Carved out with 14 hilly districts of former Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal is the 26th state of the Indian union. The state is rich in flora and fauna, natural and touristic ambience, and houses some of the most important pilgrimage centers in the country. Breathtaking in its natural splendor, grand in its wild denizens, and simplicity in its people, the region is a unique experience to your senses.

Geographical Information

Uttaranchal is a part of the Western Himalayan ranges starting from the Shivalik foothills to Greater Himalayas with Tibet as its northeastern border. In the northwestern corner of the state is Himachal Pradesh, while Haryana celebrates its union with the newly formed state with a gentle kiss. The state is surrounded by Uttar Pradesh for most of its western and southern boundary.

Apart from the Terai region in the Shivalik foothills, the entire state of Uttaranchal is a part of the Himalayan ranges. At 7,817 m above sea level, Nanda Devi in the district of Chamoli is the highest point in the state. The region has many glaciers, passes, meadows, and trekking routes with several major rivers like the Ganga and Yamuna originating from here. A major part of this Himalayan state comes under rainforests and alpine forests that are home to some of the highly endangered wildlife species.

The state has two distinct climatic regions: the predominant hilly terrain and the small plain region. The climatic condition of the plains is very similar to its counterpart in the Gangetic plain—that is, tropical. Summers are unbearable with temperature going over the 40°C mark and a lot of humidity. Winters can be chilly with temperatures going below 5°C at times.

The Himalayan region has Alpine conditions characterized by cold winters with snowfall for quite a long time, good rainfall in the monsoon, and mild summers. This climate also provides the state with its only livelihood, i.e., tourism.

The alpine and tropical rainforests that cover most parts of the state make natural habitats of some of the best-known wildlife creatures India has on offer. The Jim Corbett National Park is home to Royal Bengal Tigers and ground for the plot of Jim Corbett’s Man-eaters of Kumaon. Another rainforest in the region is Rajaji National Park famous for its large number of pachyderms. Alpine forests in the region include Valley of Flowers National Park (known for its amazing variety of flowers), Nanda Devi National Park, Govind National Park, Gangotri National Park, and many more.

Uttaranchal is an amalgamation of the two hilly divisions of former Uttar Pradesh, Kumaon and Garhwal, the regions that are known according to Hindu legends as Devbhoomi (land of the gods). Both the divisions, though they are spelled in the same breath, show sufficient diversity in their history, culture and ethnicity so much so that they are often considered separately.

The Garhwal Himalayas have nurtured civilization from the wee hours of history. It appears to have been a favorite locale for the voluminous mythology of the Puranic period. The traditional name of Garhwal was Uttarakhand and excavations have revealed that it formed part of the Mauryan Empire. It also finds mention in the 7th-century travelogue of Huen Tsang. However, it is with Adi Shankaracharya that the name of Garhwal will always be linked, for the great 8th-century spiritual reformer visited the remote, snow-laden heights of Garhwal, established a math (Joshimath) and resorted some of the most sacred shrines, including Badrinath and Kedarnath.

The history of Garhwal as one unified whole began in the 15th century, when king Ajai Pal merged the 52 separate principalities, each with its own garh or fortress. For 300 years, Garhwal remained one kingdom, with its capital at Srinagar (not to be confused with the capital of Kashmir). Then Pauri and Dehradun were perforce ceded to the Crown as payment for British help, rendered to the Garhwalis during the Gurkha invasion, in the early 19th century.

Humankind has been around in Kumaon for a very long time. Evidences of Stone Age settlements have been found in Kumaon, particularly the rock shelter at Lakhu Udyar. The paintings here date back to the Mesolithic period.

After an interregnum of a couple of centuries, the Chands of Pithoragarh became the dominant dynasty. The magnificent temple complex at Jageshwar, with its cluster of a hundred and sixty-four temples, was built by the Chand rulers over a space of two centuries. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the evocative carvings are complemented by the beautiful cedar forest around it.

Garhwal resembles other parts of the Himalayas where various ethnic groups live side by side. Following chiefly the agrarian-pastoral way of life, native Garhwalis make their living from the hilly land the best they can. Some, like the Bhotia traders, migrate far and wide, although the ancient trade routes with Tibet have been closed since 1950. Most of the indigenous people like Jaunsari, Bhotia, Buksha, Tharu, and Raji are heterodox Hindus and Buddhists, while Sikh migrants from West Punjab have settled in the lowlands since 1947. A few Muslim groups are also native to the area, although most of them have settled recently. The Muslim Gujjar herders also migrate to the hills.

The inhabitants of the Kumaon hills are commonly known as the Kumaonese. They belong to a predominantly patriarchal society, which recognizes the superiority of men over women. The social structure is based on the extended family system, the eldest male member being the head of the family. Women are respected in society but they usually confine themselves to household activities. No religious ceremony is considered complete without the wife joining the husband. Women also work in the fields and forests alongside the men. In Kumaon, bigamy or polygamy has religious sanctions but polyandry is prohibited. Widow marriage and re-marriage by divorced women is permitted except in certain sections of high-caste Brahmins and Rajputs. Child marriage is still practiced in all classes of society despite legal restrictions on it. It has all but disappeared from the educated society.

The peace and tranquility of Uttaranchal laid the foundation for a treasure house of paintings and art. Out of the two major art forms, the art of stone carving and woodcarving are fairly well known. The art of stone carving gradually died down, but woodcarving continued. Woodcarving could be seen on almost every door of a Garhwali house until only half a century ago. Woodcarving can still be seen in hundreds of temple all over Garhwal. The remains of architectural work have been found at the Chandpur Fort, temple of Srinagar, Pandukeshwar (near Badrinath), Devi Madin (near Joshimath), and Devalgarh Temple.

The Himalayas have inspired generations of singers, balladeers, and musicians throughout the ages. The natural beauty of the mountains—which inspires a deep spirituality—and the harshness of life—which darkens the heart with adversity and anguish—have invigorated Uttarakhandi music, heightening its poignancy and enriching its lyrical texture. Although, increasingly influenced by trends in Hindi film music (with Garhwali songs set to film-style music), the more traditional forms of Himalayan music have remained deeply popular. This has been especially true of the Pahari penchant for folksy values, biting humor, raw honesty, loving devotion, and soaring spirits that shines through each song. Indeed, in face of other homogenizing trends in India, Uttarakhandi music has distinguished itself in retaining its cultural uniqueness and vibrant sound, while remaining popular among the masses.

Major dance forms of the region are Langvir Nritya, Barada Nati folk dance, Pandava Nritya, Dhurang, and Dhuring.

The Kumaonese are fond of music, folk dance, and songs accompanied by local musical instruments like murli, bina, and hurka. The hurka is played by the “jurkiya” and the dancer accompanying him, known as “hurkiyari,” is usually his wife or daughter. They go from place to place narrating folklores, singing the praise of their gods and goddesses. During fairs and festivals and at harvest time, the Kumaonese often dance the Jharva, Chandhur Chhapalior, and many other forms of folk dances. The popular folk songs are Malushahi, Bair, and Hurkiya Bol.

The major fairs and festivals of the Garhwal region are Hatkalika Fair, Tapkeshwar Fair, Surkhanda Devi Mela, Kunjapuri Fair, Lakhawar Village Fair, and Mata Murti Ka Mela.

The major fairs and festivals of Kumaon region are Uttarayani Mela, Shravan Mela (Jageshwar), Kartik Poornima at Dwarahat, Kasar Devi fair, and Nanda Devi melas.

Tourism and hydro energy are the only viable industries in entire Uttaranchal because of paucity of resources and geographical problems.

The Terai region has great potential to feed the entire state by its large productivity. The district of Udham Singh Nagar has large farms and enterprising agriculturists producing large amounts of grains and cash crops. However, there is not much potential for agriculture in the large Himalayan tract in this state.

Opportunities for tourism are immense in this state, be it nature, wildlife, adventure, and pilgrimage tourism. The major destinations are Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Mussoorie, Almora, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Jim Corbett National Park, Nainital, Ranikhet, and Pithoragarh.

If you are adventurous and like tough challenges, you can go for high- and low-altitude trekking, river rafting, para gliding, hang-gliding, mountaineering, skiing, and many others.

Jolly Grant near Dehradun is the only airport. There are regular flights to Delhi by Indian Airlines. Otherwise, one has the option to travel to Delhi by road or rail and then take the air route to various destinations.

Dehradun, Haridwar, and Kathgodam are the major railway stations connected to almost all parts of the country with regular trains. Not many places in the state are connected by rail because of tough terrains. For those visiting places in the higher altitudes, trekking and road routes are the only options available.

Almost all the important places in the state are connected by all-weather metalled roads. Many places in the higher altitudes may still remain off for a period in the year due to landslides and snowfall. National Highways such as 58, 73, 74, and 87 connect places in the state to other parts of the country.

Regular bus services connect Delhi and other major centers in North India with Dehradun. The road distances of some prominent destinations from Dehradun are as follows: Mussoorie, 35 km; Delhi, 255 km; Mumbai, 1927 km; Chennai, 2488 km; Haridwar, 54 km; Rishikesh, 43 km; Shimla, 221 km; Nainital, 485 km; Kedarnath, 270 km; Badrinath, 344 km; Gangotri, 301 km; Yamunotri, 265 km; Chakrata, 92 km; Corbett National Park, 236 km; Har-Ki-dun, 187 km; Valley of Flowers and Hemkund, 342 km.

For further information, visitors may contact the following tourist information centers:

Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam Limited,
Oak Park House, Mallital,
Nainital
Phone: 05942-36209, 36043

Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Limited (GMVN),
Sachivalaya Building, Survey Chowk,
Lansdowne Marg, Dehradun
Phone: 0135-651071, 656817