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Uttaranchal Travel Guide

Uttaranchal Travel Guide :: Places of Interest in Uttaranchal :: Pilgrimage in Uttaranchal :: Hill Stations of Uttaranchal :: Mussoorie Hotels :: Uttaranchal Tours & Holidays

Uttaranchal Travel Guide

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 Mountains.

A picturesque state, with a breathtaking panoramic view of Himalayas, Uttaranchal promises its tourists a visit full of fun and unforgettable moments.

What is comparatively a matter of detail is that Vrindavan is believed to have been the stage on which Krishna performed his famous romantic and sportive roles. Unlike busy Mathura. Vrindavan seems perpetually to be dreaming and imaginatively, re-living its romantic past.

There are hundred of shrines in the town, as also numerous ghats and several sacred tanks, of which one called Brahama kund and another named Govinda kund are the most highly venerated. The most famous as well as the finest temple in Vrindavan is that of Govinda Deva, dating from 1590.

It is a huge, Cruciform, Vaulted building of red sandstone with a nave 30Mt.(100Ft.) in height and breadth the wall is 3 Mt.(10Ft.) thick on an average and is built in two stage. The upper being a regular triforium.

Garhwal Region:
Garhwal lying in the north -west of Uttaranchal comprises of the 5 districts of Dehradun, Pauri, Tehri, Uttarkashi and Chamoli.

The archaeological remains lying scatterd at many places reveal that a rich civilization flourished here from very early times. The mahabharata gives vivid accounts of the land and its people.

Emperor Ashoka's domain encompassed a part of the terrain , evidence of which is "chitrashila" or "chhatrashila", a quartz rock bnearing his edicts, dicoverd near kalsi.

Hieun tsang, the 7th century chyinese pilgrim traversed a part of the garhwal and adi shankaracharya, the 8th century hindu saint and reformer, visited the remotest regions and to him we owe the establishment of some of the most sacred shrines of garhwal.

Kumaon Region:
Extending from the northern end of the Ganga plains right up to Tibet, Kumaon's endless panorama of scenic wonders is nothing short of romance with pristine and soul-lifting nature itself. Kumaon consists of districts of Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, Almora and Pithoragarh.

The land of Jim Corbett's legendary exploits, it lies due east of Garhwal from which it is separated by the eastern and southern flanks of Nanda Devi sanctuary leading down along the valley of the Ramganga.

Well connected to different parts of the country, Kumaon hills provide vast attraction for the tourists, trekkers and pilgrims.

The nearest airport for Kumaon is Pantnagar, 71 kms, from Nainital, 118 kms, from Ranikhet and 127 kms from Almora.

The newly developed Naini Saini Airport at Pithoragarh shall also start, connecting Kumaon in near future with other parts of the country through commercial flights.

The last railhead for Kumaon is Kathgodam on the main metre gauge line from Lucknow. From Kathgodam. regular bus services are provided by UP Roadways and the Kumaon Motor Owners Union, to Nainital (55 kms). Alrnora (90 kms) and Ranikhet (84 kms) etc.

The beautiful scenery and the colourful life of Kurnaon, wrapped in the scenic wonders of many lesser known hill stations like Bageshwar, Binsar, Chaukori. Champavat, Kausani, Mukteshwar. Munsyari, Ranikhet, Sitlakhet besides many other popular hill stations are waiting to be discovered.

Art & Heritage in Uttaranchal:
Himalaya is a Sanskrit word meaning abode of snow. It is the tallest mountain range, whose spiny ridges spread out halfway across the world's largest continent; The formidable range with at least eighty peaks above 20,000 feet, the snow covered silvery summits spread out beyond the horizon, gigantic glaciers, high plateaux, the magnificent roaring dark gorges, are an awe inspiring spectacle that transcends description.

But this great abode of snow is more than ice, snow and rock. Since antiquity it has been home of a great diversity of people, who have developed many magnificent cultures.

With passage of time all these become one with the great wonderland, Hill woman bedecked with Jewellery that is India. Like many other, the culture of Garhwal and Kumaon have their rich and definite contributions to the ocean of great Indian Culture.

The traditions folk art of the region was preserved in its original form, since Garhwal and Kumaon were inaccessible in the past, due to the high mountain ranges and rugged topography.