Uttaranchal Travel Guide

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.

Uttaranchal Travel guide presents an overview of the precise geographical position and important tourist destinations of the state. Located in the northern part of India, Uttaranchal is known as the land of Gods since it is adorned with several pilgrim centers of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Henmkund Sahib, Gangotri and Yamunotri.

Ganga, the sacred river in the Hindu mythology, flows through the state. Pilgrims generally start their journey from Haridwar, which is centrally located and easily reachable by roadways and railways.

The important places to visit in Uttaranchal include Dehradun, Mussoorie, Nainital, Almora, Kaushani and Ranikhet. Dehradun, which is the capital of Uttaranchal, is one of the oldest Indian cities. Sightseeing in this city comprises places like Robbers' Cave, Tapkeshwar, Malsi Deer Park and Forest Research Institute.

Mussoorie is one of the best hill resorts in India. Gun Hill, Kempty Falls, Camel's Back Road, Lal Tibba and The Jheel are some of places mostly visited by tourists. Nainital is a popular lake resort placed at a height of 1,938 meters. Sightseeing in Nainital includes Naini Lake, Naina Peak, Snow View and Hanuman Garhi. Ranikhet offers the lush green forests housing attractive wildlife.

Almora houses many tourist attractions like Bright & Corner, Public Museum, Deer Park, Nanda Devi Museum, Chetai Temple, Simtola. Kausani, a small town provides a breathtaking view of the snow-capped peaks of Trishul, Panchchuli, Nanda Devi, Nandakot, Nanda, Chaukhan and Ghunti.

Corbett National Park, Valley of Flowers and other parks, the tour to Uttaranchal becomes interesting for the nature lovers. Airways, roadways as well as railways connect Uttaranchal with all the parts of the country. Jolly Grant located near Dehradun caters to airlines plying regular flights to and from Uttaranchal.

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 Nainital Hill Station. 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.

How to Reach Uttaranchal :
The heavenly abode of Uttarakhand is an open invitation waiting to be accepted by the people. The state of Uttaranchal boasts of admirable road and rail network in terms of user friendliness. The state hosts a variety of colorful fairs and festivals all round the year. Uttaranchal should preferably be visited between the spring / summer months of March and June. Underneath are listed some of the ways to reach the ‘Abode of Gods’:

By Air
The state of Uttarakhand has only one airport till now in the form of Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun. The second is in Pant Nagar, near Nainital, with limited flights. Almost all public and private airlines operate regular flights to Dehradun.

By Road
Uttarakhand has a wide-ranging road network covering the state. The state has an exceptional road connection with Delhi and many State Highways. They provide the linkage to tourist destinations and important places like Corbett National Park, Haridwar and Rishikesh. Regular bus shuttle services (private, deluxe, state or otherwise) are available for journey to Uttarakhand.

By Rail
Rail network is also quite very convenient in Uttarakhand. The key Railway Stations in the state are Dehradun, Haridwar and Kathgodam. Many super-fast express and passenger (local) trains connect these locations with cities in other parts of India. However due to difficult terrain of the hilly Uttaranchal, it is not possible to extend the railway services to interior and remote locales.