Travelling is one of the best forms of entertainment and revives your body and mind. But, after you have planned the vacations the main problem that arises is the where to go and what places to visit. A properly planned visit ensures that you do not miss any place during your visit and help you to plan your trip properly. This article explores the places to visit in Uttarakhand while your stay there. Here is a list of top 10 tourist places to visit while you are planning a trip to visit Uttarakhand and the activities you can do there.
Uttarakhand was earlier a part of Uttar Pradesh and earned the status of a state on 9 November 2000. It is also most commonly referred to as the Devbhumi or “Land of the Gods”. It is because of many Hindu temples and pilgrimage centers situated here. Uttarakhand is known for the enchanting view of the Himalayas and pilgrimages. One can enjoy the life of simple living in the midst of nature and spirituality. Uttarakhand has a lot to offer to tourists who are daring enough with its mighty Himalayas which are snow laden, and mighty rivers. It is also the originating point of a large number of Indian rivers including Ganga and Yamuna. It also hosts some of the best hill stations in north India. In the summer season, the mountains provide comfort from the scorching sun, while in winters you can enjoy the stunning views of snow peaked mountains.
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The temple has been renovated several times due to damage by avalanches in Badrinath. The present temple was built about two centuries ago by the king of Garhwal. The idol of Lord Badrivishal is made of black stone shaligram ligram, and represents Vishnu seated in a meditative pose. One fuels emancipated after having Darshan of Lord Shri Badri. The idol is in Padmasana pose having four arms. On right of the Lord is the idol of Kuber and on left are idols of Shri Laxmi Ji, Narad Ji, Udhavaji and Nar Narayan.
Before having Darshan of the Lord people take a holy dip in the Tapta Kunda which has a natural hot water spring a little for-away there is Brahma Kapal where departed ancestors are offered Shraddha and Pind Daan.
The present structure is 15 mts. The temple is divided into three parts, the Garbhagriha, the Darshan Mandap and the Sabhamandep. The idol of Lord Badrivishal is seated in the inner most parts the Garbhagriha. The canopy covered with a sheet of gold, and this was an offering made by Queen Ahilyabai.
The lord is worshiped only by Namboodiri Brahmin’s hailing from Kerala state and the Pooja ceremony is coatched from a distance by pilgrims.
Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib is situated at Hemkunt Marg, Chamoli. This imposing star shaped structure of stone and concrete masonry is on the shores of the like. About let behind the Gurudwara is the source of the Lakshman Ganga.
Pauri Garhwal is an amazing place located in the Uttarakhand, India. People love to visit this place due to the beautiful views of snow clad mountains, dense forests, rivers and valleys. Pauri is also famous for its ancient temples like Jai Danda Nagraja Mandir, Jwalpa Devi Temple, Kandoliya Devta, Kyunkaleshwar Mahadev etc. Pauri Garhwal is loved by the tourists because it is a place which is very peaceful and full of scenic beauty therefore, people from the busy life of metro cities feels very relaxed here.
Kanvashram the place where Menaka disturbed the meditation of Swami Vishwamitra is also located in Pauri. Tara Kund is a beautiful lake in Pauri where the festival “Teej” is celebrated by the localities. Doodhatoli is yet another beautiful place from where one can view the great wonder of nature i.e. The Himalayan Range.
One can visit Pauri during any month of the year as the weather is always very pleasant here. In winters it is cold and even in summers the weather is not too hot.
30 kms from Almora, the summer capital of the Chand Rajas, who ruled in the 7th and 8th centuries A.D. for the concept of a cool summer retreat, pre-dated the British and Almora can be just a little warm in the summer. Binsar has also beautiful forests of oak and Rhododendron and abounds in alpine flora, terms, hanging moss and innumerable species of wild flowers.
Rishikesh is located in Dehradun District, Uttarakhand. Rishikesh is better known for river rafting across the river Ganga. People from all over the world come to Rishikesh for rafting. Adventure lovers enjoy rafting, hiking, trekking, rock climbing, kayaking, mountaineering and bungee jumping in Rishikesh. In India Rishikesh is the only place where one can enjoy bungee jumping.
Apart from the adventure, Rishikesh is also known for various Yoga and Meditation centers. Many foreigners especially come to Rishikesh for practicing Yoga in these centers. For this reason Rishikesh is also popularly known as “the world capital of yoga”. Himalayan Yoga Gurukul, Rishikesh Yog Peeth, Ved Niketan Ashram are few popular yoga centers in Rishikesh.
Leaving behind the adventure and yoga, the must visit place in Rishikesh is the famous Laxman Jhula and Ram Jhula. Lakshman Jhula and Ram Jhula are basically bridges made above the river Ganga. When one walks in these bridges it moves slightly and that’s why it is called Jhula. Jhula in English means swing.
Rishikesh is a complete travel package which provides adventure, peace, fun and holiness.
Also known as Katyayani Devi, the temple is located at the top of Kashyapa hill in Almora. The peak of this hill is called Kasar. Beyond Kalmatiya on a bridle path, Swami Vivekananda reputedly gained enlightenment in a cave adjoining the temple. The temple and dreamed that he should share his message with the world. Higher up is a newer Shiva temple. The view of Almora is excellent, and so is the panorama of the Himalayan peaks.
Kedarnath is among one of the destination of the famous Char Dham Yatra of Hindus. Kedarnath is located in the Rudraprayag District at an altitude of 3,553 metres. Kedarnath is famous for the Kedarnath Temple and people from all over the world come to visit this holy temple. The doors of the Kedarnath Temple are open only for six months and the date of opening and closing of the temple differs from year to year.
Kedarnath Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and it is also one of the twelve Jyotirlings of Lord Shiva. Apart from the holiness Kedarnath also offers some very beautiful scenic views of snow covered mountains. Kedarnath is also a great place to visit for the adventure lovers as it is a thrilling experience to trek through forest and waterfalls.
Dehradun, located in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand is better known as the capital of Uttarakhand. The name Dehradun is derived from two words Dehra and Doon where in Dehra means camp and Doon is a valley.
Dehradun is undoubtedly one of the most amazing places in India filled with the Natural beauty and stands in between the two holy rivers of India namely Ganga and Yamuna. Apart from the natural beauty Dehradun has always been famous for good schools and now it’s also been famous for higher education centers. Some of the important Government establishments like the Indian Military Academy and Survey of India are also located in Dehradun.
Haridwar means the “Gateway to God”, known as one of the most popular holy places in India. People from all over the world comes to visit this one of the seventh holiest places of Hindus. Haridwar is located in Uttarakhand. Haridwar is also a gateway to the four pilgrims better known as “Chardham Yatra”.
River Ganga is considered to be one of the most auspicious rivers by Hindus and it is believed that one dip taken at the river Ganga in Haridwar makes a person free from all the sins. The evening Aarti held at the Har Ki Pauri is a must watch. The River Ganga looks so beautiful and enlighten with all the Diyas.
Haridwar is also very popular for the Kumbh Mela which takes place in every 12 years. The Kumbh Mela begins from Makar Sankranti and ends on Maha Shivratri. Millions of people come to bath in the river Ganga during the Kumbh Mela with immense faith and it is considered to be of the most crowded religious gatherings.
Devprayag is second important Prayag after the Prayag as Allahabad. 71 kms from Rishikesh, The confluence of rivers Alaknanda and Bhagirathi. This is an important pilgrim spot with its ancient Raghunath and famous Shiva temples. Today is an important cultural and educational centre.
Valley of Flowers is the second core zone of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve and also among one of the best attractions Uttarakhand can provide. It is located in Chamoli, Garhwal. It was declared as the National Park of India in the year 1982 and it is now a world heritage site. It nurtures around 650 varieties of beautiful flowers like orchids, poppies, primulas, marigold, daisies, anemones etc.
Valley of Flowers is generally open to public during June to October. The rest of the calendar year Valley of Flowers looks like a carpet of snow. The best time to visit the Valley of Flowers is July and August as maximum flower blooms during this period. The entry time to Valley of Flowers is 7am to 2pm and the last returning time is 5pm.
Valley of Flowers is a must visit place for the flora and nature lovers. In between the way towards the Valley of Flowers there is a popular Gurudwara called Shri Hemkunt Sahib. Many pilgrims come to visit Shri Hemkunt Sahib as well as the Valley of Flowers.
Whoever visits this beautiful and colorful place once falls in love with its beauty and wish to come back to this amazing paradise again and again. Valley of flowers is one such place which is at the top of every one’s travelling destination list.
Joshimath is a hilly town located in the Chamoli District of Uttarakhand. Joshimath is a town popular for the holiness as out of the four monasteries established by the Gurudev Adi Shankaracharya, one is established here. Joshimath is filled with many holy temples like Narasimha, Nau Devi, Ganesh, Hanuman, Gaurishankar and Surya.
Auli is one beautiful place to visit in Joshimath and also one of the best places for experiencing Skiing. Throughout the year Auli is crowded with the tourists but if one wishes to enjoy the amazing snow than December to March is the best time to visit.
Joshimath is filled with the scenic beauty as one gets to view some of the stunning mountain peaks and it is also the place from where the trekking towards the famous National Park “The Valley of Flowers” begins. Visiting Joshimath is like having double enjoyment as one can revive their holiness as well as the thrill of adventure.
Almora is a beautiful hill station located in the Kumaon region at an elevation of 1642 meters. It is a town which is made in the shape of a horse shoe. Almora attracts tourists for its natural beauty, wildlife, handicrafts and the most popular sweet called “Bal Mithai”. In the center of the town a most popular temple named “Nanda Devi” is located. A major fair named “Nanda Devi Mela” is held during October in which thousands of people from all over the world participate. In this fair image of Goddess Nanda and Sunanda are made in a banana trunk which is later on sunk in the river. Almora has a very rich cultural heritage.
Almora is famous for some of its local fruits like Plums, Peaches, Kafal, Hisalu etc. Temples like Chitai, Kalimath, Gananath, Katarmal, Binsar, Jageshwar have attract the pilgrims since years.
Lansdowne is located in the Pauri Garhwal district at an altitude of 1700 meters above the sea level, surrounded by the thick oak and pine forest. This place is a popular hill station since years and people from all over the country come to view this beautiful place. Adventure lovers come to visit this place again and again as they love trekking here.
The basic reason why people love to be in Lansdowne is that people find this place to be very peace full, unlike the fast and hectic routine of the metro cities. The town is well established due to the existence of Garhwal Rifles, Head Quarters and it is also very easily reachable because of the well maintained motorable roads.
St. James Church, Kaleshwar Mahadev Temple, Snow View, Garhwal Rifles Museum, Bhulla Lake, St. Mary Church, Tip-in-Top, GRRC Officer’s Mess and Santoshi Mata Temple are few places in Lansdowne which are a must watch.
Gangotri is among one of the most popular Hindu Pilgrimage and is located in the Uttarkashi District of the Uttarakhand State. Gangotri is included as one of the destinations in the very holy Chardham Yatra of Hindus. Gangotri is situated on the banks of holy river Bhagirathi
Some of the popular places of Gangotri are The Gangotri Temple (altitude of 3048 mts above the sea level) which is said to be the highest temple of Goddess Ganga, Submerged Shivling; a natural rock in the shape of a Shivling submerged deep inside the water.
Tapovan, Ghaironghati, Surya Kund, Gauri Kund, Gaumukh Glacier, Pandav Gufa and Kedartal are also among few places which grabs the attention of the tourists.
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