to a number of
endangered animal species and have historically been managed by local
community institutions. In recent years, however, overgrazing and
overharvesting in government-controlled forestlands has begun to
threaten the area's biodiversity
Char
Dham
The state of Uttaranchal is considered the holy land or the Devbhoomi.
The Garhwal division of Uttaranchal is famous for the Char Dham Yatra.
It includes the four most revered and holy destinations of Garhwal
Himalayas, namely, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. It is
generally believed by the pilgrims that undertaking pilgrimages to these
places not just wash away one's sins but also liberates from the cycle
of birth and death. It is also believed that earlier all these dhams
were placed together and with the onset of the Kalyuga, the distance
between the four grew and they drifted apart. The Char Dham Yatra must
be initiated from left to right or west to east, beginning from
Yamunotri, Gangotri, moving to Kedarnath and ending in Badrinath.
Mussoorie
Mussoorie, with its green hills and varied flora & fauna, is a
facinating hill resort. Commanding snow ranges to the north-east, and
glittering views of the Doon Valley & Shiwalik ranges in the south,
the town presents a fairyland atmosphere. Mussoorie is famous for its
scenic beauty
Kumaon
Kumaon is a beautiful region in the newly formed state Uttaranchal . It
is in the northern side of Uttar pradesh .Kumaon is derived from "Kurmanchal"
which meanes Land of the Kurmavtar (the tortoise incarnation of Lord
Vishnu, Preserver of Mankind as per hindu religion. Kumaon consists of
six Districts Almora, Nainital, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Champawat and
Udhamsingh Nagar. Kumaon is situated in Central Himalayas .Himalaya in
the north , "Kali" river in east, Garwal in the west and Plain
area in south make the typial boundry of this region
Nainital
A beautiful hill station in Kumaon hills, Nainital is popular for the
its beautiful views, and boat rides. Hill Resorts in India provides
complete information on the beautiful hill station Nainital. Nainital is
located at an altitude of 1,938 metres in the state of Uttaranchal.
Nainital has a number of tourist destinations that one can visit. Travel
to Nainital with Hill Resorts in India.
Corbett National
Park
Corbett National Park and Tiger Reserve lies 280 km north-east of New
Delhi in the Nainital and Pauri Garhwal districts of Uttaranchal. Named
after the celebrated hunter turned naturalist, Jim Corbett who
immortalized the area through his famous books, Corbett is India's first
national park and was established in 1936.
Encompassing 1318 sq kms of foothills of the Western Himalayas and the
adjacent terai region Corbett contains a wide range of habitats between
400 and 1200 meters. The thick Sal forests in the bhabar zone and the
chaurs (or open grassland) are intersected by river valleys and streams
~ tributaries of the Ramganga and Kosi rivers creating primeval forests
which are a hotspot of bio-diversity.
Haridwar
Haridwar is one of the most sacred cities of India. The city is
situated on the banks of Ganga and it is said that Ganga enters the
plains in Haridwar. Haridwar means Gateway (Dwar) to gods (Hari). Tere
are many temples and ashrams in the town. The city is also famous for
being host to Kumbh mela, the most sacred fairs of Hindus. The water of
Ganga is supposed to be medicinally very strong in Haridwar, due to
herbal secretions of the plants and herbs.
Adventure Sports
Uttaranchal is famous for its adventure sports activities. The state
can boast about the host of adventure activities which it offers to
visitors. The most famous ones are skiing, white water rafting,
trekking, jungle safari and mountaineering. The geographical variations
in the land of Uttaranchal offers some very intresting challenges.
Auli Skiing
Auli, located in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, is a new entrant
in the tourist map of India. Located in the cradle of snow-capped
mountains, Auli is one of the very few places in India where
skiing is a major pastime. The bitter cold
winds, the vast snow-covered landscape, the sylvan mountains, all add up
to make Auli a skier's paradise. Representing man's constant endeavor to
triumph over nature, Auli proves to be an ideal locale for the daring.
Accommodations
Uttaranchal is one of most visited states of India, due to its
pilgrimage sites, adventure potential and hill resorts. The state has
best of facilities for stay in India. Dehradun, Nainital, Mussoorie,
Almora and Ranikhet provide with the most luxurious stay in Uttaranchal,
while Rishikesh and Haridwar are known for the Ashrams, which form an
inevitable part of stay in these cities. Good hotels are found in all
the districts. GMVN and KMVN have also guest houses, hotels and tourist
lodges all over Uttaranchal.
