Uttaranchal

 

Population: ??? million
Capital: Dehra Dun
Area ????
Best Time to Visit: March & April, September to November.
Main Language: Hindi
Literacy Rate: 42%

Uttarakhand (“Land of the North”) used to be the northern section of Uttar Pradesh. It is mainly mountains and hills of the Hmalayas. The western area is known as Garhwal and the eastern area is known as Kumaon.

There are some popular hill stations here, including Mussoorie, Nainital and Almora. Two important holy places are Haridwar and Rishikesh. The Ganges River meets the plains at these places. There are also several important pilgrimage sites, such as Badrinath and Kedarnath. Also the two most holy rivers in India, the Ganges and the Yamuna start here.

Uttaranchal has some of the most visited tourist sites in India. peaceful hill stations of Mussoorie and Nainital, which are good places to relax. Corbett Tiger Reserve is one of the most popular wildlife parks in India.

In Uttaranchal are the important pilgrimage cities of Haridwar and Rishikesh. Further up into the mountains are the source of the Yamuna at Yamunotri and the source of the Ganges at Gangotri. Near these two places are Badrinath where there is an important Vishnu temple, and Kedarnath, where there is an important Siva temple.

Information
Two government tourist organizations give information on the area and help organize tours—Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigar (GMVN) and Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN). They have offices in the tourist towns in the area. They also both manage a chain of government hotels, which are often the best hotels to stay at in the area. GMVN’s main office is in Dehra Dun and their trekking office is in Rishikesh. GMVN’s hotels can be reserved at these offices. GMVN offers package tours to the Char Dham pilgrimage places during the summer and fall seasons. These tours depart from Delhi, Haridwar and Rishikesh.

Rajaji National Park
This 825 sq km park (http://www.rajajinationalpark.comi) located 13km east of Haridwar. In the park are elephants, tigers (rarely seen), leopards (rarely seen), chitals, sloth bears, wild boars, sambar, pythons, monkeys, porcupines and various species of birds. The park is open from mid-November to mid-June. It has eight entry gates.

To enter is Rs 400 for three days and Rs 120 per day after that; camera Rs 50, video Rs 5000.Tje rate for Indians to enter the park is Rs 35. The park can only be entered during the daylight hours. The best time to view wildlife is either in the early morning or late afternoon.

From Chilla, 13km east of Haridwar, you can get an elephant ride for Rs 200 per elephant (up to four people). Jeeps can be rented in Chilla. You pay the entry fee and book elephant rides at the Forest Ranger’s office near the Tourist Bungalow in Chilla. There is a lookout one km from the entry gate where wildlife can be viewed.

Practicalities
The GMVN Tourist Rest House (01382 266697) in Chilla has rooms for Rs 700 and Rs 1200 for an air-cooled room. Dorm beds are Rs1005. It may be possible to camp here.

There are Forest Rest Houses in the park. They are booked at the Chief Forest Office, Tilak Rd, Dehra Dun or by writing Rajaji National Park (0135 262-1669), 5/1 Ansari Marg, Dehra Dun.

Buses go to Chilla from the GMOU bus stand near the Rahi Motel in Haridwar in the morning. They return in the afternoon. It may be possible to get a shared taxi from Chandi Ghat, opposite Har-ki-Pairi to Chilla. It costs around Rs 350 by taxi to get to Chilla from Haridwar (Rs 450 return).

Himalayan Rivers
There are seven holy rivers in the Himalayas (called Sapta Samudrik Tirtha): the Alakananda (Vishnu Ganga), Dhauli Ganga, Nandakini, Bhagirathi, Pindar Ganga, Mandakini (Pindar), and Nayar. They are said to have all come down on Lord Siva’s head, but they fall in different places. The Yamuna River begins near Yamunotri.

There are five confluences (prayags) of the Ganges on the way to Badrinath. A confluence is when two rivers meet. This is considered to be an especially auspicious place. The main branch of the Ganges is the Bhagirathi, which originates at Gaumukh, 18km east of Gangotri. The five confluences are located on the route between Rishikesh and Badrinath and many pilgrims bathe at all five sangams (confluences) before having darshan at Badrinath. To visit all five places would be difficult without your own transport.

Deva Prayag (Deoprayag) (610m) is the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alakananda. It is 90km from Rishikesh. At this point the river takes the name Ganges. It is the second most important confluence in India, next to Prayag (Allahabad), where the Yamuna, Ganges, and Saraswati meet.

In Treta-yuga, Lord Rama and Laksman performed a yajna (sacrifice) here to atone for killing Ravana, who was a Brahmin. There is an ancient Raghunath Temple here with a 4.5m (15 ft) tall deity of Sri Rama (Raghunath). It was installed about 1,250 years ago and is one of the 108 most important Vishnu temples in India (Divya Desams). In front of the temple is Garuda and to the left is Annapurna. Behind the temple and slightly up a hill is Vamana’s cave. Nearby is Lord Rama’s stone throne. There is a Tourist Bungalow here, which is a pleasant place to stay.

Rudra Prayag (618m) is where the Mandakini from Sri Kedarnath meets the Alakananda. There is a large temple of Rudranath here. Nearby is a place where Narada Muni is said to have performed austerities. At this point the river is very forceful and moves quickly. Rudra Prayag is 70km north of Deoprayag. The Alakananda has flowed 159km from Badrinath to reach here. There is a Tourist Bungalow here.

Karna Prayag (788m) is where the Alakananda meets the Pindar Ganga (from the Pindar Glacier). Karna, the half-brother of the Pandavas from the Mahabharata, is said to have performed austerities here to please Surya Deva and Rudra. Karna Prayag is 34km from Rudra­prayag.

Nanda Prayag (914m) is a small confluence of the Nandakini and Alakananda. Ravana is said to have done austerities here, and Nanda Maharaja (Krishna’s father) is said to have performed a great sacrifice here. Dushyantha married Sakunthala here, and Kanva Rishi had his ashram at this place. There is a Gopalji temple here.

Nanda Prayag is 21km from Karna Prayag.
Vishnu Prayag (1,372m) is where the Dauli Ganga (from Niti Valley) meets the Alakananda river (from Badrinath). One road here, via the Niti Pass, leads to Mount Kailash in Tibet, Lord Siva’s abode. Vishnu Prayag is 10km past

Joshimath on the way to Badrinath.
In the Srimad Bhagavatam (5.17.9) it is said: “The branch of the Ganges known as Alakananda flows and falls down with fierce force upon the peaks of the Himalayan mountains. Then the Ganges flows into the ocean of salt water (Bay of Bengal). Persons who come and bathe in this river are fortunate.”

Uttarkashi
Phone Code: 01374

Uttarkashi mean the Kashi (Varanasi) of the Uttar (north) or the “Varanasi of the north.” Uttarkashi is located 100km from Gangotri. The main temples here are the Viswanath Siva Temple (1857) and the Annapurna Temples, like in Varanasi. There is also a Parasuram temple here.

There is a helpful Tourist Office (222271on the main road.      

You can get a taxi from here to Gangotri for around Rs 1500. If you want to trek in the area you can hire guides for Rs 200 to 400 a day and a porter is Rs 200 a day. Mount Support, Nautial Bhawan, Bhatwari Rd, about a 10 minute walk from the bus stand, rents equipment and can help arrange treks.

Mount Support can change money, but does so at a poor rate.

Where to Stay
Uttarkashi has many hotels. Most of the places are totally booked by early in the day.

Ceeway Resort, a five-minute walk from the main bazaar, is a recommended place with nice double rooms for Rs 275.
Akash Ganga is a better place with rooms for Rs 600 and Rs 750 with A/C.
Hotel Kashmeri has basic rooms for Rs 85/170.
Hotel Shekar has good rooms for Rs 550.
Hotel Bhandari (2203) has rooms for Rs 300/400 and A/C rooms for Rs 150/600. A double during the off-season is Rs 100. It has one of the better restaurants in town.
GMVN’s Nigam Guest House (222271) has rooms for Rs 450 up to Rs 700 for an A/C room. Dorm beds are Rs 130.
Hotel Shivom (2525) has good rooms for Rs 900.
Birla Dharamshala, a 10-minute walk from the bus stand, has very basic free accommodation, and for Rs 70 you can get a furnished room.
Monal, 3km north on the road to Gangotri, has comfortable rooms for Rs 350.

Between Uttarkashi and Gangotri
Gangnani, 50km north of Uttarkashi, is a beautiful, scenic place. Nearby is Rishikund, which has nice hot sulfur springs. There is a basic GMVN Tourist Bungalow there.

There is a nice Tourist Bungalow well situated next to the river in Harsil, 30km before Gangotri.
The Gaurikund Waterfall is good.

Kedar Tal
Kedar Tal is the source of the Kedar Ganga River. It is a 17km trek from Gangotri, but the fact that you have to climb 600m (2,000 ft) makes it a hard trek, which you should be acclimatized to.
You start at Dev Ghat in Gangotri and then follow the Kedar Ganga up for about 8km until you come to Bhoj Kharak. You then go another 4km to a Kedar Kharak and then proceed another 5km to Kedar Tal. When you reach Kedar Tal, there are several huge mountains including the Bhrigupanth (6770m) and Thalesagar (6900m).

Srinagar
Many people stay here overnight while going from Gangotri to Kedarnath. It is an active town with a number of hotels.

The best place is the Nigam Tourist Bungalow, which has rooms for Rs 200 up to Rs 400. It should be booked in advance.

On the main road are the Hotel Alpine, with rooms for Rs 400, the Hotel Menka, with rooms for Rs 375, and the Hotel New Rajhans, with rooms for Rs 350. By the evening most of these places will be booked.

Hotel Uttarakhand, down a side-road, is a decent place that has rooms with common bath for Rs 275 and with attached bath for Rs 400. If all the hotels on the main road are full, this place will probably still have a room available.

Guptakashi
The Pandavas went to Kashi (Varanasi) to get Lord Siva’s blessings, but Lord Siva fled here to Guptakashi and lived incognito. Eventually the Pandavas found him here, and Lord Siva then turned himself into a bull to hide from them. Because Lord Siva disappeared from the Pandavas here, the place was given the name Guptakashi (Gupta means “hidden”).

Guptakashi has two main temples dedicated to Ardhanareeswara (Gauri-shankar) and Viswanath. In front of the Viswanath Temple is a small kund called Manikarnika. Water coming from a Ganesh head and from a cow’s head flow into the kund. Water from one is called the Ganges, and water from the other is called the Yamuna. It is believed that the water comes from Gangotri and Yamunotri. Guptakashi is 45km south of Kedarnath.

If you arrive here after dark there is a good chance you will have to stop here, as the road is closed for the night at this point. There are a few basic lodges and a GMVN Tourist Lodge. The Mandakini Lodge has decent doubles for Rs 300. The Rajhans Tourist Lodge has decent rooms for Rs 250. The Nigam Tourist Guest House has rooms for Rs 300 to Rs 350 and dorm beds for Rs 75. There is also a rest house here run by the Badari-Kedar temple committee.

The town of Agastmuni, 25km before Guptakashi, is where Agastya Muni is said to have meditated. There is an Agastya temple there.

Triyugi Narayana
Triyugi Narayana is located on the mountain road between Gangotri and Kedarnath. Triyugi Narayana is about 5km off the main road and can be reached from Sitapur or Sonprayag. It is said that the marriage of Lord Siva and Parvati took place here at Brahma Shila during Satya-yuga. Brahma was the priest who conducted the marriage, and Lord Narayana offered his sister, Parvati, to Lord Siva. It is said that the marriage havan (fire) kund has been kept burning for 3 yugas. Pilgrims offer pieces of wood in the havan kund and take the ashes as prasada.

It is said that the present Akhand Dhuni Temple was built by Adi Sankaracharya about 1,200 years ago. In this temple there is a two-third metre (2 ft) silver deity of Lord Narayana (Vishnu) with Lakshmi and Saraswati on either side. There is a stone outside the temple that marks the spot where the marriage was performed. There are also four holy kunds here called Vishnu Kund, Rudra Kund, Brahma Kund, and Saraswati Kund.

Panch (Five) Kedars
Parts of Lord Siva’s body appeared at five places in the Kedarnath area. It is said that the Pandavas built temples at each of these places—Kedarnath, Madhyamaheswar, Rudranath, Tung­nath, and Kalpeswara. They are at altitudes from 1,500 to 3,680m. It takes about 14 days to go to all five places. They can all be reached by a long circular trek. For the most part you have to walk from temple to temple. A bus leaves Gauri­kund, near Kedarnath, every morning at 5 am and stops at access points for the Panch Kedar temples. A local bus goes between Gopeswar and Gupta­kashi.

You could start at Kedarnath. From there you return to Guptakashi and then go to Ukhimath and continue on to Mansuna village. From Mansuna village it is a 24km trek to Madhyamaheswar (3,497m), which is 30km from Gupta­kashi. You can stop at Ransi overnight, and then you go to Gondhar (3km) and climb 10km to Madhyamaheswar. The temple here is a small stone temple dedicated to the middle (madhya) part of the bull-Siva.

Tungnath (3,680m or 2,065 ft) is the highest (in altitude) temple in India. It is surrounded by striking mountains such as Neelkanth, Kedarnath, and Nanda Devi. The Siva temple here is on a stone paved platform overlooking a cliff.

Tungnath represents the arm of Lord Siva. There are five silver faces of the Pandavas along with deities of Vyasadeva and Kalabhairava in the temple. There is also a small Parvati temple here. You get here by trekking from Chopta (7km, 4 hr), which is 37km from Ukhimath. At Chopta there is a GMVN Tourist Bungalow that has rooms with attached baths.

To get the Kalpeswara Temple (2,100m), you first travel by bus to the village of Helang, 14km south of Joshimath. From Helang you walk 9km to the village of Urgam, which has basic accommodation and food. From there it is a 1.5km walk to Kalpeswara Temple, which is dedicated to the jata (hair) of Lord Siva. It is a rock temple that is entered through a cave.

Next you go to Gopeswar by road and then to Sagar. From there it is a 24km trek to Rudranath, dedicated to the mouth of Lord Siva. The Rudraganga flows by this temple. There are good views of the Trisul, Nandadevi and Parbat peaks, and down below there are small lakes. To get to Rudranath you can also walk from Kalpeswara.

Auli
Phone Code 01389
Located here is a Skiing Resort, which is run by GMVN. It is the best-equipped ski resort in the country. Auli is 15km from Joshimath. It is open from January to March. Skis and boots are hired out for Rs 300 per day. There are five km of slopes. There is a cable car that goes between Joshimath and Gorson (near Auli) for Rs 300 return.

GMVN has a Tourist Rest House at Auli (013712 223208) and at Joshimath (01389 222226). The GMVN offers skiing packages, which includes a place to stay, meals, equipment and lessons for Rs 1800 for seven days and Rs 3000 for 14 days. You can book in advance at the General Manager, GMVN, 74/1 Rajpur Rd, Dehra Dun, UP ((0135) 274-6817; fax 24408). You can contact the GMVN office in Rishikesh for information.

Between Joshimath & Badrinath
The drive takes between 2½ to 3 hours to go about 44km. xe "Vishnuprayag" Vishnuprayag, 10km past Joshimath, is where the Alakananda and Dhauli Ganga rivers join together. Ten km further is Govind Ghat, which is where the treks to the Valley of Flowers and Sri Hemkund Sahib begin.

Pandukeswar is 4km further up the road. This town is the site of the Yogadhyan Badri Temple, one of the five Badri temples. The utsava-murti of Badri Vishal is brought here from Badrinath during the six winter months, from November to May.
Hanuman Chatti is 9km further up the road. It is said that Bhimasena and Hanuman tested each others’ strength in the Gandhamadhana Hills and realized that they were both sons of Vayu and therefore brothers.

Hanuman Chatti
There is a story of how this town got this name. Bhima was traveling on the road here, when he came upon an old monkey lying in his way. Bhima requested the monkey to move his tail, which was blocking his path. The monkey replied that he was very old and had no strength to personally move his tail, but welcomed Bhima to try to move it. After repeated attempts to move the tail, the powerful Bhima became humbled and gave up. The monkey then revealed himself as Hanuman.

There are two Hanuman Chattis, this one and another one by Yamunotri. This Hanuman Chatti is 27km from Badrinath and 9km from Pandukeswar.

Valley of Flowers & Hemkund
The beautiful xe "Valley of Flowers"Valley of Flowers National Park (3,000m to 3,500m), 5km from Ghangaria, has a large variety of flowers during and after the rainy season, between mid-June and mid-September. Other times of the year there are usually very few flowers. The valley is about 10km long and 2km wide. No camping is allowed, because too many tourists wreck all the flowers, so you have to make a day trip from Ghangaria (3,050m). To enter the national park you have to get a permit at the police post at Govindghat for a small fee.

From Ghangaria, if you follow the Laxman Ganga River, you reach Lake Hemkund (4,340m). In the Granth Sahib, the Sikh Guru Gobind Singh writes that in his previous life he meditated on the shore of a lake, that was surrounded by seven snow-capped mountains. The bank of Hemkund Lake is accepted as this place.

There is a large gurudwara (Sikh temple) and a small Laksman (Lord Rama’s younger brother) temple at Lake Hemkund. Laksman is said to have meditated by the lake and regained his health here after Meghnath, the son of Ravana, seriously wounded him. You cannot stay here overnight, but have to stay at Ghangaria.

To reach either the Valley of Flowers or Hemkund, you start from Govind Ghat (1,800m), which is about 25km south of Badrinath on the road to Joshimath (20km away). There is a large Sikh Gurudwara where you can stay for a donation.

You then walk 15km (a hard climb) from Govind Ghat to the village of Ghangaria, where there are basic lodges, gurudwaras, and a GMVN Tourist Bungalow with a dormi beds for Rs 170 and rooms for Rs 800. From there it is a four km walk to the Valley of Flowers. To get to Hemkund you leave the main path to the Valley of Flowers and take a path 4km to the right.

Jageshwar
In Jageshwar (1875m), there are over one hundred 7th century stone temples and a small museum. Located here is an important Siva temple dedicated to one of the 12 Jyotilingas. This peaceful town has houses built in the traditional style with carved doors and colorfully painted windows. From here you can take a trail for 12km to the Bineswar Temple in Binsar.

The KMVN Tourist Bungalow has rooms for Rs 350. It has a restaurant. You can stay in rooms in private homes here. The Rajmahal, opposite the Siva temple, is a fairly good place to eat.

From Artola, 3km away on the main road, buses depart to places in the Kumaon area. Two buses daily go to Haldwani via Almora, which is where the closest railway station is located.

Binsar
This town, 35km north of Almora, is also known as Jhandi Dhar. Located here is the stone Bineswar Temple dedicated to Lord Siva. From Binsar there is a great view of the northern Himalayas, which include Kedarnath, Trishul, Nandagunti, Nanda Devi, Nandakot and Panchuli. There are nice walks here.

There is a run-down KMVN Tourist Bungalow here with rooms for Rs 350. The Forest Rest House is good, but it has to be booked in advance at the forest department in Almora. A taxi to here from Almora is around Rs 250.

Bageshwar
Population: 7800
Phone Code 05963

There are a group of ancient temples here. The main temple is the Bagnath Temple dedicated to Lord Siva. On many of the temples there are bronze bells left as offerings by devotees. It is said that Siva came to this place. Some long treks are begun from Bageshwar.

The KMVN Tourist Bungalow, 2km from the temple, has rooms for Rs 350.

There are buses to Almora (90km) and Nainital (155km south).

Kausani
Phone Code: 05969
Elevation: 1890m

Located 50km northwest of Almora at 1890m, xe "Kausani" Kausani is a peaceful place with a great view of the Himalayas. It is a nice 14km walk (20km by road) to the beautiful 12th century temples in Baijnath. To walk to these temples you follow a path through the forest.

Where to Stay
Anasakti Ashram (Gandhi Ashram) has rooms for a donation. It has a good library.
Hotel Prashant (45037), Ashram Rd, is a popular place that has single rooms for Rs 85 and doubles for Rs 200 to Rs 500. 50% discount in the off-season.
Uttarakhand Tourist Lodge (245012), at the top of the stairs near the bus stand, has rooms on the ground floor for Rs 550 and on the upper floor for Rs 10000. Rooms have a view and there are discounts in the off-season.
KMVN Tourist Rest House (245006), a few km away from the village, has rooms with hot water and a balcony with good views for Rs 350 to 1100 and dorm beds for Rs 75. It is a good value and there are discounts in the off-season.
Amar Holiday Home (84115), Ashram Rd, a ten-minute walk from the bus stand, has rooms with bath for Rs 250 to Rs 600. It has a nice garden with good views. Bucket hot water. Discounts in the off-season.
Krishna Mount View (245008) has rooms with hot water and a TV for Rs 1100 to Rs 2000. Rooms have good views. Good discounts in the off-season.

Where to Eat
Sunrise Restaurant has good, cheap food.
Hill Queen Restaurant, near the TV tower, is a popular place.
Vaibhav Restaurant, at the Krishna Mount View Hotel, serves Gujarati and Mughlai food. A main dish is around Rs 75.
Uttarakhand Tourist Lodge has a good restaurant with Indian and Continental food.

Travel
There are buses almost every hour to Almora (2½ hr) between 8 am and 4 pm, which then go to Nainital (6 hr). There are buses to Ranikhet (4 hr). To get to Baijnath (30 minutes, 20km) you take the bus going to Bageshwar (1½ hr). There is a bus to Karnaprayag at 7 am.

To get to Baijnath by taxi cost Rs 250 one way or Rs 400 roundtrip.

Banbassa
Population: 7150
Banbassa is the nearest Indian town to the Nepali border town of Mahendrenagar. Foreigner can cross the border here. From Almora (7 hr) there is a daily bus to Banbassa at 7 am. There are daily buses to Delhi (12 hr).

From Banbassa it is a 20 minutes rickshaw ride to the border at Mahendrenagar. There are direct buses from there to Kathmandu (26 hr) and Nepalganj (9 hr). From Nepalganj you can get a bus to Kathmandu (16 hr) and Pokhara (15 hr).

Pithoragarh
Pop: 43,000
Phone Code: 05964
Elevation 1810m

At 1650m, Pithoragarh is a pleasant place, with good places to take walks. The walk to Chandak (7km) has good views. The UP Tourist Office (22527), at Siltham, is useful for trekking information. Pithoragarh has a good market where trekking supplies can be purchased.

There are several hotels here.
KMVN Tourist Lodge (225434), 1½ km from the bazaar, has rooms for Rs 500 and dorm beds for Rs 70.
Ulka Priyadarshani (22596), near the Siltham bus stand, is a fairly good budget place.
Raja (22224), Takana Rd, near the KMOU bus stand, has a selection of rooms.
Utranchal Deep (22654), above the Roadways bus stand, has budget and mid-range rooms.
Meghnath, in Simalgair Bazaar, is a popular place with snack (masala dosas) and sweets.

There are buses to Almora (6 hr, 2 daily), Tanakpur (165km south, the closest railway station), Nainital (8 hr, 190km southwest, 1 daily), Haldwani and Delhi.

Munsiari
Munsiari, 155km north of Pithorgarh, is a boring village that may be used as a base for treks in the area. It overlooks the five Panchuli peaks, which get their name from panch (five), chuli (pot), because they are said to have been used as cooking pots for the last meal of the five Pandava brothers, before going to heaven. Munsiari is where treks to the Milam and Pindari Valleys begin. Nanda Devi Trekking is run by an experienced man.

There is a KMVN Tourist Bungalow here. There are buses to Pithorgarh for Nainital and Thal for Almora.

Rupa (Roopa) Kund
Rupa Kund is a mountain lake at 4778m, located a few days walk from Gwaldam. Every 12 years the Raj Jat Yatra, is a pilgrimage that comes here led by a four-horned ram. There are a few hundred skeletons in the lake said to be around 600 years old. No one really knows for sure how they got there. To get here you need a guide.

Copyright ©2001 John Howley and Spiritual Guides