Uttarancha is located on the western Himalayan
region. The capital of Uttaranchal is Dehradun and the best time to
visit is between April and November. The local dialect of the region is
Kumaoni, Garhwali. It comprises eight hill districts, which is equal in
area and population of the state of Himachal Pardesh. The "Devbhumi"
in Uttaranchal has attracted pilgrims and tourists all over the world
for ages. It is a perfect example of nature's beauty and divinity.
The backdrop of Garhwal and Kumaon regions of Uttaranchal is the Great
Himalayan Range. The main Himalayas extends to the Gangotri region. The
climate of Uttaranchal is mainly subjected to the Indian monsoon except
the isolated and remote valleys to the north of the Great Himalayan
Range. Here the monsoon normally starts by mid-June with first heavy
rainfall generally occurring by the first week of July. It rains
throughout August till the first week of September. The snowfall
normally starts by the late October. During the winter months there is
heavy snowfall.
Places to Visit
The major pilgrimage centers in Uttaranchal are the world famous "Char
Dham" comprising of Shri Badrinath, Gangotri, Kedarnath and
Yamunotri. Then there is; the sacred Sikh pilgrimage of Hemkund, Lokpal,
Nanakmatta and Meetha, Reetha Sahib and Piran Kaliyar, which attracts
the pilgrims from around the world to Uttaranchal. Though Kailash
Mansarovar and Tholingmath are in the Chinese occupied Tibet, but people
still consider it as Uttaranchal's important landmarks. Among the other
places to visit are Garhwal and Kumaon. Culturally, Uttaranchal has a
rich heritage. There are various local fairs and festivals, which are
organized like Surkanda Devi Mela, Jhanda Mela, Nanda Devi Mela,
Purnagiri Mela, Chaiti Mela, etc, which give a big boost to the
Uttaranchal tourism. Among other tourist destinations are Mussoorie, the
lake district of India,
Nainital,
Kausani, Pauri, Ranikhet, Almora, Pithoragarh. It also has some amazing
wildlife destinations like Corbett National Park, Rajaji National Park,
Asan Barrage, Chilla and Saptarishi Ashram.
Some of Uttaranchal's adventure sports are:
