About Bal Mithai

Bal Mithai is a brown chocolate-like fudge, made with roasted khoya, coated with white sugar balls, and is a popular sweet from the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand in India, especially regions around Almora. The Khim Singh Mohan Singh Rautela shop in Almora is famous in the whole uttarakhand for their distinct Bal mithai and Singhauri.

History बाल मिठाई

Over the years, the sweet has found home in many Kumaoni stories and folklore, arising from the milieu of Kumaon, as evident from the memoirs of noted Hindi writer, Shivani, wherein she reminiscences, the Almora Bazaar, and the lane filled with smells of locally made sweets, and the shop of Jogalal Shah Halwai , who is said to have invented the sweet, made with milk from nearby Phalsima village, and then wrapped in sugar dipped posta or Khas khas (Opium poppy) seeds. Although it is unknown whether it is ancient. Over the years, rapid commercialization, and cost cutting moves lead to local shopkeeper replacing the original khas khas sugar balls, with plain sugar balls, that look like homeopathic pills. Even a recent version is completely devoid of sugar balls, to suit changing urban and tourist tastes. After, Joga Shah Halwai, Rautela brothers - Khem Singh and Mohan Singh made a name for themselves in sweet preparations


Recipe of बाल मिठाई

Baal Mithai is made by cooking khoya (evaporated milk cream) with cane sugar, until it becomes dark brown in color, colloquially called "chocolate" for its color resemblance. This is allowed to settle and cool, and cut into cubes which are then garnished with small white sugar ball.

Wikipedia.org

About Devabhoomi Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand the “Land of Gods” is one of the most sought after tourist destination in India. It is blessed by unique charm of nature that lures tourists from all over the world. It’s scintillating natural beauty, lovely waterfall, abundant & exotic wildlife, salubrious climate, pilgrimages destinations, abundant wildlife, adventure thrills and beautiful countryside. All these are the premier attraction of Uttarakhand tourism, whose beauty and charm attract tourists from all over the world for Uttarakhand tours and travels.

Uttarakhand is truly a Paradise for tourists. Lofty mountain peaks, snow-fed rivers and musical waterfalls welcome you to a land whose beauty epitomizes the word “divine”. Rightly teUttarakhand Toursrmed “Devabhoomi” or the “abode of the Gods”, a tour to Uttarakhand reveals the exotic secrets of nature, while enriching the visitors to the land with a culture that is one of the richest in the world. Comprising of 14 hilly districts of the state of Uttar Pradesh, the newly formed state of Uttarakhand is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. A perfect destination for nature lovers, adventure seekers, travelers, vacationers, honeymoon in Uttaranchal as well as weekend getaways to Uttaranchal, tourism of Uttarakhand has truly much to offer the visitors coming to this land. A major center of pilgrimage in India, a holiday in Uttarakhand is incomplete without witnessing the mystic glory of the various temples of Uttarakhand. The land is home to the four revered temples i.e. Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath. These four temples are religiously important to Hindu religion and are the holiest pilgrimage centre called “Chardham Yatra” All these wonderful tourism attractions and destinations of Uttarakhand can be delightful covered by availing our tailor made Uttarakhand tour packages.

More of all the religious and cultural beauty, the colourful fairs and festivals glorify the beauty of the land which is often referred as Heaven on Earth. Truly, beauty of Uttarakhand is unmatched and is beyond visual and verbal description. Well we have listed several tailor made packages tour to Uttarakhand that offers memorable tours and travel experience to this paradise on earth - Uttarakhand.

Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand

Truly a paradise on earth, Uttarakhand is known for its awesome charm, enchanting beauty and unlimited serenity and tranquility. The fresh air, the pure water, the chilling snow, the adversing mountains, the scenic beauty, the small villages, the simpler people and a tougher lifesytle distinguishes Uttarakhand from the rest of the world. Mussoorie, the 'Queen of Hills', Nainital, the 'Lake District', Kausani, the 'Switzerland of India', Ranikhet, Pithoragarh, Pauri, Auli, Rishikesh and Munsiyari are just few highlights for nature lovers and adventure sports enthusiasts. Nature has endowed Uttarakhand with so much beauty and spiritual bliss that it is also known as DEV BHOOMI, the Land of Gods. This abode of Gods includes many shrines and highly venerated pilgrimage places like Haridwar, Rishikesh, Hemkund Saheb, Jageshwar, Devprayag, Nandadevi, Purnagiri and Bageshwar. Each hilltop or bent is known to have sacred temples, big or small.

BADRINATH

Badrinath is one of the most sacred hindu pilgrimage in Uttarakhand. This is one of the prominent shrines among India's Char Dham pilgrimages. Badrinath is located in the Garhwal hills and by the banks of the river Alaknanda. The term ‘Badri’ refers to a special kind of berry fruit which abundantly grows in this region. The other term ‘nath’ refers to Lord Vishnu. It’s depicted in one of the ancient Indian scripture that Goddess Lakshmi had transformed her to these berry fruits for saving lord Vishnu during his year’s long penance in the tough weather in the land of Uttarnchal.

The holy town of Badrinath is situated at nn altitude of 3,133 m from the sea level. The Garwal Kings built the present Badrinath shrine approximately two centuries before. The main idol represents Lord Vishnu in a calm and meditative state concentrating in Padma Asana. There is contradiction about the age of this Vishno idol. A section of the legends believes it to be established in the Vedic age. On the other hand, Adiguru Shankaracharya (a lengendary Hindu saint) in the early ninth century AD re-established this holy shrine of Badrinath. The other idol includes Laxmi, Shiva and Parvati, and Garud.

The temple of Bardinath has been renovated many times due to several natural calamities and affects of avalanches. The renovation work has given has given the shrine to its new look including it’s the colourful main entrance gate ‘Singh Dwara’. The Badrinath shrine is divided into three main parts as (1) the Garva Griha (where the Vishnu idol is located); (2) Darshan Mandap (the place for worshipping to the god); and (3) Shobha Mandap (place for assembling of the devotees). The sanctity of Lord Bardinath and his powerful existence in this place is strongly believed. Even the ancient scriptures supports this belief quoting as "There are many sacred spots of pilgrimage in the heavens, earth and the nether world, but there has been none equal to Badri, nor shall there be".

Before entering the Bardinath Shrine, the pilgrims take a holy dip in the nearby Tapt Kund which is a source of thermal springs with natural healing properties. The Tapt Kund is believed to the adobe to lord Agni—the Hindu god of fire. There are two more natural springs named as Surya Kund and Narad Kund.

Reaching at Badrinath, the pilgrims perform the rites of remembrance and reverence for the departed souls of their near ones in the Brahma Kapal which is a flat stone-made place by banks of the river Alakananda. The impression of Sheshnetra, is also one of the place to visit here. The footprints of Lord Vishnu are preserved on one of the boulder is named after ‘Charanpaduka’ which has highest level of religious importance. Another significant shrine is the Mata Murti temple, the temple to the mother of Lord Badrinath.

The significance of the lofty mountains encompassing the Badrinath shrine is mentioned in the Mahabharata. It is believed that the Pandavas were supposed to end their lives by ascending the slopes of a peak ‘Swargarohin’ in western Garhwal--the 'Ascent to Heaven'. Local legend considers the belief that the Pandavas passed through Badrinath and the region of Mana which is 5 km away from Badrinath, on their way to Swargarohin. And another legend is about the cave of Mana where Vyas wrote the Mahabharata.

Attractive Places around Badrinath
Established by Adiguru Shankaracharya the place of Joshimath is other important place to visit nearby Bardrinath. Other important places to visit here are the temples of goddess Durga and lord Narasingh. The valley of flowers has great attractions to the tourists and equally important is Gobindghat which as an ideal place for trekking. Another important pilgrimage is the Gurdwara Hemkund Sahib and the beautiful lake nearby this place.

The Mana village—the last village in the Indo-Tibetan border is about 5 km away from Badrinath. Other places of interest include Vyas Gufa, dedicated to Sage Ved Vyas; Bhim Pul, the natural bridge over the legendary Saraswati River; the 122-meter-high Vasundhara Falls; Pipalkoti, a place of natural beauty; and Chamoli, the ultimate experience of the land of the gods.

How to Reach at Badrinath
Reach at Badrinath By Rail: The nearest rail station is Rishikesh (297 km) and Kotdwar (327 km). Badrinath is well connected to all the main tourist attractions and famous places like Hardwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Kotdwar as well the hills of Kumaon and Garhwal.

Reach at Badrinath By Road:Bus and cab services are very frequent and affordable. If you are a self starter its advised to make your journey from New Delhi railway station and to rich Rishikesh (Delhi to Rishikesh 238 km) and later find any convenient mode of transportation to Badrinath.

Reach at Badrinath By Air: A small airport named Jolly Grant is located at a distance of 317 km from Badrinath. Mainly small airplane and helicopter are permitted to land in this airport.

Best Time to Visit: May to September

Kedarnath temple reopens for pilgrims

The doors of famous Himalayan shrine of Kedarnath on Sunday reopened for pilgrims after a gap of six months with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank among those having early darshan of Lord Shiva.

Amid blowing of conches and chanting of vedic hymns and shlokas, Chief priest of Kedarnath shrine Bhimshankar Ling opened the locks of the temple at 0530 hrs in the morning in the presence of senior administrative and police officials, official sources said.

During the opening ceremony, hundreds of devotees were present outside the sanctum sanctorum chanting "Bam Bam Bhole" braving chilly winds blowing in the area.

While Nishank performed puja along with his family members, Uttarakhand Disaster Management Minister Khajan das and Principal Secretary Tourism Rakesh Sharma were also among the first ones, who paid the obeisance at the temple.

Meanwhile, the doors of the Badrinath shrine would also be thrown open for pilgrims on Monday.

The Chardham Yatra comprising pilgrimage to Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri nestling in Garhwal Himalayas was kicked off with the opening of portals of both Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines on May 6.

Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines are situated at a height of 3200 meter and 3615 meter respectively in Uttarkashi district. Badrinath is located in Chamoli district a height of 3133 meter and Kedarnath in Rudraprayag district at a height of 3584 meter.

The Chardhams reopen in April-May every year after a gap of six months as the area remain snow-bound during the winter period.

The annual yatra is considered as a backbone of the thriving religious tourism in the state that attracts nearly 15-16 lakh pilgrims every year from home and abroad.

Badrinath Temple reopens for pilgrims

Dehra Dun: A day after Kedarnath, the portals of famous Himalayan shrine of Badrinath were reopened on Monday for pilgrims after a gap of six months.

Amid blowing of conches and chanting of vedic hymns and shlokas, chief priest of Badrinath shrine Rawal Keshava Namboodiri opened the doors of the temple at 05:35 hrs Monday morning as the palanquin carrying the idol of Lord Vishnu was taken inside the sanctum sanctorum, said Anusuiya Prasad Bhatt, Chairman of Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee.

During the opening ceremony of the temple, situated at a height of 3,133 meter in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand Disaster Management Minister Khajan Das and principal secretary, Religious Tourism Department Rakesh Sharma were also present along with hundreds of devotees outside the sanctum sanctorum braving chilly winds.

Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank was also scheduled to attend the ceremony but he could not reach Badrinath due to some reason, said Bhatt.

The portals of another famous shrine of Kedarnath in Rudraprayag district were thrown open for pilgrims yesterday and Nishank was among the first ones who paid obeisance at the temple.

With the opening of portals of Badrinath today, all the four shrines collectively known as Chardham have been thrown open for pilgrims.

PTI

Uttarakhand State Animal,Bird,Tree,Flower

Uttarakhand State Animal: Musk Deer (Moschus Chrysogaster)

Uttarakhand State Bird: Monal (Lophoorus Impejanus)

Uttarakhand State Flower: Brahma Kamal (Saussurea Obvallata)

Uttarakhand State Tree :Burans (Rhododendron Arboreum)

Fact of Uttarakhand

Overview
Formation of State :
Uttaranchal became the 27th state of the Republic of India on 9th November 2000. The State is carved out of Uttar Pradesh. It occupies 17.3% of India's total land area with 51,125 sq km.

Capital: Dehradun (Interim)
Longitude: 77° 34' 27" E to 81° 02' 22" E
Latitude: 28° 53' 24" N to 31° 27' 50" N
Total Area: 53,484 sq. km.
Total Forest Area: 34,434 sq. km.
Hilly Area : 92.57%
Plains: 7.43%

Borders:

International: China, Nepal.

National: Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh.
Districts: Pithoragarh, Almora, Nainital, Haridwar, Bageshwar, Champawat, Uttarkashi, Tehri Garhwal, Udham Singh Nagar, Chamoli, Dehradun, Rudraprayag

High Court: Nainital.

Languages Spoken: Kumaoni, Garhwali, Hindi.



Uttarakhand State Animal: Musk Deer (Moschus Chrysogaster)

Uttarakhand State Bird: Monal (Lophoorus Impejanus)

Uttarakhand State Flower: Brahma Kamal (Saussurea Obvallata)

Uttarakhand State Tree :Burans (Rhododendron Arboreum)


Seasons
Summer Season : March to June mid.
Rainy Season : Mid June to mid September.
Winter Season : Mid September to February.

Places To Visit
Tourist And Historical Places :
Nainital, Mussoorie, Pauri, Almora, Ranikhet, Khirsu, Champawat, Dayara, Auli, Khatling, Vedini Bugyal, Valley Of Flowers, Lansdown, Lakhamandal, Paataal Bhuvaneshwar, Gangolihaat, Jolljivi, Kataarmal, Kosini, Jageshwar, Dwarahaat, Someshwar, Baijnath, Pindari Glacier etc.
Mussoorie Lake Skiing at Auli

Pilgrimage Sites :
Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Panchkedar, Panchbadri, Panchprayag, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Hemkund Sahib, Purnagiri, Chittai, Kaliyar Sharif, Nanakmatta Sahib, Rettha Sahib etc. Har Ki Pauri Hemkund Sahib


Folk Songs And Dances
Jhumallo, Thadya, Chaunfla, Rasau, Pandwana, Tandi, Bhadgeet, Jaagar, Chaanchri, Chholia etc.
Folk Dance Folk Dance.

Major Rivers
Bhagirathi (Ganga), Alaknanda, Mandakani, Pindari, Tones, Yamuna, Kali, Nyaar, Bhilangana, Saryu, Ramganga etc. Holi River Ganga

Major Crops And Fruits
Major Crops: Rice, Wheat, Barley, Corn, Mandua, Hangora etc.
Major Fruits: Apple, Leechi, Pulam, Naashpati, Maalta etc.

Mineral Deposits
Limestone, Magnesite, Gypsum etc.

About state animal of Uttarakhand is Musk Deer

The state animal of Uttarakhand is Musk Deer. This state animal of Uttarakhand is also known as 'Kasturi Mrig'. It is said that Musk Deer, the state animal of Uttarakhand, is the most primitive among the deer family. It is believed to be even more primitive than the 'true deer' belonging to the family Cervidae. The state animal of Uttarakhand belongs to the genus 'Moschus': it is only genus of family 'Moschidae'.

The physiology of the Uttarakhand's state animal is said to be reminiscent of that primitive anatomy. It does not possess antlers or facial glands. It is also said to possess a single pair of teats, a gall bladdar, a caudal gland, a pair of tusk-like teeth and a musk gland. It is this musk gland that makes the Musk deer, Uttarakhand state animal, economically important to the humans.

The musk gland, that belongs to the state animal in Uttarakhand, is of utmost importance to the human beings. The musk gland of the Musk deer is said to give out a smell that stays for a long time. It is from this gland of the state animal that humans make perfume: the Arabs were the first to extract perfume from of the musk glands of the Musk Deer.

A short survey on the state animal of Uttarakhand can be as follows:

* Body Length - 2.8 - 3.3 feet.
* Shoulder Height - 20 - 21 inches.
* Weight - 24 - 40 pounds.
* Gestation Period - 185 - 195 days.
* Young ones per birth - 1, or 2.
* Life Span - 12 - 20 years.
* Family group - Solitary.
* Diet - Grasses, moss, lichens, twigs, shoots, leaves, etc.
* Predators - Yellow-throated marten, wolf, fox, lynx, etc.

But it is noteworthy that unrestrained poaching and hunting has lead enlisted the state animal among the most threatened animals.