uttaranchal state information

8/8/2019 Uttaranchal State Information

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Uttaranchal State Information

Capital : Dehra Dun

Districts :14

Language: Hindi, Garhwali, Kumaoni

Introduction to Uttaranchal

Uttaranchal is rich in flora and fauna, natural and touristic ambience, and houses someof the most important pilgrimage centers in the country. Destinations like Haridwar,Rishikesh, Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath areknown throughout the world for their breathtaking beauty as well as religiousimportance. Being a part of Western Himalayas, the state offers a full range ofadventure sport options like river rafting, trekking, mountaineering, fishing, mountain

biking, mountain safaris, skiing, paragliding, and many more like them. Amazing in itsnatural splendor and simplicity in its people, the region is a unique experience to yoursenses.

Geography of Uttaranchal

Uttaranchal is situated at coordinates 30.19 N and 78.04 E in the northwest portion ofUttar Pradesh, India's most populous state. It occupies 1.73% of Indias total land areawith 51,125 sq. km. It has a population of about 6.0 million at 94.4 per sq. km. It bordersTibet, Nepal, Himachal Pradesh, and the UP plains districts. Dehra Dun, the statecapital is about 255 km away from India's capital, New Delhi.

Uttaranchal is a region of outstanding natural beauty. Most of the northern parts of thestate are part of Greater Himalya ranges, covered by the high Himalayan peaks andglaciers, while the lower foothills were densely forested till denuded by the British logmerchants and forest contractors after independence. Recent efforts in forestation,however, have been successful in restoring the situation to some extent. The uniqueHimalayan ecosystem plays host to a large number of animals (including bharal, snowleopards, leopards and tigers), plants and rare herbs. Two of India's mightiest rivers, theGanga and the Yamuna take birth in the glaciers of Uttaranchal, and are fed by myriadlakes, glacial melts and streams in the region. The state has two distinct climaticregions: the predominant hilly terrain and the small plain region. The climatic conditionof the plains is very similar to its counterpart in the Gangetic plain-that is, tropical.Summers are unbearable with temperature going over the 40C mark and a lot ofhumidity. Winters can be chilly with temperatures going below 5C at times. TheHimalayan region has Alpine conditions characterized by cold winters with snowfall forquite a long time, good rainfall in the monsoon, and mild summers. This climate alsoprovides the state with its only livelihood, i.e., tourism. The alpine and tropicalrainforests 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
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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 ofpachyderms. Alpine forests in the region include Valley of Flowers National Park (knownfor its amazing variety of flowers), Nanda Devi National Park, Govind National Park,Gangotri National Park, and many more

Brief History of Uttaranchal

Uttaranchal finds mention in the ancient Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manakhandand Himavat. The Kushanas, Kudinas, Kanishka, Samudra, Gupta, the Pauravas,Katuris, Palas, the Chandras and Pawaras and the British have ruled in turns. It is oftencalled the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places andshrines. The hilly regions of Uttaranchal offer unspoilt landscapes to the tourist -pilgrim.The present state of Uttaranchal was earlier a part of the United Province of Agra andAwadh, which came into existence in 1902. In 1935, the name of the state wasshortened to the United Province. In January 1950, the United Province was renamed,

as Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal remained a part of Uttar Pradesh before it came intobeing on 9 November 2000, the 27th state of India.

Government of Uttaranchal

Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri is the Chief Minister of Uttaranchal.

Districts of Uttaranchal

Uttaranchal has 14 districts: Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudra Prayag, Tehri Garhwal,Dehradun, Pauri Garhwal, Pithoragarh, Champawat, Almora, Bageshwar, Nainital,

Udhamsingh Nagar and Hardwar

Economy of Uttaranchal

Uttaranchals 90 per cent of the population depends on agriculture. The net cultivatedarea in the State is 12,61,915 hectares. The State is rich in mineral depositys likelimestone, rock phosphate, dolomite, magnesite, copper greyphyte, soap stone,gypsum, etc. The number of small scale industries is 41, 216 with an investment of Rs.305.58 crore providing employment to 1,53, 229 persons. One hundred and ninety oneheavy industries with an investment of Rs.2,694.66 crore employ 50,802 persons. Mostof the industries are forest-based. The State has excellent potential for hydropowergeneration. There are a number of hydro-electric projects on the rivers Yamuna,Bhagirathi, Ganga, Ramganga and Sharda, generating electricity. Out of 15,669villages, 12,315 villages have been electrified.

Uttaranchal Travel Information

Uttaranchals land blessed with magnificent glaciers, majestic snow-clad mountains,gigantic and ecstatic peaks, valley of flowers, skiing slopes and dense forests, this
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Abode of Gods includes many shrines and places of pilgrimage. Char-dhams, the fourmost sacred and revered Hindu temples: Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotriare 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. The tourism industryis a major contributor to the economy of Uttaranchal, with the Corbett National Park andTiger Reserve and the nearby hill-stations of Nainital and Bhimtal and several other hill-stations like Mussoorie, Almora and Ranikhet being among the most frequenteddestinations of India. To this region also belong some of the holiest Hindu shrines, andfor almost 2000 years now, pilgrims have been visiting the temples at Haridwar,Badrinath, Kedarnath and Jageshwar in the hope of salvation and purification from sin.Rishikesh near Haridwar has the major spiritual and yoga centers of India. Gangotri andYamunotri, the sources of the Ganges and Yamuna also fall in this region and arerevered by many. Besides these most popular pilgrim centers, the state has anabundance of temples and shrines, references to most of which can be found in Hindu

scriptures and legends. The architecture of most of these temples is typical of the regionand slightly different from other parts of India, the ancient temples at Jageshwar beingthe most popular for their architectural importance. Uttaranchal is comprised of tworegions, the western half known as Garhwal and eastern half as Kumaon

Rivers of Uttaranchal

Uttaranchals main rivers are Ganga, Yamuna, Bhagirathi, Dhauli Ganga, Girthi Ganga,Rishi Ganga, Bal Ganga, Bhilangna River, Tons River, Alaknanda, Mandakini, Pindarand Nandakini

Education in Uttaranchal

As per 2001 census, Uttaranchal stands 17th in literacy rate with an overall literacy of72.28%. The male literacy was relatively higher at 84.01% while female literacy isrelatively lower at 60.26%. Nainital has the highest literacy of 79.60% while Haridwarhas the lowest literacy of 64.60%. Uttaranchal hosts 5 Universities, one IIT center, andabout 70 colleges affiliated to them.

Food of Uttaranchal

After experiencing the magic of cool and refreshing mountain breeze and breathtakingviews of Himalayas it is time to indulge the taste buds. The traditional cuisine of the landis highly nutritious, simple to prepare and at the same time appealing to the palate. Hereyou will find delicious and mouth-watering Pahari recipes from both Garhwal andKumaon region of Uttaranchal.

Arts & Culture of Uttaranchal

The major dance forms of the Garhwal region are Langvir Nritya, Barada Nati folk


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dance, Pandava Nritya, Dhurang, and Dhuring. The Kumaonese are also fond of music,folk dance, and songs accompanied by local musical instruments like murli, bina, andhurka. The hurka, played by the "jurkiya" is accompanied by the dancer known as"hurkiyari," who is usually his wife or daughter. They go from place to place narratingfolklores, 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 areMalushahi, Bair, and Hurkiya Bol. The major fairs and festivals of the Garhwal regionare Hatkalika Fair, Tapkeshwar Fair, Surkhanda Devi Mela, Kunjapuri Fair, LakhawarVillage Fair, and Mata Murti Ka Mela; and of Kumaon region are Uttarayani Mela,Shravan Mela (Jageshwar), Kartik Poornima at Dwarahat, Kasar Devi fair, and NandaDevi melas.

The peace and tranquility of Uttaranchal laid the foundation for a treasure house ofpaintings 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, butwoodcarving continued. Woodcarving could be seen on almost every door of a Garhwalihouse until only half a century ago. Woodcarving can still be seen in hundreds of templeall over Garhwal. The remains of architectural work have been found at the ChandpurFort, temple of Srinagar, Pandukeshwar (near Badrinath), Devi Madin (near Joshimath),and Devalgarh Temple.

uttaranchal state information

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