About Uttaranchal
Uttaranchal formerly a part of Uttar Pradesh was formed on November 9th, 2000 as the 27th state of the Indian Union. It is one of the most beautiful and enchanting region of northern India. Nature has endowed this land with so much beauty and spiritual bliss that it is also known as Dev Bhoomi, the Land of Gods . Ganga, Yamuna and scores of other rivers originate in Uttaranchal. Among them Ganga is the most holy and prominent as she represents the soul of India- her rich culture, history and civilization. In Sanskrit 'Himalaya' means Abode of Snow, truly characterizing the vast permanent snow fields above the snow line.In the heart of these majestic mountains lies the state of Uttaranchal with Kumaon region in its east and Garhwal in the west.
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.
HISTORY
Uttaranchal finds mention in the ancient Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manakhand and Himavat. The Kushanas, Kudinas, Kanishka, Samudra, Gupta, the Pauravas, Katuris, Palas, the Chandras and Pawaras and the British have ruled in turns. It is often called the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines. The hilly regions of Uttaranchal offer un spoilt landscapes to the tourist -pilgrim.
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.
The early medieval history of Kumaon is the history of the Katyuri dynasty. The Katyuri kings ruled from the seventh to the 11th century, holding sway at the peak of their powers over large areas of Kumaon, Garhwal, and western Nepal. The town of Baijnath near Almora was the capital of this dynasty and a center of the arts. Temple building flourished under the Katyuris and the main architectural innovation introduced by them was the replacement of bricks with hewn stone.
On a hilltop facing east (opposite Almora), is the temple of Katarmal. This 900-year-old sun temple was built during the declining years of the Katyuri dynasty. The intricately carved doors and panels have been removed to the National Museum in Delhi as a protective measure after the 10th-century idol of the presiding deity was stolen.
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 duration of two centuries. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the evocative carvings are complemented by the beautiful cedar forest around it.
CULTURE
The culture of the present Kumaon is a blend of influences from the indigenous population as well as from the immigrants to this region. Consequently, the myths, dialects, languages, folk literature, festivals, fairs and forms of artistic expression are examples of the creative influences of the different cultural groups that constitute Kumaon.
FAIRS AND FESTIVALS
The world famous Kumbh Mela/Ardh Kumbh Mela is held at Haridwar every twelfth/sixth year interval. Other prominent fairs/festivals are
- Devidhura Mela (Champawat)
- Purnagiri Mela (Champawat)
- Nanda Devi Mela (Almora)
- Gauchar Mela (Chamoli)
- Baisakhi (Uttarakashi)
- Maga Mela (Uttarkashi)
- Uttaraini Mela (Bageshwar)
- Vishu Mela (Jaunsar Vavar)
- Peerane-Kaliyar (Roorkee)
- Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra held every twelth year.
FOLK DANCES
Bhotiya Dance
Bhotiya Dance is performed by Bhotias and are connected with death ceremonies. It is believed by them that the soul of the dead person is residing in body of a goat or sheep and by dancing the soul can be liberated.
Barada Nati
Barada Nati dance is performed during religious festivals or any other social occasion. It is performed by men and women wearing colorful costumes.
Pandava Dance
Pandava Dance is performed by narrating the story of Mahabharata accompanied by dance and music. This is performed during Dussehra and Deepawali.
Langvir Dance
This is a acrobatic dance performed by men. In this dance the dancer climbs a pole and balances himself at his navel on the top of the pole. Accompanied by dhola and music he balances and rotates on his belly at the pole and performs other acrobatic stunts.
ARTS AND CRAFTS
Surrounded by the magnificent Himalayas and dense forests lies the land of Uttaranchal. The snow-clad region is famous for its temple architecture, wood carving, paintings and traditional ornaments.
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.
FOLK MUSIC
Madhya Desh was the land of the great sages and hermits and the singing of ancient hymns and mantras laid the basic tradition of music, which has blossomed into a musical tradition. The ages of Guptas and Harsh Vardhan were the peaks of music in Uttar Pradesh in the past.
The medieval age saw the emergence of two distinct strands of music. One was the court music that found patronage in the Courts like Agra, Fatehpur-Sikri, Lucknow, Jaunpur, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Banda and Datiya. The second was the religious tradition emerging from the Bhakti Cult rooted and flowered in centres like Mathura, Vrindavan and Ayodhya. Rulers and musicians from Uttar Pradesh contributed to the prosperity of Hindustani music.
FLORA AND FAUNA
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.
General Information of Uttaranchal
LOCATION
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 from most of its western and southern boundary.
Punjab on the west, Uttar Pradesh on the southeast, China on the east, Haryana on the southeast, and Jammu and Kashmir on North border the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It extends from the latitudes 30?22'40" North to 33?12'40" North and longitudes 75?45' 55" East to 79?04' 20" East.
How to Reach
By Air
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.
By Rail
Dehradun, Haridwar, and Kathgodam are the major railway stations connected to almost all parts of f 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.
By Road
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; 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; Valley of Flowers and Hemkund- 342 km.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
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.
Heritage
Culture 
