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Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and numerous Hindu temples and pilgrimage centres found throughout the state. Uttarakhand is known for the natural environment of the Himalayas, the
Bhabar Bhabar or Bhabhar ( Kumaoni: bhābar) is a region south of the Lower Himalayas and the Sivalik Hills in Kumaon, India, containing some of the largest cities of Kumaon, Haldwani and Ramnagar, both in Nainital District. It is the alluvial apron o ...
and the Terai regions. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north; the
Sudurpashchim Province Sudurpashchim Province ( ne, सुदूरपश्चिम प्रदेश, ''Sudurpashchim Province'') (''Far-West Province'') is one of the seven provinces established by the new constitution of Nepal which was adopted on 20 September ...
of Nepal to the east; the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh to the south and Himachal Pradesh to the west and north-west. The state is divided into two divisions,
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 ...
and Kumaon, with a total of 13 districts. The winter capital of Uttarakhand is
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 ...
, the largest city of the state, which is a rail head. Bhararisain, a town in Chamoli district, is the summer capital of Uttarakhand. The High Court of the state is located in Nainital. Archaeological evidence supports the existence of humans in the region since
prehistoric times Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...
. The region formed a part of the Uttarakuru Kingdom during the
Vedic age The Vedic period, or the Vedic age (), is the period in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age of the history of India when the Vedic literature, including the Vedas (ca. 1300–900 BCE), was composed in the northern Indian subcontinent, betw ...
of Ancient India. Among the first major dynasties of Kumaon were the Kunindas in the second century BCE who practiced an early form of Shaivism.
Ashokan edicts The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of more than thirty inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka, as well as boulders and cave walls, attributed to Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire who reigned from 268 BCE to 232 BCE. Ashoka used the expres ...
at Kalsi show the early presence of Buddhism in this region. During the medieval period, the region was consolidated under the Katyuri rulers of Kumaon also known as 'Kurmanchal Kingdom'. After the fall of Katyuris, the region was divided into the Kumaon Kingdom and the Garhwal Kingdom. In 1816, most of modern Uttarakhand was ceded to the British as part of the
Treaty of Sugauli The Treaty of Sugauli (also spelled Sugowlee, Sagauli and Segqulee), the treaty that established the boundary line of Nepal, was signed on 4 March 1816 between the East India Company and Guru Gajaraj Mishra following the Anglo-Nepalese War ...
. Although the erstwhile hill kingdoms of Garhwal and Kumaon were traditional rivals, the proximity of different neighbouring ethnic groups and the inseparable and complementary nature of their geography, economy, culture, language, and traditions created strong bonds between the two regions, which further strengthened during the Uttarakhand movement for statehood in the 1990s. The natives of the state are generally called Uttarakhandi, or more specifically either Garhwali or Kumaoni by their region of origin. According to the
2011 Census of India The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house listing and population enumeration. The House listing phase began on 1 April 2010 and involved the collection of information about all buildings. Information ...
, Uttarakhand has a population of 10,086,292, making it the 20th most populous state in India.


Etymology

Uttarakhand's name is derived from the Sanskrit words ''uttara'' () meaning 'north', and ''khaṇḍa'' () meaning 'land', altogether simply meaning 'Northern Land'. The name finds mention in early Hindu scriptures as the combined region of "Kedarkhand" (present day
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 ...
) and "Manaskhand" (present day Kumaon). Uttarakhand was also the ancient Puranic term for the central stretch of the Indian Himalayas.Kandari, O. P., & Gusain, O. P. (Eds.). (2001). Garhwal Himalaya: Nature, Culture & Society. Srinagar, Garhwal: Transmedia. However, the region was given the name ''Uttaranchal'' by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led
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, c ...
and Uttarakhand state government when they started a new round of state reorganisation in 1998. Chosen for its allegedly less-separatist connotations, the name change generated enormous controversy among many activists for a separate state who saw it as a political act. The name Uttarakhand remained popular in the region, even while Uttaranchal was promulgated through official usage. In August 2006, Union Council of Ministers assented to the demands of the Uttaranchal Legislative Assembly and leading members of the Uttarakhand statehood movement to rename Uttaranchal state as Uttarakhand. Legislation to that effect was passed by the Uttaranchal Legislative Assembly in October 2006, and the Union Council of Ministers brought in the bill in the winter session of Parliament. The bill was passed by Parliament and signed into law by then President
A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (; 15 October 193127 July 2015) was an Indian aerospace scientist and statesman who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. He was born and raised in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu and studied phy ...
in December 2006, and since 1 January 2007 the state has been known as Uttarakhand.


History

Ancient rock paintings, rock shelters,
paleolithic age The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tool ...
stone tools (hundreds of thousands of years old), and megaliths provide evidence that the mountains of the region have been inhabited since prehistoric times. There are also archaeological remains that show the existence of early Vedic (c. 1500 BCE) practices in the area. The
Pauravas The Pauravas were an ancient dynasty on the Indus (present-day India and Pakistan) to which King Porus may have belonged. Porus and the Pauravas The origins of the Pauravas are still disputed. The Pauravas may be related to the Puru tribe, due ...
, Khasas, Kiratas, Nandas, Mauryas, Kushanas,
Kunindas The Kingdom of Kuninda (or Kulinda in ancient literature) was an ancient central Himalayan kingdom documented from around the 2nd century BCE to the 3rd century, located in the southern areas of modern Himachal Pradesh and far western areas of U ...
,
Guptas The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gol ...
, Karkotas,
Palas A ''palas'' () is a German term for the imposing or prestigious building of a medieval ''Pfalz'' or castle that contained the great hall. Such buildings appeared during the Romanesque period (11th to 13th century) and, according to Thompson, ...
,
Gurjara-Pratiharas The Gurjara-Pratihara was a dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the mid-8th to the 11th century. They ruled first at Ujjain and later at Kannauj. The Gurjara-Pratiharas were instrumental in containing Arab armies moving east of the ...
, Katyuris,
Raikas The Rabari people (also known as Desai, Rabari, Raika, and Dewasi people) are an ethnic group from the Rajasthan also found in Gujarat Kutch region. Origin Myth The Rabari myth of origin is kshatriya that Shiva put them on earth to tend to the ...
, Chands, Parmars or Panwars, Mallas,
Shahs Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...
and the British have ruled Uttarakhand in turns. Among the first major dynasties of Garhwal and Kumaon were the Kunindas in the second century BCE who practised an early form of Shaivism and traded salt with Western Tibet. It is evident from the Ashokan edict at Kalsi in Western Garhwal that Buddhism made inroads in this region. Shamanic Hindu practices deviating from Hindu orthodoxy also persisted here. However, Garhwal and Kumaon were restored to nominal Vedic Hindu rule due to the travels of Shankaracharya and the arrival of migrants from the plains. Between the 4th and 14th centuries, the Katyuri dynasty dominated lands of varying extent from the Katyur valley (modern-day Baijnath) in Kumaon. The historically significant temples at
Jageshwar Jageshwar Temples, also referred to as Jageswar Temples or Jageshwar Valley Temples, are a group of 125 ancient Hindu temples dated between 7th and 14th century, near Almora in Almora district of the Himalayan Indian state of Uttarakhand. The val ...
are believed to have been built by the Katyuris and later remodelled by the Chands. Other peoples of the Tibeto-Burman group known as Kirata are thought to have settled in the northern highlands as well as in pockets throughout the region, and are believed to be ancestors of the modern day Bhotiya, Raji, Jad, and Banrawat people. By the medieval period, the region was consolidated under the Garhwal Kingdom in the west and the Kumaon Kingdom in the east. During this period, learning and new forms of painting (the Pahari school of art) developed. Modern-day Garhwal was likewise unified under the rule of Parmars who, along with many Brahmins and Rajputs, also arrived from the plains. In 1791, the expanding Gorkha Empire of Nepal overran Almora, the seat of the Kumaon Kingdom. It was annexed to the Kingdom of Nepal by Amar Singh Thapa. In 1803, the Garhwal Kingdom also fell to the Gurkhas. After the Anglo-Nepalese War, this region was ceded to the British as part of the
Treaty of Sugauli The Treaty of Sugauli (also spelled Sugowlee, Sagauli and Segqulee), the treaty that established the boundary line of Nepal, was signed on 4 March 1816 between the East India Company and Guru Gajaraj Mishra following the Anglo-Nepalese War ...
and the erstwhile Kumaon Kingdom along with the eastern region of Garhwal Kingdom was merged with the Ceded and Conquered Provinces. In 1816, the Garhwal Kingdom was re-established from a smaller region in Tehri as a
princely state A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, ...
. In the southern part of Uttarakhand in Haridwar District (earlier part of saharanpur till 1988), the dominance and kingship (rajya) was exercises by Gujar chiefs, the area was under control of Parmar (Panwar or Khubars) Gujars in eastern Saharanpur including Haridwar in kingship of Raja Sabha Chandra of Jabarhera (Jhabrera). Gujars of the Khubar (Panwar) gotra held more than 500 villages there in upper Doab, and that situation was confirmed in 1759 in a grant by a Rohilla governor of 505 villages and 31 hamlets to one Manohar Singh Gujar (written in some records as Raja Nahar Singh son of Sabha Chandra). In 1792 Ram Dayal and his son Sawai Singh were ruling the area but due to some family reasons Ramdayal left Jhabrera and went to Landhaura village, now some villages were under control of Raja Ramdayal singh at Landhaura and some under his son Sawai Singh at Jhabrera. Hence, there were two branches of Jabarhera estate (riyasat) main branch at Jabarhera and second one at Landhaura, both father and son were ruling simultaneously without any conflicts till death of Raja Sawai Singh of Jabarhera in 1803. After death of Sawai Singh total control of powers transferred to Ram Dayal Singh at Landhaura, but some villages were given to descendants of Sawai Singh and her widow to collect revenue. By 1803 the Landhaura villages numbered 794 under Raja Ram Dayal Singh. Raja Ram Dayal Singh died on 29 March 1813. These holdings, at least those in the original grant made by the Rohilla governor, were initially recognized by the British in land settlements concluded with Ram Dayal and his heirs. As the years passed, more and more settlements appear to have been made with the village communities, however, and by 1850 little remained of the once vast estate of the Landhaura Khübars. After India attained independence from the British, the Garhwal Kingdom was merged into the state of Uttar Pradesh, where Uttarakhand composed the Garhwal and Kumaon Divisions. Until 1998, Uttarakhand was the name most commonly used to refer to the region, as various political groups, including the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Uttarakhand Revolutionary Party), began agitating for separate statehood under its banner. Although the erstwhile hill kingdoms of Garhwal and Kumaon were traditional rivals the inseparable and complementary nature of their geography, economy, culture, language, and traditions created strong bonds between the two regions. These bonds formed the basis of the new political identity of Uttarakhand, which gained significant momentum in 1994, when demand for separate statehood achieved almost unanimous acceptance among both the local populace and national political parties. The most notable incident during this period was the
Rampur Tiraha firing case The Rampur Tiraha firing case refers to police firing on unarmed Uttarakhand statehood activists at Rampur Tiraha (crossing) in Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh in India on the night of 2 October 1994. The activists, part of the agitation ...
on the night of 1 October 1994, which led to a public uproar. On 24 September 1998, the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly and Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council passed the Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, which began the process of forming a new state. Two years later the Parliament of India passed the Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000 and thus, on 9 November 2000, Uttarakhand became the 27th state of the
Republic of India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. Uttarakhand is also well known for the mass agitation of the 1970s that led to the formation of the Chipko environmental movement and other social movements. Though primarily a livelihood movement rather than a forest conservation movement, it went on to become a rallying point for many future environmentalists, environmental protests, and movements the world over and created a precedent for non-violent protest. It stirred up the existing civil society in India, which began to address the issues of tribal and marginalised people. So much so that, a quarter of a century later, '' India Today'' mentioned the people behind the "forest satyagraha" of the Chipko movement as among "100 people who shaped India". One of Chipko's most salient features was the mass participation of female villagers. It was largely female activists that played pivotal role in the movement.
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 ...
was the leading activist who started this movement, other participants were Chandi Prasad Bhatt,
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 Ghanshyam Raturi, the popular Chipko poet.


Geography

Uttarakhand has a total area of , of which 86% is mountainous and 65% is covered by forest. Most of the northern part of the state is covered by high Himalayan peaks and glaciers. In the first half of the nineteenth century, the expanding development of Indian roads, railways and other physical infrastructure was giving rise to concerns over indiscriminate logging, particularly in the Himalaya. Two of the most important rivers in Hinduism originate in the glaciers of Uttarakhand, the Ganges at
Gangotri Gangotri is a town and a ''Nagar Panchayat'' (municipality) in Uttarkashi district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is 99 km from Uttarkashi, the main district headquarter. It is a Hindu pilgrim town on the banks of the river Bhagirathi ...
and the Yamuna at
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 ...
. They are fed by myriad lakes, glacial melts and streams. These two along with Badrinath and Kedarnath form the Chota Char Dham, a holy pilgrimage for the Hindus. The state hosts the Bengal tiger in Jim Corbett National Park, the oldest national park of the Indian subcontinent. The Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the upper expanses of Bhyundar Ganga near Joshimath in Gharwal region, is known for the variety and rarity of its flowers and plants. One who raised this was Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, who visited the region. As a consequence,
Lord Dalhousie James Andrew Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie (22 April 1812 – 19 December 1860), also known as Lord Dalhousie, styled Lord Ramsay until 1838 and known as The Earl of Dalhousie between 1838 and 1849, was a Scottish statesman and co ...
issued the Indian Forest Charter in 1855, reversing the previous laissez-faire policy. The following Indian Forest Act of 1878 put Indian forestry on a solid scientific basis. A direct consequence was the founding of the Imperial Forest School at
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 ...
by
Dietrich Brandis Sir Dietrich Brandis (31 March 1824 – 28 May 1907) was a German-British botanist and forestry academic and administrator, who worked with the British Imperial Forestry Service in colonial India for nearly 30 years. He joined the British civil ...
in 1878. Renamed the 'Imperial Forest Research Institute' in 1906, it is now known as the Forest Research Institute. The model "Forest Circles" around Dehradun, used for training, demonstration and scientific measurements, had a lasting positive influence on the forests and ecology of the region. The Himalayan ecosystem provides habitat for many animals (including bharal, snow leopards,
leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus '' Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, a ...
s and tigers), plants, and rare herbs. Uttarakhand lies on the southern slope of the Himalaya range, and the climate and vegetation vary greatly with elevation, from glaciers at the highest elevations to
subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...
forests at the lower elevations. The highest elevations are covered by ice and bare rock. Below them, between are the
western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows The Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows is a montane grasslands and shrublands ecoregion of Nepal, India, and Tibet, which lies between the tree line and snow line in the western portion of the Himalaya Range. Setting The Western Himalayan ...
. The temperate
western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests The Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests is a temperate coniferous forests ecoregion of the middle and upper elevations of the western Middle Himalayas of Nepal, India, and Pakistan. Setting The ecoregion forms a belt of coniferous forest ...
grow just below the tree line. At elevation they transition to the temperate
western Himalayan broadleaf forests The Western Himalayan broadleaf forests is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forest ecoregion which is found in the middle elevations of the western Himalayas, including parts of Nepal, India, and Pakistan. Setting The ecoregion forms an area of te ...
, which lie in a belt from elevation. Below elevation lie the Himalayan subtropical pine forests. The Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests and the drier Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands cover the lowlands along the Uttar Pradesh border in a belt locally known as
Bhabar Bhabar or Bhabhar ( Kumaoni: bhābar) is a region south of the Lower Himalayas and the Sivalik Hills in Kumaon, India, containing some of the largest cities of Kumaon, Haldwani and Ramnagar, both in Nainital District. It is the alluvial apron o ...
. These lowland forests have mostly been cleared for agriculture, but a few pockets remain. In June 2013 several days of extremely heavy rain caused devastating floods in the region, resulting in more than 5000 people missing and presumed dead. The flooding was referred to in the Indian media as a "Himalayan Tsunami". On 7 February 2021, floods emerged from the Nanda Devi mountain glaciers, devastating locations along the Rishi Ganga,
Dhauli Ganga The Dhauliganga is a turbulent Himalayan river which rises in the border regions of India and China and flows south into the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, India. It joins the Alaknanda, the major source stream of the Ganges river. Cours ...
and Alaknanda Rivers, resulting in many people reported missing or killed, yet to be numbered. The damages include Rini village, several river dams and the Tapovan Vishnugad Hydropower Plant.


Flora and fauna

Moschus chrysogaster.jpg,
Alpine Musk Deer The Alpine musk deer (''Moschus chrysogaster'') is a musk deer species native to the eastern Himalayas in Nepal, Bhutan and India to the highlands of Tibet. The Alpine musk deer recorded in the Himalayan foothills is now considered a separate s ...
(''Moschus chrysogaster'') Golden mahseer (Tor putitora) Babai River.jpg, Golden Mahseer (''Tor putitora'') Himalayan Monal, Male (28466143101).jpg, Himalayan Monal (''Lophophorus impejanus'') Davidraju Common peacock-shillong.jpg, West Himalayan Common Peacock (''Papilio bianor polyctor'')
Uttarakhand has a diversity of flora and fauna. It has a recorded forest area of , which constitutes 65% of the total area of the state. Uttarakhand is home to rare species of plants and animals, many of which are protected by sanctuaries and reserves. National parks in Uttarakhand include the Jim Corbett National Park (the oldest national park of India) in Nainital and Pauri Garhwal District, and Valley of Flowers National Park & Nanda Devi National Park in Chamoli District, which together are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A number of plant species in the valley are internationally threatened, including several that have not been recorded from elsewhere in Uttarakhand. Rajaji National Park in Haridwar,
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 Pauri Garhwal District and
Govind Pashu Vihar National Park ''Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary'' is a national park in Supin Range, near Uttarkashi town of Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand, India established initially as a wildlife sanctuary in 1955, and was later converted int ...
& Gangotri National Park in Uttarkashi District are some other protected areas in the state. Leopards are found in areas that are abundant in hills but may also venture into the lowland jungles. Smaller felines include the jungle cat, fishing cat, and leopard cat. Other mammals include four kinds of deer ( barking, sambar, hog and chital), sloth, Brown and Himalayan black bears,
Indian grey mongoose The Indian grey mongoose (''Urva edwardsii'') is a mongoose species native to the Indian subcontinent and West Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The grey mongoose inhabits open forests, scrublands and cultivated field ...
s,
otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes wea ...
s, yellow-throated martens, bharal, Indian pangolins, and langur and rhesus monkeys. In the summer,
elephants Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae and ...
can be seen in
herd A herd is a social group of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic. The form of collective animal behavior associated with this is called ''herding''. These animals are known as gregarious animals. The term ''herd'' is ...
s of several hundred.
Marsh crocodile The mugger crocodile (''Crocodylus palustris'') is a medium-sized broad-snouted crocodile, also known as mugger and marsh crocodile. It is native to freshwater habitats from southern Iran to the Indian subcontinent, where it inhabits marshes, l ...
s (''Crocodylus palustris''),
gharial The gharial (''Gavialis gangeticus''), also known as gavial or fish-eating crocodile, is a crocodilian in the family Gavialidae and among the longest of all living crocodilians. Mature females are long, and males . Adult males have a distinct b ...
s (''Gavialis gangeticus'') and other reptiles are also found in the region. Local crocodiles were saved from extinction by captive breeding programs and subsequently re-released into the
Ramganga Ramganga is a tributary of the river Ganges, originating in Uttarakhand state, India. Ramganga West Ramganga West River originates from Dudhatoli or Doodhatoli ranges Course The Ramganga River originates in the southern slopes of Dudhato ...
river. Several freshwater terrapins and turtles like the Indian sawback turtle (''Kachuga tecta''),
brahminy river turtle The brahminy river turtle or crowned river turtle (''Hardella thurjii'') is a species of turtle in the Family (biology), family Geoemydidae. The species is Endemism, endemic to South Asia. Taxonomy The genus ''Hardella'', to which the species '' ...
(''Hardella thurjii''), and
Ganges softshell turtle The Indian softshell turtle (''Nilssonia gangetica''), or Ganges softshell turtle is a species of softshell turtle found in South Asia in rivers such as the Ganges, Indus and Mahanadi. This vulnerable turtle reaches a carapace length of up to . ...
(''Trionyx gangeticus'') are found in the rivers. Butterflies and birds of the region include
red helen ''Papilio helenus'', the red Helen, is a large swallowtail butterfly found in forests of southern India and parts of southeast Asia. Range ''Papilio helenus'' is rarely found in Sri Lanka, southern and north-east India, Nepal, Bhutan, Banglad ...
(''Papilio helenus''), the
great eggfly ''Hypolimnas bolina'', the great eggfly, common eggfly, varied eggfly or in New Zealand the blue moon butterfly is a species of nymphalid butterfly found from Madagascar to Asia and Australia. Appearance Race ''bolina'' ''H. bolina'' is a blac ...
(''Hypolimnos bolina''), common tiger (''Danaus genutia''), pale wanderer (''Pareronia avatar''), jungle babbler, tawny-bellied babbler,
great slaty woodpecker The great slaty woodpecker (''Mulleripicus pulverulentus'') is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is found across the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. A unique and basically unmistakable bird, it is the largest species of woodpeck ...
,
red-breasted parakeet The red-breasted parakeet (''Psittacula alexandri'') is among the more widespread species of the genus and is the species which has the most geographical variations. It is easily identified by the large red patch on its breast. An alternative nam ...
,
orange-breasted green pigeon The orange-breasted green pigeon (''Treron bicinctus'') is a pigeon found across tropical Asia south of the Himalaya across parts of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Like other green pigeons, it feeds mainly on small fruit. They may be ...
and
chestnut-winged cuckoo The chestnut-winged cuckoo or red-winged crested cuckoo (''Clamator coromandus'') is a cuckoo found in Southeast Asia and parts of South Asia. It has dark glossy upperparts, a black head with long crest chestnut wings, a long graduated glossy bla ...
. In 2011, a rare migratory bird, the
bean goose The bean goose (''Anser fabalis'' or ''Anser serrirostris'') is a goose that breeds in northern Europe and Eurosiberia. It has two distinct varieties, one inhabiting taiga habitats and one inhabiting tundra. These are recognised as separate spe ...
, was also seen in the Jim Corbett National Park. A critically endangered bird, last seen in 1876 is the Himalayan quail endemic to the western Himalayas of the state.
Evergreen oaks Live oak or evergreen oak is any of a number of oaks in several different sections of the genus ''Quercus'' that share the characteristic of evergreen foliage. These oaks are not more closely related to each other than they are to other oaks. ...
, rhododendrons, and
conifers Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All extan ...
predominate in the hills. ''
sal Sal, SAL, or S.A.L. may refer to: Personal name * Sal (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname Places * Sal, Cape Verde, an island and municipality * Sal, Iran, a village in East Azerbaijan Province * Ca ...
'' (''Shorea robusta''),
silk cotton tree Silk-cotton tree is a common name for several plants and may refer to: *''Bombax ceiba'', native to the Asian tropics *''Ceiba pentandra'', native to the American tropics and west Africa *''Cochlospermum religiosum ''Cochlospermum religiosum'' i ...
(''Bombax ciliata''), '' Dalbergia sissoo'', ''
Mallotus philippensis ''Mallotus philippensis'' is a plant in the spurge family. It is known as the kamala tree or red kamala or kumkum tree, due to the fruit covering, which produces a red dye. However, it must be distinguished from kamala meaning "lotus" in many In ...
'', ''
Acacia catechu ''Senegalia catechu'' is a deciduous, thorny tree which grows up to in height. The plant is called ''khair''
in H ...
'', '' Bauhinia racemosa'', and ''
Bauhinia variegata ''Bauhinia variegata'' is a species of flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is native to an area from China through Southeast Asia to the Indian subcontinent. Common names include orchid tree (though not belonging to the family O ...
'' (camel's foot tree) are some other trees of the region. ''
Albizia chinensis ''Albizia chinensis'' is a species of legume in the genus ''Albizia'', native to south and Southeast asia, from India to China and Indonesia. The genus is named after the Italian nobleman Filippo degli Albizzi, belonging to the famous Florenti ...
'', the sweet sticky flowers of which are favoured by sloth bears, are also part of the region's flora. A decade long study by Prof.
Chandra Prakash Kala Chandra Prakash Kala is an Indian ecologist and professor. His research interests include alpine ecology, conservation biology, indigenous knowledge systems, ethnobotany and medicinal aromatic plants. He is an assistant professor in the facul ...
concluded that the Valley of Flowers is endowed with 520 species of higher plants (''
angiosperm Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s'', '' gymnosperms'' and ''
pteridophyte A pteridophyte is a vascular plant (with xylem and phloem) that disperses spores. Because pteridophytes produce neither flowers nor seeds, they are sometimes referred to as "cryptogams", meaning that their means of reproduction is hidden. Ferns, ...
s''), of these 498 are flowering plants. The park has many species of medicinal plants including '' Dactylorhiza hatagirea'', ''
Picrorhiza kurroa ''Picrorhiza kurroa'' is one of the major income generating non-timber forest products found in the Nepalese Himalayas. It is one of the oldest medicinal plants traded from the Karnali zone. Known as kutki or कुटकी in Nepali, it is a pe ...
'', ''
Aconitum violaceum ''Aconitum violaceum'' is a species of perennial plant distributed in the Himalayan region of India, Pakistan, and Nepal. Within India, it has been recorded in the alpine slopes in an altitude range of . The plant is used in traditional Tibetan m ...
'', ''
Polygonatum multiflorum ''Polygonatum multiflorum'', the Solomon's seal, David's harp, ladder-to-heaven or Eurasian Solomon's seal, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Europe and temperate Asia. In Britain it is one of three native spec ...
'', ''
Fritillaria roylei ''Fritillaria cirrhosa'', common name yellow Himalayan fritillary, is an Asian species of herbaceous plant in the lily family, native to China ( Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan), the Indian Subcontinent (Nepal, Pakistan, India, Bhutan), ...
'', and ''
Podophyllum hexandrum ''Sinopodophyllum'' is an herbaceous perennial plant in the family Berberidaceae, described as a genus in 1979. It includes only one known species, ''Sinopodophyllum hexandrum'', native to Afghanistan, Bhutan, northern India, Kashmir, Nepal, P ...
''. In the summer season of 2016, a large portion of forests in Uttarakhand caught fires and rubbled to ashes during Uttarakhand forest fires incident, which resulted in the damage of forest resources worth billions of rupees and death of 7 people with hundreds of wild animals died during fires. During the
2021 Uttarakhand forest fires 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...
, there was widespread damage to the forested areas in Tehri district. A number of native plants are deemed to be of medicinal value. The government-run
Herbal Research and Development Institute Herbal Research and Development Institute (also HRDI) in Gopeshwar, Uttarakhand, is a government-run research institute founded in 1989 that conserves and studies medicinal herbs found in abundance in the upper regions of Uttarakhand. 18,000 plant ...
carries out research and helps conserve medicinal herbs that are found in abundance in the region. Local traditional healers still use herbs, in accordance with classical
Ayurvedic Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population rep ...
texts, for diseases that are usually cured by modern medicine. Brahmakamal Kaluvinayak Chamoli Uttarakhand 2014-08-23.jpg,
Brahma Kamal ''Saussurea obvallata'' is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae. It is native to the Alpine meadows of the Himalayas, in India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and southwest China at altitudes of 3,700 to 4,600 m. Description ''Saussurea obval ...
(''Saussurea obvallata'') Rhododendron in full bloom! (8620051426).jpg,
Burans ''Rhododendron arboreum'', the tree rhododendron, is an evergreen shrub or small tree with a showy display of bright red flowers. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Thailand. It is the national flower ...
(''Rhododendron arboreum'') Kafal(blackberry) 2014-06-04 08-48.jpg,
Kaphal ''Myrica esculenta'' is a tree or large shrub native to the hills of northern India, southern Bhutan and Nepal. Its common names include box myrtle, bayberry and kaphal. Its berries are edible and are consumed locally. It is the state fruit ...
(''Myrica esculenta'') Brännässla (Urtica Dioica).jpg, Kandali (''Urtica dioica'')


Demographics

The native people of Uttarakhand are generally called
Uttarakhandi Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
and sometimes specifically either
Garhwali Garhwali may refer to: * Garhwali people, an ethno-linguistic group who live in northern India * Garhwali language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by Garhwali people * anything from or related to: ** Garhwal division, a region in state of Uttarakh ...
or Kumaoni depending on their place of origin in either the
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 ...
or Kumaon region. According to the
2011 Census of India The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house listing and population enumeration. The House listing phase began on 1 April 2010 and involved the collection of information about all buildings. Information ...
, Uttarakhand has a population of 10,086,292 comprising 5,137,773 males and 4,948,519 females, with 69.77% of the population living in rural areas. The state is the 20th most populous state of the country having 0.83% of the population on 1.63% of the land. The population density of the state is 189 people per square kilometre having a 2001–2011 decadal growth rate of 18.81%. The gender ratio is 963 females per 1000 males. The crude birth rate in the state is 18.6 with the total fertility rate being 2.3. The state has an
infant mortality rate Infant mortality is the death of young children under the age of 1. This death toll is measured by the infant mortality rate (IMR), which is the probability of deaths of children under one year of age per 1000 live births. The under-five morta ...
of 43, a maternal mortality rate of 188 and a
crude death rate Mortality rate, or death rate, is a measure of the number of deaths (in general, or due to a specific cause) in a particular population, scaled to the size of that population, per unit of time. Mortality rate is typically expressed in units of de ...
of 6.6.


Ethnic groups

Uttarakhand has a multiethnic population spread across two geocultural regions: the Garhwal, and the Kumaon. A large portion of the population is Kshatriya (various clans of erstwhile landowning rulers and their descendants), including members of the native
Garhwali Garhwali may refer to: * Garhwali people, an ethno-linguistic group who live in northern India * Garhwali language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by Garhwali people * anything from or related to: ** Garhwal division, a region in state of Uttarakh ...
, and Kumaoni as well as a number of migrants. According to a 2007 study by Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Uttarakhand has the highest percentage of Brahmins of any state in India, with approximately 25-28% of the population being Brahmin. 18.3% of the population is classified as Other Backward Classes (OBCs). 18.76% of the population belongs to the Scheduled Castes (an official term for the lower castes in the traditional
caste system in India The caste system in India is the paradigmatic ethnographic example of classification of castes. It has its origins in Outline of ancient India, ancient India, and was transformed by various ruling elites in medieval, early-modern, and modern ...
).
Scheduled Tribes The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...
such as the
Jaunsari Jaunsari may refer to: * Jaunsari people, an ethnic group of northern India * Jaunsari language Jaunsari () is a Western Pahari language of northern India spoken by the Jaunsari people in the Chakrata and Kalsi blocks of Dehradun district in t ...
, Bhotiya, Tharu, Buksa, Raji, Jad and Banrawat constitute 2.89% of the population.


Languages

The official language of Uttarakhand is Hindi, which is spoken natively by % of the population (primarily concentrated in the south), Figures for Jaunsari also include speakers of Jaunpuri. and also used throughout the state as a lingua franca. Additionally, the classical language Sanskrit has been declared a second official language, although it has no native speakers and its use is constrained to educational and religious settings. The other major regional languages of Uttarakhand are
Garhwali Garhwali may refer to: * Garhwali people, an ethno-linguistic group who live in northern India * Garhwali language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by Garhwali people * anything from or related to: ** Garhwal division, a region in state of Uttarakh ...
, which is spoken by % of the population mostly in the western half of the state, Kumaoni, spoken in the eastern half and native to %, and
Jaunsari Jaunsari may refer to: * Jaunsari people, an ethnic group of northern India * Jaunsari language Jaunsari () is a Western Pahari language of northern India spoken by the Jaunsari people in the Chakrata and Kalsi blocks of Dehradun district in t ...
, whose speakers are concentrated in Dehradun district in the southwest and make up % of the state's population. These three languages are closely related, with Garhwali and Kumaoni in particular making up the
Central Pahari The Northern Indo-Aryan languages, also known as Pahāṛi languages, are a proposed group of Indo-Aryan languages spoken in the lower ranges of the Himalayas, from Nepal in the east, through the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakha ...
language subgroup. There are also sizeable populations of speakers of some of India's other major languages: Urdu (%) and
Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...
(%), 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
, Oxford U ...
(%), both mainly present in Udham Singh Nagar district in the south-east, and
Nepali Nepali or Nepalese may refer to : Concerning Nepal * Anything of, from, or related to Nepal * Nepali people, citizens of Nepal * Nepali language, an Indo-Aryan language found in Nepal, the current official national language and a language spoken ...
(%, 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 (found in Uttarkashi in the north-west), and Doteli, Uttarakhand is also home to a number of indigenous Sino-Tibetan 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 Chaudangsi is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Geographical distribution Chaudangsi is spoken on the western banks of the Kali River, facing the Nepal border along Mahakali valley. This area is located in Dharc ...
,
Darmiya Darmiya or Darma is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in the Darma Valley, Dharchula Tehsil, Pithoragarh District of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is one of the fifteen tribes, as stated in ''The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Uttar Prades ...
, 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 Kulung may refer to: * Kulung people, an ethnic group of Nepal * Kulung language (Nepal), a Sino-Tibetan language of Nepal * Kulung language (Chad), a Chadic language of Chad * Kulung language (West Chadic), a Chadic language of Nigeria * Kulung l ...
(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. Muslims,
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, Buddhists, and Jains 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, Uttarakhand, like all Indian states, has a parliamentary system of representative democracy for its government. The Governor is the constitutional and formal head of the government and is appointed for a five-year term by the President of India 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, c ...
. 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. The Chief Minister, 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 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 Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly consists of 70 members, known as Members of the Legislative Assembly or MLAs, and special office bearers such as the Speaker 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 panchayats in rural areas, municipalities in urban areas and municipal corporations in metro areas. All state and local government offices have a five-year term. The state also elects 5 members to Lok Sabha and 3 seats to Rajya Sabha of the Parliament of India. The judiciary consists of the Uttarakhand High Court, located at Nainital, and a system of
lower courts A lower court or inferior court is a court from which an appeal may be taken, usually referring to courts other than supreme court. In relation to an appeal from one court to another, the lower court is the court whose decision is being reviewed ...
. The incumbent Acting
Chief Justice of Uttarakhand The Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court is the highest presiding judicial officer in the state of Uttarakhand and the custodian of the Uttarakhand High Court. He is appointed by the President of India with the advice of Chief Justice ...
is
Sanjaya Kumar Mishra Sanjaya Kumar Mishra (born 29 December 1961) is an Indian Judge. Presently, he is Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court. He was a Judge of Uttarakhand High Court. He has previously served as Acting Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court and J ...
. Politics in Uttarakhand is dominated by the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. 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 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, 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 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

There are 13 districts in Uttarakhand, which are grouped into two divisions, Kumaon 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, Kotdwar, Ranikhet, 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. The districts are further divided into sub-divisions, which are administered by sub-divisional magistrates; sub-divisions comprise tehsils which are administered by a tehsildar 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 are categorised into three types of municipalities based on their population; municipal corporations, each administered by a municipal commissioner, municipal councils and, nagar panchayats (town councils), each of them administered by a chief executive officer. Rural areas comprise the three tier administration; district councils, block panchayats (block councils) and gram panchayats (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 at Hanol is notable for its traditional wooden architecture. Architectural details of a Dharamshala, estb. 1822, Haridwar.jpg, Architectural details of a Dharamshala, 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 art, Indian painter, who originated the Garhwal division, Garhwal branch of the Kangra painting, Kangra school of painting., pp.75–76 He was also a poe ...
. 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, 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 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 art, Indian painter, who originated the Garhwal division, Garhwal branch of the Kangra painting, Kangra school of painting., pp.75–76 He was also a poe ...
started the Garhwal Branch of the Kangra school of painting. Guler State 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 meta ...
,
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, and rugs. The latter are mainly produced by the Bhotiyas of northern Uttarakhand.


Arts and literature

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 ballads and chanted by itinerant singers and are now considered classics of Hindi literature.
Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna (15 June 1927 – 2004) was a Hindi and Garhwali writer and poet. He is known for his poems, epics, plays, folk-literature, and essays. Biography Bahuguna was born in Jhala village, Chalaansyun, Pauri, Garhwal in what is p ...
,
Badri Datt Pandey Pandit Badri Datt Pande (15 February 1882 – 13 January 1965) was an Indian historian, freedom fighter, Social Reformer and subsequently, a Member of Parliament from Almora in independent India. Along with Govind Ballabh Pant, he was one of th ...
,
Ganga Prasad Vimal Ganga Prasad Vimal (also Gangaprasad Vimal, गंगा प्रसाद विमल) (June 3, 1939 – December 23, 2019) was an Indian writer. He was a poet, story writer, novelist and translator. Early life and education Ganga Prasad ...
; Mohan Upreti, Naima Khan Upreti,
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 Shekhar Joshi (10 September 1932 – 4 October 2022) was an Indian Hindi author, who was also known for his insight into the culture, traditions and lifestyles of people of Uttarakhand. With Shailesh Matiyani, he created a composite image of e ...
,
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; Lalit Kala Akademi fellow
Ranbir Singh Bisht Ranbir Singh Bisht (1928–1998) was an Indian painter and the Principal of the College of Fine Arts, Lucknow University. Born in 1928 at Landsdowne in Garhwal, in the present day Indian state of Uttarakhand, he secured Drawing Teacher's Trainin ...
;
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 Brij Mohan Shah (1933–1998), better known as B M Shah, was an Indian theatre director and playwright. Shah along with Mohan Upreti, are together credited for the revival of the theatre in the Uttarakhand. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akad ...
,
Narendra Singh Negi Narendra Singh Negi (born 12 August 1949), also referred as 'Garh Ratan' and 'Bob Dylan of the hills' is one of the most prominent folk singers, composer and a poet of the Garhwal and Uttarakhand who prominently sings in Garhwali language. Report ...
; Sahitya Akademi Awardees –
Leeladhar Jagudi Leeladhar Jagudi is an Indian teacher, journalist and poet of Hindi literature. He is the author of several poetry anthologies including ''Natak Jari Hai'' and ''Shankha Mukhi Shikharon Par'' and is a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award, for h ...
,
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 onw ...
,
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,
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 and
Viren Dangwal Viren Dangwal (5 August 1947 – 28 September 2015) was an Indian poet, academic, and journalist. He received several awards for his poetry. Viren Dangwal was born in 1947 in Kirti Nagar, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. Viren Dangwal was associated ...
; Jnanpith Awardee and Sahitya Akademi fellow Sumitranandan Pant are some major literary, artistic and theatre personalities from the state. prominent philosophers, Indian independence activists and social-environmental activists; Anil Prakash Joshi, Basanti Devi,
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, Chandi Prasad Bhatt,
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, Profes ...
,
Hargovind Pant Hargovind Pant ( 19 May 1885 – 18 May 1957) was a freedom fighter and founder of the Kumaon Parishad political group in 1915. He was a member of the Constituent Assembly of India where he represented the interests of the hill districts of Un ...
,
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 Kunwar Singh Negi (1927 – 20 March 2014) was an Indian braille editor and social worker. He has transliterated 300 books into braille. His major works include ''Bhagwan Buddh Ka Updesh'' and ''Hazrat Mohammed Ki Vani'', both being about teach ...
,
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 l ...
,
Nagendra Saklani Nagendra Saklani (1920-1948) was a Communist Party of India leader who sacrificed his life while trying to defend the liberated Kirt Nagar division of the princely state of Tehri Garhwal from the retake bid by the royal forces of Tehri State on ...
,
Sri Dev Suman Sri Dev Suman born as Sri Dutt Badoni (25 May 1916 – 25 July 1944) was a social activist and freedom fighter from princely state Tehri Garhwal of British India India. Currently District Tehri of Uttarakhand India. Early life Suman hailed ...
,
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 are also from Uttarakhand.


Cuisine

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 (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 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 made of Bhang 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 called ''Jhoi'' or ''Jholi'' is also popular.


Dances and music

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, which is practised during some religious festivals. Other well-known dances include Hurka Baul, Jhora-Chanchri, Chhapeli, Thadya, Jhumaila, Pandav, Chauphula, and Chholiya. 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,
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,
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 and Ramayana, 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 Sin ...
,
Meena Rana Meena Rana is an Indian Uttarakhandi singer. She has released many Garhwali Garhwali may refer to: * Garhwali people, an ethno-linguistic group who live in northern India * Garhwali language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by Garhwali people ...
, Mohan Upreti,
Narendra Singh Negi Narendra Singh Negi (born 12 August 1949), also referred as 'Garh Ratan' and 'Bob Dylan of the hills' is one of the most prominent folk singers, composer and a poet of the Garhwal and Uttarakhand who prominently sings in Garhwali language. Report ...
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 and musicians from the state, so are Bollywood singer Jubin Nautiyal and country singer
Bobby Cash Bobby Cash (born 13 February 1961) is an Indian country music singer, songwriter, guitaristand composerPonnu Elizabeth Mathew "The Indian cowboy...one in a billion" ''The New Indian Express'' (Bengaluru, India) 19 August 2009 ...
.


Fairs and festivals

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, takes place in Uttarakhand. Haridwar 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, 14 April 2010
Kumauni Holi Kumaoni or Kumauni may refer to: * Kumaoni people, an ethnic group of Uttarakhand, northern India * Kumaoni language, the Indo-Aryan language they speak * anything coming from or related to the following: ** Kumaon division, an administrative divisi ...
, in forms including Baithki Holi, Khari Holi, and Mahila Holi, all of which start from Vasant Panchami, are festivals and musical affairs that can last almost a month. Ganga Dashahara, Vasant Panchami, Makar Sankranti, Ghee Sankranti, Khatarua,
Vat Savitri Vat Purnima (, , also called ''Vat Savitri'' Vrat) is a Hindu celebration observed by married women in Nepal, North India and in the Western Indian states of Maharashtra, Goa, Kumaon, Gujarat. On this Purnima (full moon) during the three days of ...
, and Phul Dei (The festival of spring) are other major festivals. In addition, various fairs like Kanwar Yatra,
Kandali Festival Kandali Festival is a festival held by the Rung tribe of the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand state in India. This festival coincides with the blooming of the Kandali plant, which flowers once every twelve years. It is held in the Chaundas ...
,
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 The Nauchandi Mela is an annual fair held at Nauchandi Ground in Meerut. The fair stretches for about a month and is organized by the Municipal Corporation of Meerut. It generally starts from the second Sunday after Holi. The main exhibits are th ...
, 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, Ramlila,
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 chantings and Yoga 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.


Economy

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 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 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, Pantnagar, and Sitarganj; 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). Also in 2006, 20 industrial sectors in public private partnership mode were developed in the state.


Transport

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 rickshaws and cycle rickshaws. 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 Del ...
.
Pantnagar Airport Pantnagar Airport is a domestic airport serving Pantnagar, located in Udham Singh Nagar district in of Uttarakhand, India. It is operated by the Airports Authority of India. It is the nearest airport to the Kumaon division and is located in t ...
, located in Pantnagar 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, Bharkot Airport in
Chinyalisaur Nagar palika Chinyalisaur is a small town and tehsil headquarters in the Uttarkashi district of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Geography Chinyalisaur is a semi-urban settlement. It is named after a nearby village called Chinyali. 'Saur' is ...
in Uttarkashi district and Gauchar Airport 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, 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,
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.
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 to ...
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
Mughal Sarai Mughalsarai (; English: '' Mughal Tavern''), officially known as Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Nagar, is a city and a municipal board in the Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh. Located around from Varanasi, it is an important railway junction ...
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 and Ramnagar linked to Delhi by daily trains.


Tourism

Valley of flowers uttaranchal full view.JPG, Valley of Flowers National Park Ali bugyal2.jpg, View of a Bugyal (meadow) in Uttarakhand Har Ki Dun.jpg, Har Ki Doon, a high-altitude hanging valley 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 Kedarnath Temple - OCT 2014.jpg, Kedarnath Temple 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 ...
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 the Ganges and Yamuna, originate in Uttarakhand.
Binsar Devta Bindeshwar Mahadev Temple, also known as Binsar Devta or simply Binsar, is an ancient Hindu rock temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, worshipped as ''Bindeshwar'', a popular deity in this region''.'' At an altitude of 2480 meters above mean sea level, i ...
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 Gangotri is a town and a ''Nagar Panchayat'' (municipality) in Uttarkashi district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is 99 km from Uttarkashi, the main district headquarter. It is a Hindu pilgrim town on the banks of the river Bhagirathi ...
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 respectively, fall in the upper reaches of the state and together with Badrinath (dedicated to Vishnu) and Kedarnath (dedicated to Shiva) form the Chota Char Dham, one of Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious pilgrimage circuits. Haridwar, meaning "Gateway to the God", is a prime Hindu destination. Haridwar hosts the Haridwar Kumbh Mela 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 centre of India. The state has an abundance of temples and shrines, many dedicated to local deities or manifestations of Shiva and Durga, 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 Piran (; it, Pirano ) is a town in southwestern Slovenia on the Gulf of Piran on the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the three major towns of Slovenian Istria. The town is known for its medieval architecture, with narrow streets and compact houses. P ...
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,
Gurudwara Nanakmatta Sahib {{unreferenced, date=August 2009 Gurdwara Shri Nanakmatta Sahib is a village situated at Nanakmatta, between Khatima and Sitarganj on the Khatima-Panipat Panipat () is a historic city in Haryana, India. It is 95 km north of Delhi and 16 ...
in Nanakmatta 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 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 has also made its presence with the reconstruction of Mindrolling Monastery and its Buddha
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 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, 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 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, 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 market, 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 ...
in the region has been whitewater rafting 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.
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) is the tallest dam in India. It is currently ranked No 10 on the List of Tallest Dams in the world. Tehri Lake with a surface area of 52 km2, 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. 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 The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are central government owned public technical institutes located across India. They are under the ownership of the Ministry of Education of the Government of India. They are governed by the Institu ...
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 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

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, sky diving, rafting 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 has also become popular with Ranikhet being a favourite destination. The
Cricket Association of Uttarakhand The Cricket Association of Uttarakhand (CAU) is the governing body of the cricket activities in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and the Uttarakhand cricket team. It is affiliated with the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Hira Singh Bisht ...
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 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.
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 fo ...
is the governing body for association football. 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 Se ...
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 in Haldwani is the home ground of Uttarakhand football team.


Notable people

*
Ajit Kumar Doval Ajit Kumar Doval KC (born 20 January 1945) is a bureaucrat & spymaster, serving as the fifth and current National Security Advisor (NSA) to the Prime Minister of India, with the precedence equivalent to Cabinet Minister. He previously served as ...
, 5th
National Security Adviser of India The National Security Advisor (NSA; ISO: ) is the senior official on the National Security Council of India, and the chief advisor to the Prime Minister of India on national security policy and international affairs. Ajit Doval is the current NSA ...
* Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat, recipient of Maha Vir Chakra * General Bipin Chandra Joshi, Chief of Army Staff of Indian Army * General Bipin Rawat – 1st Chief of Defence Staff of India * General Anil Chauhan – 2nd Chief of Defence Staff of India


See also

*
Outline of Uttarakhand The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Uttarakhand: Uttarakhand – state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Devabhumi (literally: "Land of the Gods") due to many Hindu temples ...
* Himalayan states * Indian Himalayan Region *''
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 ...
''


References


Further reading

* * * * * 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 Portal

Uttarakhand Tourism


General information


Map of Uttarakhand
with places of interest and historical attractions, mountainshepherds.com. * * {{Authority control Uttarakhand North India States and union territories of India States and territories established in 2000 2000 establishments in India