UTTARAKHAND (UTTARANCHAL) TOURISM

Travel Destinations of India - Uttarakhand

 

Uttarakahnd   Situated in the northern part of India, Uttar Pradesh is important with its wealth of monuments and religious fervour. Geographically, Uttar Pradesh is very diverse, with Himalayan foothills in the extreme north, the Gangetic Plain in the centre, and the Vindhya Mountain Range towards the South. It is also home of India's most visited site, the Taj Mahal, and Hinduism's holiest city, Varanasi. The most populous state of the Indian Union also has a rich cultural heritage, and at the heart of North India, Uttar Pradesh has much to offer. Places of interest include Varanasi, Agra, Mathura, Jhansi, Prayag, Sarnath, Ayodhya, Dudhwa National Park..     Rishikesh Rishikesh, a most tranquil place in northern Uttar Pradesh, surrounded by hills and bisected by the wide and sluggish Ganges, is often claimed as the `Yoga Capital of the World'. It is rightly called the gateway to the Himalayan Shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamnotri. Situated 24 km upstream from Haridwar, at the confluence of the Chandrabhaga and Ganga, Rishikesh has long been a spiritual centre. It is said that the sage Raibhya Rishi did severe penance here and as a reward, God appeared to him in the form of Hrishikesh, hence the name. The whole place is considered to be sacred, as it is believed that meditation at this place leads to attainment of salvation. The Riverside is dotted by the ashrams of Sadhus and sages. Altitude: 11.20 sq.km., Altitude:356 mts., Climate: (deg C) Summer- Max.44.4, Min.29; Winter- Max.32.2, Min.18.3, Clothing: Summer- Cotton & tropical; Winter- Heavy woolen, Languages Spoken: Garwali, Hindi, Punjabi, English, Best Season: Throughout the year. Places Of Interest: Bharat Temple, Rishi Kund & Raghunath Temple, Laxman Jhoola , Pushkar Temple , Shatrughan Temple, Muni-Ki-Reti , Swarg Ashram, Gita Bhawan, Parmath Niketan , Lakshman Temple, Sadanand Jhoola, Triveni Ghat, Shivanand Ashram, Kailash Ashram, Academy of Meditation. Excursions: Haridwar- 24 kms, Dehradun- 45 kms, Uttarkhand- 144 kms, Kedarnath- 228 kms, Badrinath- 203 kms, Gangotri- 253 kms, Yamnotri- 226 kms, Nilkanth- 16 kms, Mussourie -77 kms. Reach - By Air: The nearest airport is Dehradun (Jolly Grant), 35 kms from Haridwar. By Rail: Rishikesh is connected by rail via Haridwar 24 kms. By Road: Haridwar- 24 kms, Dehradun- 47 kms, Mussourie- 77 kms, Badrinath- 301 kms (Son Prayag), Kedarnath- 228 kms, Gangotri- 258 kms, Yamnotri- 288 kms (Hanuman Chatti), Srinagar-105 kms, Joshimath- 252 kms.           Dehradun The Doon Valley is situated between the two most important rivers of India i.e Ganga & Yamuna, is most picturesque having moderate climate, nestling a number of places of tourist interest. It is a most picturesque region at the foothills of the panoramic Shivalik ranges. Altitude: 640 meters, Climate: (deg C)-Summer- Max 36.6, Min 16.7; Winter- Max 23.4, Min 5.2, Clothing: Summer- Cottons, Winter- Woollens, Languages spoken: Garhwali, Hindi, English, Best Season: Throughout the Year. Places Of Interest: Sahastradhara Cold Sulphur Springs, Tapkeshwar (Shiva) Temple, Robber's Cave, Lakshman Sidh, Tapovan, Botanical Garden of Forest Research Institute. Excursions: Rajiji National Park- 20 kms, Dhaulkhand Forest Reserve, Dakpathar- 45 kms, Chakrata Hill Resort- 94 kms. Reach - By Rail: Dehradun well connected to major cities. By Road: Mussourie- 35 kms, Delhi- 235 kms, Haridwar- 54 kms, Bombay- 1927 kms, Rishikesh- 42 kms, Agra- 408 kms, Shimla- 280 kms, Yamnotri- 173 kms, Kedarnath- 268 kms and Roorkee- 67 kms etc.           Gangotri Gangotri is situated in Uttarakhand at the height of 3,048 meters in the magnificent Garhwal Himalayas. The 6 meters high Gangotri shrine is dressed in white granite stone and is situated on the right bank of the river, Bhagirathi. This 18th century temple is dedicated to the Goddess Ganga who is believed to have descended from heaven as the "stream of life" in response to King Bhagirath's penance. 14 kms from Gangotri is Gaumukh, where the source of the holy Ganges - the Gangotri glacier - is situated. Submerged in the water is the "shivling", the rock on which Lord Shiva supposedly sat to receive Ganga. At the legendary source of the river, Goddess Ganga is worshipped in the form of deity. The trek to Gaumukh is gradual, and several pilgrims undertake the journey to pay homage to the river at its known source. Altitude: 3140 meters, Climate: Summer- Max.20, Min.5; Winter- Max Subzero, Min.Snowbound, Clothing: Summer- Light woollens, Winter- Heavy woolens, Languages Spoken: Garhwali, Hindi, English, Best Season: May-June and September-October. Places Of Interest: Submerged Shivling: A natural Shivling formed of rock, submerged in the river, where according to mythology, Lord Shiva sat when the Ganga first descended to earth. The Shivling is visible only when the water is clear in early winter. Gaumukh Trek (23 Km): Snout of Gangotri glacier & source of the river Bhagirathi, Gomukh is located at an altitude of 4200 meters. Reach - By Air: The Nearest Airport (306 kms) is Jolly Grant. By Rail: Nearest Railway head are Dehradun -24 kms and Haridwar. By Road: Rishikesh- 24 kms from Haridwar and 43 kms from Dehradun, Delhi- 472kms.           Yamnotri Yamnotri is the source of the river Yamuna, which is the main tributary of the holy river, Ganges. As the legend goes, Yamnotri was the home of Asit Muni, a famous sage of ancient times. Built in the 19th century, the Yamnotri temple has a black marble idol of Goddess Yamuna. Recently, the temple was destroyed twice by snow and floods but has been reconstructed each time. There are numerous hot water springs near the temple in which pilgrims immerse potatoes and rice tied in pieces of cloth. The meals thus prepared are offered to the deity and then distributed among the pilgrims. Yamnotri, the source of the river Yamuna, is the westernmost shrine in the Garhwal Himalayas, located on a flank of the Bandarpunch peak. It is said that Maharani Gularia of Jaipur built the temple of Yamnotri in the last decade of the 19th century. Altitude: 3322 Meters, Climate: (deg. C)-Summer Max 20, Min 6; Winter Max Sub-zero, Min Snow-bound, Clothing: Summer - Light woollens, Winter - Heavy woolens, Languages Spoken: Hindi, Garhwali, English, Best Season: May-June and September-October. Places Of Interest: Yamnotri stands in the shadow of Banderpunch Mountain (6315 Meters, Temple of Yamnotri, Surya Kund, hot water spring, Divya Shila. Saptarshi Kund-10 Kms. Reach - By Air: Nearest airport is Jolly Grant. By Rail: The nearest Railway stations are Dehradun and Haridwar. By Road: Yamnotri is easily approached from Rishikesh, Saharanpur and Dehradun.           Badrinath The abode of Lord Vishnu, Badrinath, is situated in the Himalayas (Uttarakhand) at the height of approximately 3,124 meters above sea level. It is on the left bank of the river, Alaknanda. At one time the spot was covered with wild berries ("badris") and was famous as the "Badri Van" (the garden of wild berries).. Built by the Garwal kings, the Badrinath shrine dates back to more than two centuries. The temple has a black stone idol that depicts Lord Vishnu - the preserver - in a meditative stance with both hands on his lap. Fed by the Badrinath glaciers and the holy Ganges, the sacred river Alaknanda flows by the temple. The temples of Shiva and Vishnu at Kedarnath and Badrinath have been the destination of pilgrims for centuries. Reach - By Air: The nearest airport is Dehradun- 335 kms. By Rail: Nearest Railhead is Haridwar and Dehradun. By Road: Rishikesh- 293 km, Haridwar- 313 km, Kotdwara-325 km, Joshimath- 42 km. Valley of flowers- 38 km. Delhi- 518 km.           Route from Rishikesh to Badrinath Rishikesh-Deoprayag- 69 kms, Srinagar (U.P)- 105 kms, Rudraprayag- 139 kms, Karnaprayag- 171 kms, Nandaprayag- 92 kms, Chamoli- 202 kms, Pipalkoti- 221 kms, Joshimath- 252 kms and Badrinath- 294 kms. Route from Rishikesh to Kedarnath via Rudraprayag Rishikesh-Rudraprayag- 139 kms, Agastamuni- 157 kms, Kund- 171 kms, Guptakashi- 181 kms, Phata- 194 kms, Soneprayag- 207 kms, Gaurikund- 212 kms and Kedarnath- 226 kms, Distance between Gaurikund and Kedarnath- 14 kms has to be covered on foot. Route from Badrinath to Kedarnath Badrinath-Joshimath- 42 kms, Chamoli- 92 kms, Gopeshwar- 103 kms, Guptakashi- 183 kms, Gaurikund- 214 kms and Kedarnath- 228 kms. Route from Rishikesh to Gangotri-Gaumukh Rishikesh-Narendra Nagar- 16 kms, Tehri- 77 kms, Dharasu- 118 kms, Makuri- 137 kms, Uttarkashi-148 kms, Gangnani- 90 kms, Sukhi- 204 kms, Bhaironghati- 238 kms, Gangotri- 248 kms, Bhojwasa- 18 kms, Gaumukh- 4 kms, Distance between Gangotri & Gaumukh- 22 kms has to be covered on foot. Route from Rishikesh to Yamnotri (via Dharasu) Rishikesh-Dharasu-118 kms, Barkot- 178 kms, Sayanchatti - 206 kms, Hanumanchatti- 213 kms, Jankichatti- 221 kms and Yamunotri- 227 kms. Distance between Janakichatti and Yamunotri- 14 kms has to be covered on foot. Route from Gangotri to Kedarnath (269 kms) To reach Kedarnath one has to return to Lanka from where there is a road route via Uttarkashi, Tehri, Kiritnagar Srinagar (U.P), Rudraprayag Agastamuni, Kund, Gaurikund.

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