difocus l uttarakhand
The compelling natural landscapes, teeming wildlife, popular religious shrines, and adventure zones make it a thrilling vacation hotspot
T
he leisurely sprawl of Uttarakhand, formerly called Uttaranchal, lies cheek by jowl with the international borderlands of Tibet and Nepal to the east, in the Himalayan foothills. Uttar Pradesh, the state from which it was carved in 2000, lies
to the south, while Haryana borders its western extension, and Himachal
Pradesh the northwest. The state comprises two distinct regions, Garhwal and Kumaon dominated by the stunning snowpeaks of the Garhwal and Kumaon Himalaya. Chief amongst these are the Nanda Devi and her retinue of peaks. Nanda Devi is the tutelary deity of the hillfolk whose omnipresent benevolence shines down upon them from her glacial home. One would be forgiven for oversimplifying Uttarakhand’s significance as the ‘abode of gods’ but there’s little denying its importance as one of Hinduism’s most important pilgrimage hubs set LIFE BY THE LAKE: A sooth-
ing sight of the Naini lake and the bustling hill station of Nainital nestled around it
amidst the stunning snow-ermined peaks and verdant valleys of the Kumaon and Garhwal Himalaya. These have been the centuries-old mythical setting for the earthly home of a galaxy of deities from the Hindu pantheon. Leaving their snowy beds in the Himalaya to bring their silted bounty to the northern plain, are some of India’ holiest rivers — the
Ganga, Bhagirathi, Alaknanda and the Yamuna. Nature’s hand has been bounteous in creating some of India’s most enticing holiday offerings. While pilgrimage tourism may have played pivotal role in opening up time-honoured routes to the glacial playground of the gods, Uttarakhand’s compelling natural landscape makes it one of the country’s most-visited vacation hot spots for all age groups with a kaleidoscopic choice of holiday experiences — given its delightful of range of hill stations, exquisite wildlife retreats and a host of opportunities for adventure sports — mountaineering, river rafting, trekking, skiing and snowboarding and camping in bugyals, by lakesides and riversides or even forested ridges overlooking the Himalaya. To temper these adrenalin-pumping activities, there are tranquil sojourns in any one of the numerous yoga and meditation ashrams and health and wellness
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DISCOVER INDIA - FEBRUARY 2012
retreats scattered along the banks of the Ganga and the Yamuna.
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