The newly formed state of Uttaranchal is immediately recognizable because it is home to 4 of the most revered pilgrimage spots of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. Uttaranchal became the 27th state of the Republic of India on the 9th of November 2000. The State is carved out of Uttar Pradesh. It occupies 17.3% of India's total land area with 51,125 sq. km. It has a population of about 6.0 million at 94.4 per sq. km. It shares borders with Tibet and Nepal and with the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, and has 13 Districts, split administratively into Garhwal and Kumaon divisions.
The Government of India has awarded the National Tourism Award in the Category of Special Award for Efforts in the Development and Promotion of Tourism to the State Government of Uttaranchal, in 2002.
Focused, planned and time bound development of trek routes, yatra routes and adventure sports such as river rafting, paragliding, skiing, mountaineering are planned by the state. The State Government is adopting the master plan approach for development of wayside amenities, new tourist destinations, development of Tehri Dam area as a tourist spot etc. Special emphasis is being accorded to promote cultural tourism and wildlife in the State.
Cities of Uttaranchal
Almora,
Dehradun,
Mussorrie,
Nainital, Garhwal, Gangotri, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Yamunotri, more...
Tourist Attraction of Uttaranchal :-
Nanda Devi Temple
This ancient temple is one of the main attractions of Almora town. This temple is hundreds of year old and carries deep faith of many people from this area. The images and statues on walls of this temple are intricately and delicately carved. They are very attractive and almost true to life depiction has been done.
Badrinath Temple
The Temple has been renovated several times due to damage by avalanches. The present structure is 15 mtrs high and has a gilded cupola. The rawal or chief priest of the temple is a Namboodripad Brahmin from Kerala.
Mansa Devi Temple
Atop a hill overlooking Haridwar, this temple is dedicated to the goddess mansa. Mansa is one of the forms of Shakti Durga who makes wishes come true. It is connected by a ropeway to the heart of town
How to get there :
By Air : Jolly Grant near Dehradun is the only airport. There are regular flights to Delhi by Indian Airlines. Otherwise, one has the option to travel to Delhi by road or rail and then take the air route to various destinations.
By Rail : Dehradun, Haridwar, and Kathgodam are the major railway stations connected to almost all parts of the country with regular trains. Not many places in the state are connected by rail because of tough terrains. For those visiting places in the higher altitudes, trekking and road routes are the only options available.
By Road : All-weather metalled roads connect almost all the important places in the state. Many places in the higher altitudes may still remain off for a period in the year due to landslides and snowfall. National Highways such as 58, 73, 74, and 87 connect places in the state to other parts of the country.
