Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Attractions of Garhwal (Uttarakhand)


Rishikesh
Rishikesh is one of the most popular pilgrim centres and gateway to the Himalayan Shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. The Yoga Centres of Rishikesh have enhanced the significance of the place. From this point on, the great Ganges leaves behind her mountain home and enters the vast plains of Northern India. Rishikesh is located at a height of about 1360 feet above sea level. It is believed that several yogis and sages lived and practised penance here. Rishikesh represents the site where Vishnu vanquished the demon Madhu.

Auli
Auli, 16 kms from Joshimath, is an ideal winter resort. The divine slopes of Auli, coupled with state-of-the-art facilities have made it comparable with the best in the world.

Auli offers a 180 panoramic view of Himalayan peaks like the Nanda devi (7,817mts.) Kamet (7,756 mts.) Mana Parvat (7,273 mts.) And Dunagiri (7,066 mts.) seemingly only a snow ball thrown away.

Mussoorie
The hill resort of Mussoorie is often referred to as the "Queen of the Hills". Any tourist who experiences the magic of the hill resort will but agree with the sobriquet. Located in the foothills of the Himalayas, Mussoorie gets its name from the Mansur shrub that is commonly seen in the hill resort. The marvelous hill resort of Mussoorie is located in the foothills of the Himalayas. The hill station of Mussoorie is one of the most-loved tourist destinations of India. It has a number of waterfalls, picnic-spots, temples and tourist bungalows.

Ukhimath
182 kms. from Rishikesh. This is the winter seat of Lord Kedarnath, and worship is performed here during the winters, when the temple of Kedarnath remains closed. The temples of Usha and Anirudh, Shiva and Parvati are worth a visit.

Land of Usha (beautiful daughter of Demon Varasura). Temples of Onkareshwara, Usha, Shiva-Parvati. For accommodation, a tourist rest house, irrigation Dak bungalow, P.W.D. Inspection House and private hotels are available.

Chopta
Chopta situated on the Gopeshwar-Ukhimath Road about 40 kms. from Gopeshwar is at an altitude of about 2,900 m above sea level. One of the most picturesque spots in the entire Garhwal region, Chopta provides a breathtaking view of the Himalayan ranges and the surrounding areas. Chopta provides a breathtaking view of the Himalayan ranges and the surrounding areas.

Hemkund Sahib
Hemkund is a pilgrimage of the sikhs. Hemkund, as the name suggests, is a lake in the Himalayas. There are many lakes in the Himalayas, but few are set in as dramatic a setting as Hemkund is. At an altitude of 4,500 m above sea level, which is several hundred meters above the tree line, the lake is set like a jewel in a crown of seven of the most picturesque snow peaks of the Himalayas. In this surrealistic landscape, made up mostly of rock and ice, there is no habitation-animal or human. The place is as if made to order for a man in search of absolute peace to meditate upon the absolute truth.

Valley of Flowers
Accredited by Frank Smith ( the first botanist who explored this exotic abode) in his book " The Valley of Flowers" , as a place where god have shown his exclusive creativity by splashing magnificent colors. The book unfurled the beauty and floral splendors of the valley and thus threw open the doors of this verdant jewel to nature enthusiast all over the world.

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