Uttarakhand

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Confluence of two rivers Alaknanda and Bhagirathi give rise to the holy river of Ganges in Devprayag.

©Vivek_Renukaprasad/Getty Images

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Overview

Uttarakhand is a place of myth and mountains. Hindus think of it as Dev Bhoomi – the Land of Gods – and the dramatic terrain is covered with holy peaks, lakes and rivers. Twisting roads and high-altitude hiking trails lead to spectacular pilgrimage sites where tales from Hindu epics are set. Though the presence of Shiva and Parvati (in a few of her forms) tower over the state, the imprint of British colonialism is equally apparent: the legend of hunter Jim Corbett lives on in the famed tiger reserve that bears his name; popular holiday towns were once Raj-era hill stations; and the Beatles turned Rishikesh into a magnet for spiritual seekers and yoga practitioners worldwide.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram

Rishikesh

Just south of Swarg Ashram is what’s left of the original Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram, where the Beatles stayed and wrote much of the White Album (and a…

Har-ki-Pairi Ghat

Haridwar

Har-ki-Pairi (The Footstep of God) is where Vishnu is said to have dropped some divine nectar and left behind a footprint. Every evening, hundreds of…

Docked boats at Nainital Lake District, Uttranchal State, India

Naini Lake

Uttarakhand

This pretty lake is Nainital’s centrepiece and is said to be one of the emerald-green eyes of Shiva’s wife, Sati (naina is Sanskrit for eye) that fell to…

Kedarnath

Uttarakhand

Kedarnath is in the most dramatic location of the char dham temples, located at the base of 6970m peaks and 22km from the nearest road. The puja offered…

Valley of Flowers National Park

Uttarakhand

The bugyals (high-altitude meadows) of tall wildflowers in the Unesco World Heritage–listed Valley of Flowers are a glorious sight on a sunny day,…

Happy Valley

Mussoorie

Only 3km northwest of town, this scenic outlying region of Mussoorie is famous as the site where the Dalai Lama and fellow exiles arrived in 1959, after…

Badrinath Temple

Uttarakhand

Badrinath Temple, in a superb setting below the sacred, snow-topped pyramid-shaped peak of Nilkantha, is holy to Lord Vishnu. Vividly painted, this is the…

Corbett Tiger Reserve

Uttarakhand

This famous reserve was established in 1936 as India’s first national park. Originally called Hailey National Park, then Ramganga National Park, it was…

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