Punjabi (%), both mostly found in the southern districts,
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
(%) and
Bhojpuri
Bhojpuri (;[Bhojpuri entry, Oxford Dictionaries](_blank)
, Oxford U ...
(%), both mainly present in Udham Singh Nagar district in the south-east, and
Nepali (%, found throughout the state, but most notably in Dehradun and Uttarkashi).
All the languages enumerated so far belong to the
Indo-Aryan family. Apart from a few other minority Indo-Aryan languages, like
Buksa Tharu and
Rana Tharu (of Udham Singh Nagar district in the south-east),
Mahasu Pahari
Mahasu Pahari (Takri: ) is a Western Pahari (Himachali, Takri: ) language spoken in Himachal Pradesh. It is also known as Mahasui or Mahasuvi. The speaking population is about 1,000,000 (2001). It is more commonly spoken in the Himachal Pradesh, S ...
(found in Uttarkashi in the north-west), and
Doteli
Doteli, or Dotyali () is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by about 800,000 people, most of whom live in Nepal. It is a dialect of Khas, which is an ancient form of the modern Nepali language, and is written in the Devanagari script. It has official ...
,
Uttarakhand is also home to a number of indigenous
Sino-Tibetan languages
Sino-Tibetan, also cited as Trans-Himalayan in a few sources, is a family of more than 400 languages, second only to Indo-European in number of native speakers. The vast majority of these are the 1.3 billion native speakers of Chinese languages. ...
, most of which are spoken in the north of the state. These include
Jad (spoken in Uttarkashi district in the north-west),
Rongpo (of Chamoli district), and several languages of Pithoragarh district in the north-east:
Byangsi,
Chaudangsi,
Darmiya,
Raji and
Rawat. Another indigenous Sino-Tibetan language,
Rangas, became extinct by the middle of the 20th century. Additionally, two non-indigenous Sino-Tibetan languages are also represented:
Kulung (otherwise native to Nepal) and
Tibetan
Tibetan may mean:
* of, from, or related to Tibet
* Tibetan people, an ethnic group
* Tibetan language:
** Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard
** Standard Tibetan, the most widely used spoken dial ...
.
Religion
More than four-fifths of Uttarakhand's residents are
Hindus
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
.
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
,
Sikhs
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ...
,
Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
,
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
s, and
Jain
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
s make up the remaining population, with the Muslims being the largest minority.
Hill regions are almost entirely Hindu, while the plains regions have a significant minority of Muslims and Sikhs.
Government and politics
Following the
Constitution of India
The Constitution of India (IAST: ) is the supreme law of India. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental ri ...
, Uttarakhand, like all Indian states, has a
parliamentary system
A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...
of
representative democracy
Representative democracy, also known as indirect democracy, is a type of democracy where elected people represent a group of people, in contrast to direct democracy. Nearly all modern Western-style democracies function as some type of represen ...
for its government.
The
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
is the constitutional and formal head of the government and is appointed for a five-year term by the
President of India
The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Murmu ...
on the advice of the
Union government
The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
. The present
Governor of Uttarakhand
The governor of Uttarakhand is appointed by the president of India for a term of five years, and holds office at the president's pleasure. The governor is ''de jure'' head of the state government; all its executive actions are taken in the gov ...
is
Gurmit Singh
Gurmit Singh Virk Chainchal Singh (born 24 March 1965; pa, ਗੁਰਮੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ, Gurmīt Siṅgh; ) is a Singaporean actor, comedian and television personality. He was prominently a full-time Mediacorp artiste from 1994 to 2014. A f ...
. The
Chief Minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...
, who holds the real executive powers, is the head of the party or coalition garnering the majority in the state elections. The current
Chief Minister of Uttarakhand
The chief minister of Uttarakhand is the chief executive of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. In accordance with the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests with the chief min ...
is
Pushkar Singh Dhami
Pushkar Singh Dhami (born 16 September 1975) is an Indian politician and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, serving as the 10th and the current Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. He was elected as MLA in Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha from Khatima ...
.
The
unicameral
Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one.
Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multic ...
Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly
The Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly, also known as the Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha, is a unicameral governing and law making body of Uttarakhand, one of the 28 states of India. It is seated at Dehradun, the winter capital, and Bhararisain, the summ ...
consists of 70 members, known as
Members of the Legislative Assembly
A member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to a legislative assembly. Most often, the term refers to a subnational assembly such as that of a state, province, or territory of a country. ...
or MLAs,
and special office bearers such as the
Speaker
Speaker may refer to:
Society and politics
* Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly
* Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture
* A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially:
** I ...
and Deputy Speaker, elected by the members. Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker, or the Deputy Speaker in the Speaker's absence. The
Uttarakhand Council of Ministers
The Uttarakhand Council of Ministers is the executive wing of Government of Uttarakhand and headed by Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, who is the head of government and leader of the state cabinet. The term of every executive wing is for 5 years ...
is appointed by the Governor of Uttarakhand on the advice of the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and reports to the Legislative Assembly.
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
leads the
Official Opposition
Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. This article uses the term ''government'' as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning ''th ...
in the Legislative Assembly. Auxiliary authorities that govern at a local level are known as
gram panchayat
Gram Panchayat () is a basic village-governing institute in Indian villages. It is a democratic structure at the grass-roots level in India. It is a political institute, acting as cabinet of the village. The Gram Sabha work as the general bod ...
s in rural areas,
municipalities
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
in urban areas and
municipal corporations
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. The term can also be used to describe municipally owne ...
in metro areas. All state and local government offices have a five-year term. The state also elects 5 members to
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-past ...
and 3 seats to
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using si ...
of the
Parliament of India
The Parliament of India (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ) is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India. It is a bicameralism, bicameral legislature composed of the president of India and two houses: the R ...
. The judiciary consists of the
Uttarakhand High Court
The Uttarakhand High Court is the High Court of the state of Uttarakhand in India. The building of Uttarakhand High Court was constructed by Santoni MacDonald in 1900.
The Uttarakhand State was carved out from the State of Uttar Pradesh on ...
, located at
Nainital
Nainital ( Kumaoni: ''Naintāl''; ) is a city and headquarters of Nainital district of Kumaon division, Uttarakhand, India. It is the judicial capital of Uttarakhand, the High Court of the state being located there and is the headquarters o ...
, and a system of
lower courts. The incumbent Acting
Chief Justice of Uttarakhand is
Sanjaya Kumar Mishra.
Politics in Uttarakhand is dominated by the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
and the
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Modi ...
. Since the formation of the state these two parties have ruled the state in turns. Following the hung mandate in the
2012 Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly election
The 2012 Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly election were the 3rd Vidhan Sabha ( Legislative Assembly) election of the state of Uttarakhand in India. Elections were held on 30 January 2012 when Indian National Congress emerged as the largest par ...
, the Indian National Congress, having the maximum number of seats, formed a coalition government headed by
Harish Rawat
Harish Singh Rawat (born 27 April 1948) is an Indian politician who was Chief Minister of Uttarakhand from 2014 to 2017. A five-time Member of Parliament, Rawat is a leader of the Indian National Congress party. As a member of 15th Lok Sabha, ...
that collapsed on 27 March 2016, following the political turmoil as about nine MLAs of
INC
Inc. or inc may refer to:
* Incorporation (business), as a suffix indicating a corporation
* ''Inc.'' (magazine), an American business magazine
* Inc. No World, a Los Angeles-based band
* Indian National Congress, a political party in India
* I ...
rebelled against the party and supported the opposition party
BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Modi ...
, causing Harish Rawat government to lose the majority in assembly. However, on 21 April 2016 the
High Court of Uttarakhand
The Uttarakhand High Court is the High Court of the state of Uttarakhand in India. The building of Uttarakhand High Court was constructed by Santoni MacDonald in 1900.
The Uttarakhand State was carved out from the State of Uttar Pradesh on ...
quashed the
President's rule
In India, President's rule is the suspension of state government and imposition of direct Union government rule in a state. Under Article 356 of the Constitution of India, if a state government is unable to function according to Constitutional ...
questioning its legality and maintained a status quo prior to 27 March 2016 when 9 rebel MLAs of
INC
Inc. or inc may refer to:
* Incorporation (business), as a suffix indicating a corporation
* ''Inc.'' (magazine), an American business magazine
* Inc. No World, a Los Angeles-based band
* Indian National Congress, a political party in India
* I ...
voted against the
Harish Rawat
Harish Singh Rawat (born 27 April 1948) is an Indian politician who was Chief Minister of Uttarakhand from 2014 to 2017. A five-time Member of Parliament, Rawat is a leader of the Indian National Congress party. As a member of 15th Lok Sabha, ...
government in assembly on state's money appropriation bill. On 22 April 2016 the
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme judicial authority of India and is the highest court of the Republic of India under the constitution. It is the most senior constitutional court, has the final decision in all legal matters ...
stayed the order of High Court till 27 April 2016, thereby once again reviving the President's rule. In later developments regarding this matter, the Supreme Court ordered a floor test to be held on 10 May with the rebels being barred from voting. On 11 May at the opening of sealed result of the floor test, under the supervision of Supreme Court, the Harish Rawat government was revived following the victory in floor test held in Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly.
Subdivisions
![Kumaon Garhwal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Kumaon_Garhwal.jpg)
There are 13
districts in Uttarakhand, which are grouped into two divisions,
Kumaon Kumaon or Kumaun may refer to:
* Kumaon division, a region in Uttarakhand, India
* Kumaon Kingdom, a former country in Uttarakhand, India
* Kumaon, Iran, a village in Isfahan Province, Iran
* , a ship of the Royal Indian Navy during WWII
See also
...
and
Garhwal Garhwal may refer to the following topics associated with Uttarakhand, India:
Places
*Garhwal Himalaya, a sub-range of the Himalayas
*Garhwal Kingdom, a former kingdom
* Garhwal District (British Garhwal), a former district of British India
*Gar ...
. Each division is administered by a
divisional commissioner. Four new districts named
Didihat
Didihat is a town and a Nagar Palika in Pithoragarh District in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is one of the eleven Tehsils of India, administrative subdivisions of Pithoragarh district and also serves as its administrative headquarter. Wit ...
,
Kotdwar
Kotdwar is a city, municipal corporation in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India. It's just 101 km from Pauri town , the district headquarter. It is the eighth-largest city in Uttarakhand. Its old name was "Khohdwar", which means the ga ...
,
Ranikhet
Ranikhet (Kumaoni language, Kumaoni: ) is a hill station and cantonment town, nearby Almora, Almora Town in Almora district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the home for the Military Hospital, Kumaon Regiment (KRC) and Naga Regiment and ...
, and
Yamunotri
Yamunotri, also Jamnotri, is the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the Goddess Yamuna in Hinduism. It is situated at an altitude of in the Garhwal Himalayas and located approximately North of Uttarkashi, the headquarters of the Uttark ...
were declared by then Chief Minister of Uttarakhand,
Ramesh Pokhriyal
Ramesh Pokhriyal "Nishank" (born 15 July 1959), is an Indian politician who was appointed on 31 May 2019 to serve as Minister of Human Resource Development and as of July 2020, following the ministry's name change, his title was changed to Min ...
, on 15 August 2011 but yet to be officially formed.
Each district is administered by a
district magistrate
A District Collector-cum-District Magistrate (also known as Deputy Commissioner in some states) is an All India Service officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadre who is responsible for ''land revenue collection'', ''canal reven ...
. The districts are further divided into sub-divisions, which are administered by
sub-divisional magistrates; sub-divisions comprise
tehsil
A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...
s which are administered by a
tehsildar
In India and Pakistan, a Tehsildar or Mamlatdar is a tax officer accompanied by revenue inspectors. They are in charge of obtaining taxes from a tehsil with regard to land revenue. A tehsildar is also known as an executive magistrate of the relev ...
and
community development block
In India, a Community development block (CD block) or simply Block is a sub-division of Tehsil, administratively earmarked for planning and development. The area is administered by a Block Development Officer (BDO), supported by several technic ...
s, each administered by a
block development officer
A block is an administrative division of some South Asian countries.
Bhutan
In Bhutan, a block is called a gewog. It is essentially for oil a group of villages. Gewogs are official administrative units of Bhutan. The country is composed of ...
.
Urban areas
An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, t ...
are categorised into three types of municipalities based on their population;
municipal corporations
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. The term can also be used to describe municipally owne ...
, each administered by a
municipal commissioner,
municipal councils and,
nagar panchayat
A nagar panchayat (town panchayat; ) or Notified Area Council (NAC) in India is a settlement in transition from rural to urban and therefore a form of an urban political unit comparable to a municipality. An urban centre with more than 12,000 ...
s (town councils), each of them administered by a
chief executive officer
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
.
Rural areas
In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are describ ...
comprise the three tier administration;
district councils,
block panchayats (block councils) and
gram panchayat
Gram Panchayat () is a basic village-governing institute in Indian villages. It is a democratic structure at the grass-roots level in India. It is a political institute, acting as cabinet of the village. The Gram Sabha work as the general bod ...
s (village councils).
According to the 2011 census, Haridwar, Dehradun, and Udham Singh Nagar are the most populous districts, each of them having a population of over one million.
Settlements
The isolated
Himalayan village of
Bemni is located here.
Culture
Architecture and crafts
Hanol Mahasu04.jpg, Mahasu Devta Temple
Mahasu Devta Temple ( Mahasui: 𑚢𑚩𑚭𑚨𑚱 𑚛𑚲𑚦𑚙𑚭 𑚢𑚫𑚛𑚮𑚤, hi, महासू देवता मंदिर), is located on the Tuini-Mori road at Hanol, Dehradun district, Uttarakhand,India and was bu ...
at Hanol is notable for its traditional wooden architecture.
Architectural details of a Dharamshala, estb. 1822, Haridwar.jpg, Architectural details of a Dharamshala
Dharamshala (; also spelled Dharamsala) is the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh, India. It serves as administrative headquarters of the Kangra district after being relocated from Kangra, a city located away from Dharamshala, in 1855.
The ...
, established 1822, Haridwar.
Abhisarika-nayika-mola-ram.jpg, ''Abhisarika Nayika'', a painting by Mola Ram
Mola Ram or Maula Ram ( deva, मौला राम) (1743–1833), p.119 was an Indian painter, who originated the Garhwal branch of the Kangra school of painting., pp.75–76 He was also a poet, historian and diplomat., p.25 Much researc ...
.
The Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Shri K.C. Pant speaking at the releasing of the Uttaranchal crafts map at the exhibition of "Artistic Crafts Maps of Jharkhand.jpg, The releasing of the Uttaranchal crafts map
Among the prominent local crafts is
wood carving
Wood carving is a form of woodworking by means of a cutting tool (knife) in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation ...
, which appears most frequently in the
ornately decorated temples of Uttarakhand. Intricately carved designs of floral patterns, deities, and geometrical motifs also decorate the doors, windows, ceilings, and walls of village houses. Paintings and murals are used to decorate both houses and temples.
Pahari painting
Pahari painting (literally meaning a painting from the mountainous regions: ''pahar'' means a mountain in Hindi) is an umbrella term used for a form of Indian painting, done mostly in miniature forms, originating from Himalayan hill kingdoms ...
is a form of painting that flourished in the region between the 17th and 19th century.
Mola Ram
Mola Ram or Maula Ram ( deva, मौला राम) (1743–1833), p.119 was an Indian painter, who originated the Garhwal branch of the Kangra school of painting., pp.75–76 He was also a poet, historian and diplomat., p.25 Much researc ...
started the Garhwal Branch of the
Kangra school of painting.
Guler State
Guler was a small precolonial Indian hill state in the Lower Himalayas. Its capital was the town of Haripur Guler, in modern-day Himachal Pradesh. The kingdom was founded in 1415 by Raja Hari Chand, a scion of the ancient royal family of Kang ...
was known as the "cradle of Kangra paintings". Kumaoni art often is geometrical in nature, while Garhwali art is known for its closeness to nature. Other crafts of Uttarakhand include handcrafted
gold jewellery
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
,
basketry
Basket weaving (also basketry or basket making) is the process of weaving or sewing pliable materials into three-dimensional artifacts, such as baskets, mats, mesh bags or even furniture. Craftspeople and artists specialized in making baskets ...
from Garhwal,
woollen shawls,
scarves
A scarf, plural ''scarves'', is a piece of fabric worn around the neck or head for warmth, sun protection, cleanliness, fashion, religious reasons, or used to show the support for a sports club or team. They can be made in a variety of diffe ...
, and
rugs
Rug or RUG may refer to:
* Rug, or carpet, a textile floor covering
* Rug, slang for a toupée
* Ghent University (''Rijksunversiteit Gent'', or RUG)
* Really Useful Group, or RUG, a company set up by Andrew Lloyd Webber
* Rugby railway station, N ...
. The latter are mainly produced by the Bhotiyas of northern Uttarakhand.
Arts and literature
![Sumitra nandan pant museum, kausani](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Sumitra_nandan_pant_museum%2C_kausani.jpg)
Uttarakhand's diverse ethnicities have created a rich literary tradition in languages including Hindi, Garhwali, Kumaoni, Jaunsari, and Tharu. Many of its traditional tales originated in the form of lyrical
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
s and chanted by itinerant singers and are now considered classics of
Hindi literature
Hindi literature ( hi, हिन्दी साहित्य, translit=hindī sāhitya) includes literature in the various Hindi language which have writing systems. Earliest forms of Hindi literature are attested in poetry of Apabhraṃ ...
.
Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna,
Badri Datt Pandey,
Ganga Prasad Vimal;
Mohan Upreti
Mohan Upreti (1928–1997) was an Indian theatre director, playwright and a music composer, considered one of the pioneers in Indian theatre music.
A popular figure in Kumaon, Mohan Upreti is remembered for his immense contribution towards the ...
,
Naima Khan Upreti
Naima Khan Upreti ( hi, नईमा खान उप्रेती; 25 May 1938 – 15 June 2018) was an Indian theatre actor, singer and a producer at Doordarshan. She was also the wife of Mohan Upreti, considered to be one of the pioneer ...
,
Prasoon Joshi
Prasoon Joshi (born 16 September 1971) is an Indian poet, writer, lyricist, screenwriter, and communication specialist and marketer. He is the CEO of McCann World group India and Chairman APAC (Asia Pacific), a subsidiary of the global marketi ...
,
Shailesh Matiyani
Ramesh Singh Matiyani 'Shailesh', popularly known as Shailesh Matiyani (14 October 1931 – 24 April 2001),
...
,
Shekhar Joshi,
Shivani
''Gaura Pant'' (17 October 1923 – 21 March 2003), better known as Shivani, was a Hindi writer of the 20th century and a pioneer in writing Indian women-centric fiction. She was awarded the Padma Shri for her contribution to Hindi literature ...
,
Taradutt Gairola
Tara Dutt Gairola (1875– 1940), was an Indian lawyer, writer, and editor. He is known as the pioneer of modern Garhwali poetry and for his contribution to Indian folk-lore, specially that of Garhwal, Uttarakhand.
Biography
Born in Dhal Dung v ...
,
Tom Alter
Thomas Beach Alter (22 June 1950 – 29 September 2017) was an Indian actor. He was best known for his works in Hindi cinema, and Indian theatre. In 2008, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India.
Early life
Born in Mussoorie i ...
;
Lalit Kala Akademi fellow –
Ranbir Singh Bisht;
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IPA: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in Englis ...
ees –
B. M. Shah,
Narendra Singh Negi;
Sahitya Akademi Award
The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...
ees –
Leeladhar Jagudi,
Shivprasad Dabral Charan
Shivprasad Dabral (12 November 1912 – 24 November 1999), known by his pen name Charan, was an Indian historian, geographer, academic and writer from Uttarakhand. He is also known as 'Encyclopedia of Uttarakhand'. He started writing from 1931 on ...
,
Manglesh Dabral
Manglesh Dabral (16 May 19489 December 2020) was an Indian Hindi poet and journalist. He was associated with Hindi-language newspapers including '' Jansatta'', ''Hindi Patriot'', and ''Purvagrah''. Some of his popular works include ''Pahar Par ...
,
Manohar Shyam Joshi
Manohar Shyam Joshi (9 August 1933 – 30 March 2006) was a Hindi writer, journalist and scriptwriter, most well known as the writer of Indian television's first soap opera, '' Hum Log'' (1984) and his early hits ''Buniyaad'' (1987), '' Kakaji ...
,
Ramesh Chandra Shah
Ramesh Chandra Shah is an Indian poet, novelist, critic and the author of Sahitya Academy Award winning novel, ''Vinayak''. He was honoured by the Government of India in 2004 with Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award.
Biography
R ...
,
Ruskin Bond
Ruskin Bond (born 19 May 1934) is an Anglo-Indian author . His first novel, ''The Room on the Roof'', was published in 1956, and it received the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 1957. Bond has authored more than 500 short stories, essays, and n ...
and
Viren Dangwal;
Jnanpith Award
The Jnanpith Award is the oldest and the highest Indian literary award presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their "outstanding contribution towards literature". Instituted in 1961, the award is bestowed only on Indian w ...
ee and
Sahitya Akademi fellow Sumitranandan Pant
Sumitranandan Pant (20 May 1900 – 28 December 1977) was an Indian poet. He was one of the most celebrated 20th century poets of the Hindi language and was known for romanticism in his poems which were inspired by nature, people and beauty wit ...
are some major literary, artistic and theatre personalities from the state. prominent philosophers, Indian independence activists and social-environmental activists;
Anil Prakash Joshi
Dr. Anil Prakash Joshi is an environmentalist, green activist, and the founder of Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organization (HESCO), a Dehradun-based voluntary organization. His work majorly includes developing sustainable t ...
,
Basanti Devi
Basanti Devi (23 March 1880 – 7 May 1974) was an Indian independence activist during the British rule in India. She was the wife of activist Chittaranjan Das. After Das' arrest in 1921 and death in 1925, she took an active part in various po ...
,
Gaura Devi
Gaura Devi (1925 – 1991) was a grassroots activist and a rural women community leader from India who played an important role in the Chipko movement.
Life
Gaura Devi was born in 1925 in a village named Lata in the state of Uttarakhand. She mo ...
,
Govind Ballabh Pant
Govind Ballabh Pant (10 September 1887 – 7 March 1961) was an Indian freedom fighter and the first chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Alongside Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Vallabh Bhai Patel, Pant was a key figure in the movement fo ...
,
Chandi Prasad Bhatt
Chandi Prasad Bhatt (born 23 June 1934) is an Indian Gandhian environmentalist and social activist, who founded Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh (DGSS) in Gopeshwar in 1964, which later became a mother-organization to the Chipko Movement, in which ...
,
Deep Joshi
Deep Joshi is an Indian social worker and NGO activist and a recipient of the Magsaysay award in 2009. He is recognised for his leadership in bringing professionalism to the NGO movement in India. He co-founded a non-profit organisation, Profe ...
,
Hargovind Pant,
Kalu Singh Mahara
Kalu Singh Mahara was a Kumaoni(Kumauni) leader during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He is known as a freedom fighter from the state of Uttarakhand, then in the United Province.
Kalu Singh began a campaign named as Krantiveer. It became was popu ...
,
Kunwar Singh Negi,
Mukandi Lal
Mukandi Lal (14 October 1885 - 10 January 1982) was an Indian advocate, judge, freedom fighter, politician, writer and art critic from Garhwal.
Early life
Mukandi Lal was born in Patali village, Malla Nagpur patti in Chamoli, Garhwal in the ...
,
Nagendra Saklani,
Sri Dev Suman,
Ram Prasad Nautiyal
Ram Prasad Nautiyal ( hi, राम प्रसाद नौटियाल) (1 August 1905 – 24 December 1980) was an Indian independence activist and politician. He was one of the prominent freedom fighters from Uttrakhand and probably ...
,
Sunderlal Bahuguna
Sunderlal Bahuguna Ji (9 January 1927 – 21 May 2021) was an Indian environmentalist and Chipko movement leader. The idea of the Chipko movement was suggested by his wife and him. He fought for the preservation of forests in the Himalayas, fir ...
and
Vandana Shiva
Vandana Shiva (born 5 November 1952) is an Indian scholar, environmental activist, food sovereignty advocate, ecofeminist and anti-globalisation author. Based in Delhi, Shiva has written more than 20 books. She is often referred to as "Gandhi ...
are also from Uttarakhand.
Cuisine
![Bal mithai](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Bal_mithai.jpg)
The primary food of Uttarakhand is vegetables with wheat being a staple, although non-vegetarian food is also served. A distinctive characteristic of Uttarakhand cuisine is the sparing use of tomatoes, milk, and milk-based products. Coarse grain with high fibre content is very common in Uttarakhand due to the harsh terrain. Crops most commonly associated with Uttarakhand are
Buckwheat
Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum''), or common buckwheat, is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as '' Fago ...
(locally called ''Kotu'' or ''Kuttu'') and the regional crops, ''Maduwa'' and ''Jhangora'', particularly in the interior regions of Kumaon and Garhwal. Generally, either
Desi Ghee
Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from India. It is commonly used in India for cooking, as a traditional medicine, and for religious rituals.
Description
Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from c ...
or
Mustard oil
Mustard oil can mean either the pressed oil used for cooking, or a pungent essential oil also known as volatile oil of mustard. The essential oil results from grinding mustard seed, mixing the grounds with water, and extracting the resulting vol ...
is used for the purpose of cooking food. Simple recipes are made interesting with the use of hash seeds ''
Jakhya
Jakhya (Garhwali: जख्या; Urdu: زخیا) (also called ''dog mustard'' or ''wild mustard'') is the seed of the '' Cleome viscosa'' plant used for tempering on culinary dishes. It is mostly grown and consumed in Uttarakhand and in the Te ...
'' as spice,
chutney
A chutney is a spread in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion or mint dipping sauce.
...
made of
Bhang
Bhang (IAST: ''Bhāṅg'') is an edible preparation made from the leaves of the cannabis plant originating from the Indian subcontinent. It has been used in food and drink as early as 1000 BC in ancient India. Bhang is traditionally distribu ...
is also a regional cuisine.
Bal Mithai is a popular fudge-like sweet. Other popular dishes include Dubuk, Chains, Kap, Bhatiya, Jaula, Phana, Paliyo, Chutkani and Sei. In sweets; Swal, Ghughut/Khajur, Arsa,
Mishri
Rock candy or sugar candy, also called rock sugar, or crystal sugar, is a type of confection composed of relatively large sugar crystals. This candy is formed by allowing a supersaturated solution of sugar and water to crystallize onto a ...
, Gatta and
Gulgulas are popular. A regional variation of
Kadhi
Kadhi or karhi is a dish popularly consumed in South Asia. It consists of a thick gravy based on gram flour, and contains vegetable fritters called pakoras, to which dahi (yogurt) is added to give it a bit of sour taste. It is often eaten wit ...
called ''Jhoi'' or ''Jholi'' is also popular.
Dances and music
![Chanchari dance](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Chanchari_dance.jpg)
The dances of the region are connected to life and human existence and exhibit myriad human emotions. Langvir Nritya is a dance form for males that resembles gymnastic movements. Barada Nati folk dance is another dance of
Jaunsar-Bawar
Jaunsar-Bawar is a hilly region in Garhwal division of Uttarakhand, northern India. It is located in the north-west of Dehradun district, along the border with the state of Himachal Pradesh.
Ethnically, Jaunsar-Bawar comprises two regions, inh ...
, which is practised during some religious festivals. Other well-known dances include Hurka Baul, Jhora-Chanchri, Chhapeli, Thadya, Jhumaila,
Pandav
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledged ...
, Chauphula, and
Chholiya
Chholiya (or Chhaliya; Kumaoni: ) or Hudkeli (or Hudke; ) is a traditional folk dance form originated in the Kumaon division of the Indian state of Uttarakhand and Sudurpashchim province of Nepal. It has today become a symbol of Kumaoni and ...
. Music is an integral part of the Uttarakhandi culture. Popular types of folk songs include Mangal, Basanti, Khuder and Chhopati. These folk songs are played on instruments including
Dhol
Dhol (IPA: ) can refer to any one of a number of similar types of double-headed drum widely used, with regional variations, throughout the Indian subcontinent. Its range of distribution in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan primarily includes nort ...
,
Damau
Damau (also ''damaun'', ''dhamu'' or ''dhmuva'') is a single-headed drum instrument that is played extensively in the folk music of Uttarakhand in India. It is usually played along with the larger drum, the dhol
Dhol (IPA: ) can refer to any ...
, Turri,
Ransingha
The ransingha or ransinga is a type of primitive trumpet made of copper or copper alloys, used in both India and Nepal. The instrument is made of two metal curves, joined together to form an "S" shape. It may also be reassembled to form a cresce ...
,
Dholki
The ''dholak'' is a two-headed hand drum, a folk percussion instrument. The instrument is about 45 cm in length and 27 cm in breadth and is widely used in ''qawwali'', '' kirtan'', '' lavani'' and '' bhangra''. The drum has two differ ...
, Daur,
Thali
Thali (meaning "plate"), Bhojanam (meaning "full meal") or Chakluk is a round platter used to serve food in South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. Thali is also used to refer to an Indian-style meal made up of a selection of various di ...
,
Bhankora
The bhankora (plural: ''bhankore'') is a type of made of copper that is prominently used in the folk music of Uttarakhand in India, especially in the Garhwal region. The instrument is aerophonic and used in religious Garhwal folk dramas, most not ...
, Mandan and
Mashakbaja. "
Bedu Pako Baro Masa
''Bedu Pako Baro Masa'' (English: ''Figs do ripen round the year'') is a Kumaoni folk song in Kumaoni language which was composed by Mohan Upreti, B. M. Shah and written by Brijendra Lal Shah. This Kumaoni song was composed, written and first ...
" is a popular folk song of Uttarakhand with international fame and legendary status within the state. It serves as the cultural anthem of Uttarakhandi people worldwide. Music is also used as a medium through which the gods are invoked. ''
Jagar
Billy Jagar (1870–1930) was an elder of the Yirrganydji people of north Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, ...
'' is a form of spirit worship in which the singer, or ''Jagariya'', sings a ballad of the gods, with allusions to great epics, like
Mahabharat
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...
and
Ramayana
The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...
, that describe the adventures and exploits of the god being invoked.
B. K. Samant
B K Samant is a folk singer, music director and lyricist from Uttarakhand, known for his viral song ''Thal Ki Bazar'' which is most viewed Kumauni or Garhwali music video on YouTube with over 50 million views.
Personal life
He's born on 26 Ju ...
,
Basanti Bisht
Dr. Basanti Bisht (born, 1953) is a well known folk singer of Uttarakhand, famous for being the first woman singer of the Jagar folk-form of Uttarakhand. The Jagar form of singing is a way of invoking deities, which is traditionally done by men ...
,
Chander Singh Rahi
Chander Singh Rahi (born Chander Singh Negi, 28 March 1942 – 10 January 2016) was a prominent folk singer, balladeer, musician, poet, storyteller, and cultural conservator from Uttarakhand, India.
In recognition of his deep devotion to the m ...
,
Girish Tiwari 'Girda', Gopal Babu Goswami, Heera Singh Rana,
Jeet Singh Negi
Jeet Singh Negi (2 February 1925 – 21 June 2020) was a music composer, singer, lyricist, writer and director from the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, India. He is considered to be the father of modern Garhwali folk music.
Early life
Jeet Sing ...
,
Meena Rana,
Mohan Upreti
Mohan Upreti (1928–1997) was an Indian theatre director, playwright and a music composer, considered one of the pioneers in Indian theatre music.
A popular figure in Kumaon, Mohan Upreti is remembered for his immense contribution towards the ...
,
Narendra Singh Negi and
Pritam Bhartwan
Pritam Bhartwan is a folk singer from Uttarakhand, India. In 2019, he was conferred the Padma Shri honour by the president of India, Ram Nath Kovind, for his contribution to the field of traditional folk art. He also known as jagar Samrat in Utt ...
are popular
folk singers
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has be ...
and musicians from the state, so are
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
singer
Jubin Nautiyal
Jubin Nautiyal (born 14 June 1989) is an Indian playback singer and live performer. In June 2022, he won the IIFA award for “Playback Singer (Male)” for the song “Raataan Lambiyan.” He was awarded Upcoming Male Vocalist of the Year at ...
and
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
singer
Bobby Cash.
Fairs and festivals
![Third Shahi Snan in Hari Ki Pauri](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Third_Shahi_Snan_in_Hari_Ki_Pauri.jpg)
One of the major
Hindu pilgrimages
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
,
Haridwar Kumbh Mela
The Kumbh Mela at Haridwar is a mela held every 12 years at Haridwar, India. The exact date is determined according to Hindu astrology: the Mela is held when Jupiter is in Aquarius and the Sun enters Aries.
The event possesses deep religious si ...
, takes place in Uttarakhand.
Haridwar
Haridwar (; ) is a city and municipal corporation in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India. With a population of 228,832 in 2011, it is the second-largest city in the state and the largest in the district.
The city is situated on the righ ...
is one of the four places in India where this mela is organised. Haridwar most recently hosted the Purna
Kumbh Mela
Kumbh Mela or Kumbha Mela () is a major pilgrimage and festival in Hinduism. It is celebrated in a cycle of approximately 12 years, to celebrate every revolution Brihaspati (Jupiter) completes, at four river-bank pilgrimage sites: Allahabad ( ...
from
Makar Sankranti
Makar(a) Sankranti (), also referred to as Uttarayana, Maghi, or simply Sankranti, is a Hindu observance and a festival. Usually falling on the date of January 14 annually, this occasion marks the transition of the Sun from the zodiac of Sag ...
(14 January 2010) to Vaishakh Purnima Snan (28 April 2010). Hundreds of foreigners joined Indian pilgrims in the festival, which is considered the largest religious gathering in the world.
[, ]The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
, 14 April 2010
Kumauni Holi, in forms including Baithki Holi, Khari Holi, and Mahila Holi, all of which start from
Vasant Panchami
Vasant Panchami, also called Saraswati Puja in honor of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways depending on the region. ...
, are festivals and musical affairs that can last almost a month.
Ganga Dashahara, Vasant Panchami, Makar Sankranti, Ghee Sankranti, Khatarua,
Vat Savitri, and Phul Dei (The festival of spring) are other major festivals. In addition, various fairs like
Kanwar Yatra
The Kānvar (or Kānwar/ Kāvaḍ) Yātrā (Devanagari: कांवड़ यात्रा) is an annual pilgrimage of devotees of Shiva, known as ''Kānvarias''(कावड़िया) or "Bhole" (भोले), to Hindu pilgrimage plac ...
,
Kandali Festival,
Ramman
Hadad ( uga, ), Haddad, Adad ( Akkadian: 𒀭𒅎 '' DIM'', pronounced as ''Adād''), or Iškur ( Sumerian) was the storm and rain god in the Canaanite and ancient Mesopotamian religions.
He was attested in Ebla as "Hadda" in c. 2500 BCE. ...
,
Harela Mela
Harela Mela is a fair that takes place every year from July 16 to July 21 and is usually held on the RamLeela Ground in Bhimtal, Kumaon. The Harela Mela commemorates celebrations surrounding the historic Kumaoni festival of Harela.
Significance ...
,
Kauthig,
Nauchandi Mela, Giddi Mela, Uttarayani Mela and
Nanda Devi Raj Jat
The three-week-long Nanda Devi Raj Jat (नंदा देवी राज जात) is a pilgrimage and festival of Uttarakhand. India. The Raj-Jaat is celebrated in Chamoli Garhwal district, and traditionally only the deities of Garhwal Div ...
take place.
The festivals of
Kumbh Mela
Kumbh Mela or Kumbha Mela () is a major pilgrimage and festival in Hinduism. It is celebrated in a cycle of approximately 12 years, to celebrate every revolution Brihaspati (Jupiter) completes, at four river-bank pilgrimage sites: Allahabad ( ...
at
Haridwar
Haridwar (; ) is a city and municipal corporation in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India. With a population of 228,832 in 2011, it is the second-largest city in the state and the largest in the district.
The city is situated on the righ ...
,
Ramlila
Ramlila (Rāmlīlā) (literally 'Rama's lila or play') is any dramatic folk re-enactment of the life of Rama according to the ancient Hindu epic ''Ramayana'' or secondary literature based on it such as the ''Ramcharitmanas''. It particularly ...
,
Ramman
Hadad ( uga, ), Haddad, Adad ( Akkadian: 𒀭𒅎 '' DIM'', pronounced as ''Adād''), or Iškur ( Sumerian) was the storm and rain god in the Canaanite and ancient Mesopotamian religions.
He was attested in Ebla as "Hadda" in c. 2500 BCE. ...
of
Garhwal Garhwal may refer to the following topics associated with Uttarakhand, India:
Places
*Garhwal Himalaya, a sub-range of the Himalayas
*Garhwal Kingdom, a former kingdom
* Garhwal District (British Garhwal), a former district of British India
*Gar ...
, the traditions of
Vedic chant
The oral tradition of the Vedas (Śruti) consists of several pathas, "recitations" or ways of chanting the Vedic mantras. Such traditions of Vedic chant are often considered the oldest unbroken oral tradition in existence, the fixation of the Vedi ...
ings and
Yoga
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...
are
included in the list of
Intangible cultural heritage
An intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill considered by UNESCO to be part of a place's cultural heritage. Buildings, historic places, monuments, and artifacts are cultural property. Int ...
of the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
.
Economy
![Vannage du riz, Uttarakhand, India](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Vannage_du_riz%2C_Uttarakhand%2C_India.jpg)
The Uttarakhand state is the second fastest growing state in India. Its gross state domestic product (GSDP) (at constant prices) more than doubled from 24,786 crore in FY2005 to 60,898 crore in FY2012. The real GSDP grew at 13.7% (CAGR) during the FY2005–FY2012 period. The contribution of the service sector to the GSDP of Uttarakhand was just over 50% during FY 2012. Per capita income in Uttarakhand is 198738 (FY 2018–19), which is higher than the national average of 126406 (FY 2018–19). According to the
Reserve Bank of India
The Reserve Bank of India, chiefly known as RBI, is India's central bank and regulatory body responsible for regulation of the Indian banking system. It is under the ownership of Ministry of Finance, Government of India. It is responsible for ...
, the total foreign direct investment in the state from April 2000 to October 2009 amounted to US$46.7 million.
Like most of India, agriculture is one of the most significant sectors of the economy of Uttarakhand.
Basmati
Basmati, , is a variety of long, slender-grained aromatic rice which is traditionally grown in India, Pakistan, and Nepal. rice, wheat, soybeans, groundnuts, coarse cereals, pulses, and
oil seeds
Vegetable oils, or vegetable fats, are oils extracted from seeds or from other parts of fruits. Like animal fats, vegetable fats are ''mixtures'' of triglycerides. Soybean oil, grape seed oil, and cocoa butter are examples of seed oils, or fat ...
are the most widely grown crops. Fruits like apples, oranges, pears, peaches, lychees, and plums are widely grown and important to the large food processing industry. Agricultural export zones have been set up in the state for lychees, horticulture, herbs, medicinal plants, and basmati rice. During 2010, wheat production was 831 thousand tonnes and rice production was 610 thousand tonnes, while the main cash crop of the state, sugarcane, had a production of 5058 thousand tonnes. As 86% of the state consists of hills, the yield per hectare is not very high. 86% of all croplands are in the plains while the remaining is from the hills.
The state also holds the GI tag for Tejpatta (
Cinnamomum tamala
''Cinnamomum tamala'', Indian bay leaf'','' also known as tejpat'', ''tejapatta'','' Malabar leaf, Indian bark, Indian cassia, or malabathrum, is a tree in the family Lauraceae that is native to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and China. It c ...
) or Indian bay leaf, which is known to add flavour to dishes and also possesses several medicinal properties.
Other key industries include tourism and hydropower, and there is prospective development in IT, ITES, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and automobile industries. The service sector of Uttarakhand mainly includes tourism, information technology, higher education, and banking.
During 2005–2006, the state successfully developed three Integrated Industrial Estates (IIEs) at
Haridwar
Haridwar (; ) is a city and municipal corporation in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India. With a population of 228,832 in 2011, it is the second-largest city in the state and the largest in the district.
The city is situated on the righ ...
,
Pantnagar
Pantnagar is a town and a university campus in Udham Singh Nagar district, Uttarakhand. Nainital, Kashipur, Rudrapur and Kiccha, Haldwani are the major cities surrounding Pantnagar.
The town is home to the first agricultural university of I ...
, and
Sitarganj
Sitarganj is a city and a municipal board in Udham Singh Nagar district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Now it is home to the Integrated Industrial Estate Sitarganj (IIE) being developed by State Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarak ...
; Pharma City at Selakui; Information Technology Park at Sahastradhara (
Dehradun
Dehradun () is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, with the Uttarakhand Legislative As ...
); and a growth centre at Sigaddi (
Kotdwar
Kotdwar is a city, municipal corporation in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India. It's just 101 km from Pauri town , the district headquarter. It is the eighth-largest city in Uttarakhand. Its old name was "Khohdwar", which means the ga ...
). Also in 2006, 20 industrial sectors in public private partnership mode were developed in the state.
Transport
![Dehradun Airport (Jolly grant Airport) in 2021](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Dehradun_Airport_%28Jolly_grant_Airport%29_in_2021.png)
Uttarakhand has of roads, of which are national highways and are state highways.
The State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC), which has been reorganised in Uttarakhand as the
Uttarakhand Transport Corporation
Uttarakhand Transport Corporation also referred to as UTC or Uttarakhand Roadways, is the state run bus service of Uttarakhand state of India. UTC buses serves routes to towns and cities within Uttarakhand and adjoining states and union territt ...
(UTC), is a major constituent of the transport system in the state. The corporation began to work on 31 October 2003 and provides services on interstate and nationalised routes. As of 2012, approximately 1000 buses are being plied by the UTC on 35 nationalised routes along with many other non-nationalised routes. There are also private transport operators operating approximately 3000 buses on non-nationalised routes along with a few interstate routes in Uttarakhand and the neighbouring state of U.P. For travelling locally, the state, like most of the country, has
auto rickshaw
An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many terms in various countries including auto, auto rickshaw, baby taxi, mototaxi, pigeon, jonnybee, bajaj ...
s and
cycle rickshaw
The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport. It is a type of hatchback tricycle designed to carry passengers on a for-hire basis. It is also known by a variety of other names such as bike taxi, velotaxi, pedicab, bikecab ...
s. In addition, remote towns and villages in the hills are connected to important road junctions and bus routes by a vast network of crowded share jeeps.
The air transport network in the state is gradually improving.
Jolly Grant Airport
Dehradun Airport , also known as Jolly Grant Airport, is a domestic airport serving Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand, India, located 25 km south of the city. Commercial operations began on 30 March 2008, after a runway extension to accommo ...
in Dehradun, is the busiest airport in the state with six daily flights to
Delhi Airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport is the primary international airport serving Delhi, the capital of India, and the National Capital Region (NCR). The airport, spread over an area of , is situated in Palam, Delhi, southwest of the New De ...
.
Pantnagar Airport, located in
Pantnagar
Pantnagar is a town and a university campus in Udham Singh Nagar district, Uttarakhand. Nainital, Kashipur, Rudrapur and Kiccha, Haldwani are the major cities surrounding Pantnagar.
The town is home to the first agricultural university of I ...
of the Kumaon region have 1 daily air service to Delhi and return too
. There government is planning to develop
Naini Saini Airport
Pithoragarh Airport, also known as Naini Saini Airport, is in Pithoragarh, Kumaon, Uttarakhand, India. The airport was constructed in 1991 for administrative use and planned for the operations of Dornier 228 type aircraft. The State Government p ...
in
Pithoragarh
Pithoragarh ( Kumaoni: ''Pithor'garh'') is a Himalayan city with a Municipal Board in Pithoragarh district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the fourth largest city of Kumaon and the largest in Kumaon hills. It is an education hub of t ...
,
Bharkot Airport in
Chinyalisaur in Uttarkashi district and
Gauchar Airport
Gauchar is a Hill Town sort of a valley town located in Karnaprayag tehsil within Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state in India. Gauchar is situated on the left bank of river Alaknanda and is en route to the celebrated holy destination of Badrin ...
in
Gauchar
Gauchar is a Hill Town sort of a valley town located in Karnaprayag tehsil within Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state in India. Gauchar is situated on the left bank of river Alaknanda and is en route to the celebrated holy destination of Badrin ...
, Chamoli district.
There are plans to launch helipad service in Pantnagar and Jolly Grant Airports and other important tourist destinations like
Ghangaria
Ghangaria is a small village on the way to Hemkund Sahib, a popular pilgrimage site for Sikhs which is about 6 km from here and the Valley of Flowers, a national park known for its variety of flowers about 5 km from here. It is locat ...
and Hemkund Sahib.
As over 86% of Uttarakhand's terrain consists of hills, railway services are very limited in the state and are largely confined to the plains. In 2011, the total length of railway tracks was about .
Rail, being the cheapest mode of transport, is most popular. The most important railway station in Kumaun Division of Uttarakhand is at
Kathgodam
Kathgodam is a suburb of Haldwani city in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand state of India. It used to be a part of the twin township of Haldwani-Kathgodam, and is immediately north of Haldwani. It is one of the important collection centres ...
, 35 kilometres away from Nainital. Kathgodam is the last terminus of the broad gauge line of North East Railways that connects Nainital with Delhi, Dehradun, and Howrah. Other notable railway stations are at
Pantnagar
Pantnagar is a town and a university campus in Udham Singh Nagar district, Uttarakhand. Nainital, Kashipur, Rudrapur and Kiccha, Haldwani are the major cities surrounding Pantnagar.
The town is home to the first agricultural university of I ...
,
Lalkuan
Lalkuan is a Nagar Panchayat in the Nainital district of the Indian state of Uttarakhand.
Demographics
In the 2011 India census, Lalkuan had a population of 7,644. Males constituted 55% of the population and females 45%. Lalkuan had an average l ...
and
Haldwani
Haldwani (Kumaoni language, Kumaoni: ''Haldvānī'') is the largest city of Kumaon division, Kumaon. It is also the third List of cities in Uttarakhand by population, most populous city and largest commercial market in the Indian state of Uttarak ...
.
Dehradun railway station
Dehradun Terminal railway station is a railway station in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India, on the Northern line of the Northern Railway network. It is owned by Indian Railways.
It was established in 1899 by the British. Several lines which run t ...
is a railhead of the Northern Railways.
Haridwar station is situated on the Delhi–Dehradun and Howrah–Dehradun railway lines. One of the main railheads of the Northern Railways, Haridwar Junction Railway Station is connected by broad gauge line. Roorkee comes under Northern Railway region of Indian Railways on the main
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
–
Mughal Sarai trunk route and is connected to major Indian cities.
Other railheads are
Rishikesh
Rishikesh, also spelt as Hrishikesh, is a city near Dehradun in Dehradun district of the Indian state Uttarakhand. It is situated on the right bank of the Ganges River and is a pilgrimage town for Hindus, with ancient sages and saints meditati ...
,
Kotdwar
Kotdwar is a city, municipal corporation in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India. It's just 101 km from Pauri town , the district headquarter. It is the eighth-largest city in Uttarakhand. Its old name was "Khohdwar", which means the ga ...
and
Ramnagar Ramnagar may refer to the following places:
Bangladesh
* Ramnagar, Bangladesh, a village in Chittagong Division
* Ramnagar Union, Jessore Sadar
India Jammu and Kashmir
* Ramnagar, Udhampur, a town in Jammu and Kashmir
** Ramnagar Fort Udha ...
linked to Delhi by daily trains.
Tourism
Valley of flowers uttaranchal full view.JPG, Valley of Flowers National Park
Valley of Flowers National Park is an Indian National parks of India, national park which was established in 1982. It is located in Chamoli in the state of Uttarakhand and is known for its meadows of Endemism, endemic alpine flowers and the var ...
Ali bugyal2.jpg, View of a Bugyal
Bugyals are alpine pasture lands, or meadows, in higher elevation range between and of the Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, where they are called "nature’s own gardens". The topography of the terrain is either flat or sloped. Th ...
(meadow) in Uttarakhand
Har Ki Dun.jpg, Har Ki Doon
Har Ki Doon or Har Ki Dun is a cradle-shaped hanging valley in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand, India. The region is surrounded with green Bugyals (High Altitude Meadows). It is surrounded by snow-covered peaks and alpine vegetation. It is ...
, a high-altitude hanging valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...
Rishikesh view across bridge.jpg, Rishikesh
Rishikesh, also spelt as Hrishikesh, is a city near Dehradun in Dehradun district of the Indian state Uttarakhand. It is situated on the right bank of the Ganges River and is a pilgrimage town for Hindus, with ancient sages and saints meditati ...
view and 13 stories Shiva temple across Lakshman Jhula
Lakshman Jhula is a suspension bridge across the river Ganges.
Geography
It is located north-east of the city of Rishikesh in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The bridge connects the villages of Tapovan to Jonk. Tapovan is in Tehri Garhwal ...
bridge over the Ganges
The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...
Kedarnath Temple - OCT 2014.jpg, Kedarnath Temple
Kedarnath Temple (Sanskrit: केदारनाथ मंदिर, IAST: ''Kēdāranātha Mandira'', ) is a Hindu temple roughly 1200 years old dedicated to Shiva. The temple is located on the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini river ...
is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas
A Jyotirlinga () or Jyotirlingam, is a devotional representation of the Hindu god Shiva. The word is a Sanskrit compound of ('radiance') and ('sign'). The Śiva Mahāpurāṇam (also ''Shiva Purana'') mentions 64 original ''jyotirlinga'' s ...
![Schematic Tourist Map of Uttarakhand](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Schematic_Tourist_Map_of_Uttarakhand.jpg)
Uttarakhand has many tourist spots due to its location in the Himalayas. There are many ancient temples, forest reserves, national parks, hill stations, and mountain peaks that draw large number of tourists. There are 44 nationally protected monuments in the state.
Oak Grove School in the state is on the tentative list for World Heritage Sites. Two of the most holy rivers in
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
the
Ganges
The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...
and
Yamuna
The Yamuna (Hindustani language, Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in List of major rivers of India, India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a ...
, originate in Uttarakhand.
Binsar Devta is a popular Hindu temple in the area.
Uttarakhand has long been called "Land of the Gods"
as the state has some of the holiest
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
shrines, and for more than a thousand years, pilgrims have been visiting the region in the hopes of salvation and purification from sin.
Gangotri and
Yamunotri
Yamunotri, also Jamnotri, is the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the Goddess Yamuna in Hinduism. It is situated at an altitude of in the Garhwal Himalayas and located approximately North of Uttarkashi, the headquarters of the Uttark ...
, the sources of the Ganges and Yamuna, dedicated to
Ganga
The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...
and
Yamuna
The Yamuna (Hindustani language, Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in List of major rivers of India, India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a ...
respectively, fall in the upper reaches of the state and together with
Badrinath
Badrinath is a town and nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. A Hindu holy place, it is one of the four sites in India's Char Dham Hindu pilgrimage, pilgrimage and is also part of India's Chota Char Dham pilgr ...
(dedicated to
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
) and
Kedarnath
Kedarnath is a town and Nagar Panchayat in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, India, known primarily for the Kedarnath Temple. It is approximately 86 kilometres from Rudraprayag, the district headquarter. Kedarnath is the most remote of the ...
(dedicated to
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
) form the
Chota Char Dham
The Chota Char Dham (literally translated as 'the small four abodes/seats', meaning 'the small circuit of four abodes/seats'), is an important Hindu pilgrimage circuit in Uttarakhand, in the Indian Himalayas. Located in the Garhwal region ...
, one of Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious pilgrimage circuits. Haridwar, meaning "Gateway to the God", is a prime Hindu destination.
Haridwar
Haridwar (; ) is a city and municipal corporation in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India. With a population of 228,832 in 2011, it is the second-largest city in the state and the largest in the district.
The city is situated on the righ ...
hosts the
Haridwar Kumbh Mela
The Kumbh Mela at Haridwar is a mela held every 12 years at Haridwar, India. The exact date is determined according to Hindu astrology: the Mela is held when Jupiter is in Aquarius and the Sun enters Aries.
The event possesses deep religious si ...
every twelve years, in which millions of pilgrims take part from all parts of India and the world.
Rishikesh
Rishikesh, also spelt as Hrishikesh, is a city near Dehradun in Dehradun district of the Indian state Uttarakhand. It is situated on the right bank of the Ganges River and is a pilgrimage town for Hindus, with ancient sages and saints meditati ...
near Haridwar is known as the preeminent
yoga
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...
centre of India. The state has an abundance of temples and shrines, many dedicated to local deities or manifestations of Shiva and
Durga
Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars.
Durga's legend centres around co ...
, references to many of which can be found in Hindu scriptures and legends. Uttarakhand is, however, a place of pilgrimage for the adherents of other religions too.
Piran Kaliyar Sharif near
Roorkee
Roorkee (Rūṛkī) is a city and a municipal corporation in the Haridwar district of the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is from Haridwar city, the district headquarter. It is spread over a flat terrain under Sivalik Hills of Himalayas. The c ...
is a pilgrimage site to
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
s,
Gurudwara Darbar Sahib, in
Dehradun
Dehradun () is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, with the Uttarakhand Legislative As ...
,
Gurudwara Hemkund Sahib in
Chamoli district
Chamoli district is a district of the Uttarakhand state of India. It is bounded by the Tibet region to the north, and by the Uttarakhand districts of Pithoragarh and Bageshwar to the east, Almora to the south, Pauri Garhwal to the southwest, Ru ...
,
Gurudwara Nanakmatta Sahib in
Nanakmatta
Nanakmatta is a historical town named after the Sikh pilgrimage site, Gurdwara Nanak Mata Sahib, in the state of Uttarakhand in India. Sikh tradition records that the site was once called Gorakhmata, a centre of Siddh-jogis named after the fou ...
and
Gurudwara Reetha Sahib
Gurudwara Reetha Sahib is situated in Champawat district, Uttarakhand, India. It is 16 hours journey away from Chandigarh (581 km) approx. This gurudwara holds a very sacred place in Sikh Religion as Guru Nanak Dev himself had visited this place ...
in
Champawat district
Champawat district is a district of Uttarakhand state in northern India. The town of Champawat is the administrative headquarters. The district of Champawat constituted in the year 1997. The district is divided into five tehsils: Barakot, Lohagh ...
are pilgrimage centres for
Sikh
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
s.
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
has also made its presence with the reconstruction of
Mindrolling Monastery
Mindrolling Monastery (, English: "Sublime Island of Ripening Liberation"), is one of the "Six Mother Monasteries" of the Nyingma school in Tibet. It was founded by Rigzin Terdak Lingpa in 1676. Tendrak Lingpa's lineage is known as the ''Nyo'' ...
and its
Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...
Stupa
A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation.
In Buddhism, circumamb ...
, described as the world's highest at
Clement Town
Clement Town is a cantonment town in Dehradun, Dehradun district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Clement Town is from the clock tower in main city of Dehradun. Saharanpur and Haridwar are respectively. It also borders Rajaji National Park ...
,
Dehradun
Dehradun () is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, with the Uttarakhand Legislative As ...
.
Auli and
Munsiari
Munsiyari ( Kumaoni: ''Munsyār'') is the name of the sub-division headquarters, a conglomeration of revenue villages and it also refers to the entire region as Munsiyari Tehsil and Sub Division in the Pithoragarh District in the hill-state of ...
are well-known skiing resorts in the state.
The state has 12 National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, which cover 13.8 per cent of the total area of the state. They are located at different altitudes varying from 800 to 5400 metres. The oldest national park on the Indian sub-continent,
Jim Corbett National Park
Jim Corbett National Park is a national park in India located in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand state. The first national park in India, it was established in 1936 during the British Raj and named ''Hailey National Park'' after Willia ...
, is a major tourist attraction.
Vasudhara Falls
Vasudhara Falls is a waterfall situated near Badrinath, in Uttarakhand, India.
Geography
Uttarakhand is surrounded by waterfalls. Vasudhara waterfall is set in the background of a 145 m cliff. Nearby mountains are Chaukhamba, Nilkantha and B ...
, near
Badrinath
Badrinath is a town and nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. A Hindu holy place, it is one of the four sites in India's Char Dham Hindu pilgrimage, pilgrimage and is also part of India's Chota Char Dham pilgr ...
is a waterfall with a height of set in a backdrop of snow-clad mountains.
The state has always been a destination for
mountaineering
Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, a ...
,
hiking
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
, and
rock climbing
Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and ...
in India. A recent development in
adventure tourism
Adventure travel is a type of niche tourism, involving exploration or travel with a certain degree of risk (real or perceived), and which may require special skills and physical exertion. In the United States, adventure tourism has grown in r ...
in the region has been whitewater
rafting
Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...
in Rishikesh. Due to its proximity to the Himalaya ranges, the place is full of hills and mountains and is suitable for trekking, climbing, skiing, camping, rock climbing, and paragliding.
Roopkund
Roopkund (locally known as Mystery Lake or Skeleton Lake) is a high altitude glacial lake in the Uttarakhand state of India. It lies in the lap of Trishul massif. Located in the Himalayas, the area around the lake is uninhabited and is roughl ...
is a trekking site, known for the mysterious skeletons found in a lake, which was featured by
National Geographic Channel
National Geographic (formerly National Geographic Channel; abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo or Nat Geo TV) is an American pay television television network, network and flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel owned by the National Geograp ...
in a documentary. The trek to Roopkund passes through the meadows of
Bugyal
Bugyals are alpine pasture lands, or meadows, in higher elevation range between and of the Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, where they are called "nature’s own gardens". The topography of the terrain is either flat or sloped. Th ...
.
New Tehri
New Tehri is a city and a Municipality, municipal board in Tehri Garhwal District in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of Tehri Garhwal District. This urban municipality area ...
city has
Tehri Dam
With a height of 260.5 m (855 ft) Tehri Dam is the tallest dam in India and List of tallest dams, 12th tallest dam in the world. With a total planned installed capacity of 2400 MW, it's the biggest Hydroelectric power plant in India. It is a mult ...
, with a height of 260.5 m (855 ft) is the tallest dam in India. It is currently ranked No 10 on the
List of Tallest Dams
This is a list of the tallest dams in the world over in height. The tallest dam in the world is the Jinping-I Dam, an arch dam in China at . The tallest embankment dam and second tallest dam in the world is the Nurek Dam in Tajikistan. The tal ...
in the world. Tehri Lake with a surface area of 52 km
2, is the biggest lake in the
state of Uttarakhand. It has good options for Adventure Sports and various water sports like Boating, Banana Boat, Bandwagon Boat, Jet Ski, Water Skiing, Para-sailing, Kayaking.
Education
On 30 September 2010 there were 15,331 primary schools with 1,040,139 students and 22,118 working teachers in Uttarakhand. At the 2011 census the literacy rate of the state was 78.82% with 87.4% literacy for males and 70% literacy for females.
The language of instruction in the schools is either English or
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
. There are mainly government-run, private unaided (no government help), and private aided schools in the state. The main school affiliations are
CBSE,
CISCE
The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) is a privately held national-level board of school education in India that conducts the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) Examination for Class X and the India ...
or
UBSE, the state syllabus defined by the Department of Education of the
Government of Uttarakhand
The Government of Uttarakhand also known as the State Government of Uttarakhand, or locally as State Government, is the subnational government of the Indian state of Uttarakhand and its 13 Districts. It consists of an executive branch, led ...
.. Furthermore, there is an
IIT in
Roorkee
Roorkee (Rūṛkī) is a city and a municipal corporation in the Haridwar district of the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is from Haridwar city, the district headquarter. It is spread over a flat terrain under Sivalik Hills of Himalayas. The c ...
,
AIIMS
The All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is a group of autonomous government public medical universities of higher education under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare , Government of India. These institutes ha ...
in
Rishikesh
Rishikesh, also spelt as Hrishikesh, is a city near Dehradun in Dehradun district of the Indian state Uttarakhand. It is situated on the right bank of the Ganges River and is a pilgrimage town for Hindus, with ancient sages and saints meditati ...
and an
IIM
The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are central government-owned-public business schools for management offering undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral and executive programmes along with some additional courses in the field of busin ...
in
Kashipur.
Sports
![Dehradun cricket stadium](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Dehradun_cricket_stadium.jpg)
The high mountains and rivers of Uttarakhand attract many tourists and adventure seekers. It is also a favourite destination for
adventure sports
Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extreme tourism overl ...
, such as
paragliding
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or lies supine in a cocoon-like 'po ...
,
sky diving
Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or parachutes.
For ...
,
rafting
Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...
and
bungee jumping
Bungee jumping (), also spelled bungy jumping, is an activity that involves a person jumping from a great height while connected to a large elastic cord. The launching pad is usually erected on a tall structure such as a building or crane, a ...
.
More recently,
golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...
has also become popular with
Ranikhet
Ranikhet (Kumaoni language, Kumaoni: ) is a hill station and cantonment town, nearby Almora, Almora Town in Almora district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the home for the Military Hospital, Kumaon Regiment (KRC) and Naga Regiment and ...
being a favourite destination.
The
Cricket Association of Uttarakhand is the governing body for
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
activities. The
Uttarakhand cricket team
The Uttarakhand cricket team is a cricket team that represents the state of Uttarakhand in Indian domestic competitions.
Background
In July 2018, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named the team as one of the nine new sides that ...
represents Uttarakhand in
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy (also known as Mastercard Ranji Trophy for sponsorship reasons) is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between multiple teams representing regional and state cricket associations. Board of Control for Cr ...
,
Vijay Hazare Trophy
The Vijay Hazare Trophy, (officially known as Mastercard Vijay Hazare trophy for sponsorship reasons) also known as the Ranji One-Day Trophy, is an annual limited-overs cricket domestic competition involving state teams from the Ranji Trophy pl ...
and
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is a domestic T-20 cricket championship in India, organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), among the teams from the Ranji Trophy. It is named after Indian former test cricketer Syed Mushtaq Al ...
.
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium
The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, also colloquially known as Hyderabad Cricket Stadium is a cricket stadium in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Located in the eastern suburb of Uppal, it has a maximum capacity of 55,000 and extend ...
in
Dehradun
Dehradun () is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, with the Uttarakhand Legislative As ...
is the home ground of Uttarakhand cricket team.
The
Uttarakhand State Football Association
The Uttarakhand State Football Association (USFA) is the governing body of football activities in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and the Uttarakhand football team. It is affiliated with the All India Football Federation. It sends state teams ...
is the governing body for
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
. The
Uttarakhand football team
The Uttarakhand football team is an Indian football team representing Uttarakhand in the Santosh Trophy.
Current squad
The following 22 players were called up for the 2022–23 Santosh Trophy.
Competitive record
...
represents Uttarakhand in the
Santosh Trophy
The Santosh Trophy, officially known as Hero Senior Men's National Football Championship due to sponsorship ties with Hero MotoCorp, is a state-level football competition contested by the state associations and government institutions under ...
and other leagues. The
Indira Gandhi International Sports Stadium
Indira Gandhi International Sports Stadium is located in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, India. It has a capacity of 25,000 people and was inaugurated on 18 December 2016 by Harish Rawat, the then Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. It is spread over an ar ...
in
Haldwani
Haldwani (Kumaoni language, Kumaoni: ''Haldvānī'') is the largest city of Kumaon division, Kumaon. It is also the third List of cities in Uttarakhand by population, most populous city and largest commercial market in the Indian state of Uttarak ...
is the home ground of Uttarakhand football team.
Notable people
*
Ajit Kumar Doval, 5th
National Security Adviser of India
*
Rifleman
A rifleman is an infantry soldier armed with a rifling, rifled long gun. Although the rifleman role had its origin with 16th century hand cannoneers and 17th century musketeers, the term originated in the 18th century with the introduction o ...
Jaswant Singh Rawat
Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat, Maha Vir Chakra, MVC (19 August 1941 – 17 November 1962) was an Indian Army soldier serving in the Garhwal Rifles who was awarded the prestigious Maha Vir Chakra posthumously as a result of his actions during the ...
, recipient of
Maha Vir Chakra
The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) () is the second highest military decoration in India, after the Param Vir Chakra, and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. It replaced the B ...
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General Bipin Chandra Joshi, Chief of Army Staff of Indian Army
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General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Bipin Rawat
General Bipin Rawat (16 March 1958 – 8 December 2021) was an Indian military officer who was a four-star general of the Indian Army. He served as the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Indian Armed Forces from January 2020 u ...
– 1st
Chief of Defence Staff of India
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General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Anil Chauhan
General Anil Chauhan (born 18 May 1961) is a four-star general of the Indian Army, who is the current and 2nd Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Indian Armed Forces since 30 September 2022.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakw ...
– 2nd
Chief of Defence Staff of India
See also
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Outline of Uttarakhand
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Himalayan states
The term Himalayan states is used to group countries that straddle the Himalayas. It primarily denotes Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan; some definitions also include Afghanistan and Myanmar. Two countries—Bhutan and Nepal—are loc ...
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Indian Himalayan Region
The Indian Himalayan Region (abbreviated to IHR) is the section of the Himalayas within the Republic of India, spanning seven Indian states and union territories, namely Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, West ...
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Mountain Temples and Temple Mountains
''Mountain Temples and Temple Mountains: Architecture, Religion, and Nature in the Central Himalayas'' is a 2019 book by art historian Nachiket Chanchani, associate professor at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, that provides a complete historic ...
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References
Further reading
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* Handa, Umachand (2002).
History of Uttaranchal'. Indus Publishing. .
* Husain, Z. (1995). ''Uttarakhand Movement: The Politics of Identity and Frustration, A Psycho-Analytical Study of the Separate State Movement, 1815–1995''. Bareilly: Prakash Book Depot.
* Sharma, D. (1989). ''Tibeto-Himalayan languages of Uttarakhand''. Studies in Tibeto-Himalayan languages, 3. New Delhi, India: Mittal Publications.
* Phonia, Kedar Singh (1987). ''Uttarakhand: The Land of Jungles, Temples and Snows''. New Delhi, India: Lancer Books.
* Mukhopadhyaya, R. (1987). ''Uttarakhand Movement: A Sociological Analysis''. Centre for Himalayan Studies special lecture, 8. Raja Rammohunpur, Distt. Darjeeling: University of North Bengal.
* Thapliyal, Uma Prasad (2005). ''Uttaranchal: Historical and Cultural Perspectives''. B. R. Pub. Corp., .
* Negi, Vijaypal Singh, Jawaharnagar, P.O. Agastyamuni, Distt. Rudraprayag, ''The Great Himalayas'' 1998,
External links
Government
Uttarakhand Government PortalUttarakhand Tourism
General information
Map of Uttarakhandwith places of interest and historical attractions, mountainshepherds.com.
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{{Authority control
Uttarakhand
North India
States and union territories of India
States and territories established in 2000
2000 establishments in India