Uttaranchal Sightseeing, Quick Facts, History, Packages, Tours & Excursions

The state of Uttarakhand lies in north India with the international borders of Tibet and Nepal to its north. It has Himachal Pradesh to its west and Uttar Pradesh to its south. The state was carved out of the hilly parts of Uttar Pradesh in the year 2000. It was called Uttaranchal till 2006 and the new name of Uttarakhand was adopted in 2007. Historically this area had two hill kingdoms of Garhwal and Kumaon, and even today people see themselves as Garhwali and Kumaoni.

The northern areas of Uttarakhand are part of the Great Himalayas range, with average heights up to 3000-5000 metres. The famous peaks are Nanda Devi (7816m), Trishul (7120m) and Panchchuli (6910m). Southern Uttarakhand has plains that are part of the Terai foothills, where temperatures are higher and towns more accessible. The state is not industrially developed and tourism is the mainstay of the economy. For the last 7 years, Dehradun, the largest town, has been its provisional capital. It has a well-connected railhead and a small domestic airport.

To most travelers Uttarakhand is associated with its ancient traditions of Hinduism that flourished in its high Himalayan reaches. The source of India's most revered and important rivers Ganges as well as Yamuna, respectively called Gangotri and Yamunotri, lie here. These two spots, along with the shrines of Badrinath and Kedarnath, make the 4 holy sites (Char Dham) that Hindus aspire to visit. Snow-bound for most of the year, these are open from May to October. Lower south, along the Ganges lie the sacred towns of Rishikesh (43km from Dehradun) and Haridwar (connected by rail to Delhi).

Uttarakhand's popular hill stations include Mussourie (2000m; 35 km from Dehradun) and Nainital (2000m; 35km from railhead Kathgodam). Corbett National Park is its noted wildlife sanctuary. The combination of mountains and rivers yields opportunities for trekking, river rafting, hiking, which the state is promoting now. Rishikesh is a hub of water adventure sports. There is also a ski destination in Auli.