Uttarakhand

UTTARAKHAND

To its credit the name of Uttarakhand finds mention even in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manakhand and

Himavat. It is often called the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines. It was actually

the ancient Puranic name for the inner stretch of the Indian Himalayas. The peaks and valleys of this state were known as

the abode of gods and goddesses. Uttarakhand has to its credit some of the sacred pilgrimage spot of the Hindu`s. It was

the source of the River Ganges. The Kushanas, Kudinas, Kanishka, Samudra, Gupta, the Pauravas, Katuris, Palas, the

Chandras and Pawaras and the British have ruled Uttarakhand in turns.

The first inhabitants of Gharwal(a kingdom in the region of Uttarakhand) and Kumaon were the Kuninda in the 2nd century

B.C. During the medieval period, the region was dominated in the west by the Garhwal Kingdom and in the east by the

Kumaon Kingdom. They had close affinity with the Indo-Greek civilization. They were central Himalayan tribal people who

practiced an early form of Shaivism. They traded in Salt with Tibet. It is evident from the Ashokan edict at Khalsi in Western

Gharwal that Buddhism made some inroads in this region. But Gharwal and Kumaon remained Brahmanical. In the fourth

century, the Kuninda`s had to surrender to the Guptas. Between the 7th and 14th centuries the Shaivite Katyuri dominated

lands of varying extent from the Katyur Baijinath valley in Kamaon. From the 13th -14th century, Eastern Kumaon

prospered under the Chandras. During this period learning and new forms of painting developed.

In 1791 the expanding Gurkha Empire (people from Nepal) overran Almora, which was the seat of the Kumaon Kingdom. In

1803, the Garhwal Kingdom also fell under the clutches opf the Gurkhas and became a part of Nepal. Later on, in the 19th

century, expansion of the Gurkha Empire was brought to an end by British annexation of these regions. The Garhwal

Kingdom was reestablished from Tehri(Tehri is a city and a municipal board in Tehri Garhwal District in the Indian state of

Uttaranchal, which has been renamed now as Uttarakhand) and eastern British. Garhwal and Kumaon had to yield to the

British as part of the Treaty of Sugauli. After the Indepndence, the princely state of Tehri was merged into Uttar Pradesh

where Uttarakhand composed of the Garhwal and Kumaon Divisions. The kingdoms of Garhwal and Kumaon were

traditional rivals with different linguistic and cultural influences. As a result of nearness of different ethnic groups and their

inseperable geographiacal nature , language and traditions there existed a strong bond between these two regions. These

bonds created the foundation for a new political identity of Uttarkhand. In 1994, the demand for a separate statehood

achieved unanimous acceptance among the local people as well as political parties at the national level. Until 1998,

Uttarakhand was the name most commonly by the different political groups.The BJP came to power in March 1998 and on

November 2000 a new state was created.



Uttarakhand is described as the land of celestial beauty. Uttarakhand is one of the most bewitching and enchanting regions

of northern India. Each and every corner of this place is worth seeing. Uttarakhand is also known as the Land of Gods or

Dev Bhoomi, as it is the land of enormous beauty and spiritual bliss. It is believed that the peaks and valleys of this state

were abodes of gods and goddesses. Ganga, Yamuna and scores of other rivers originate in Uttarakhand. It is difficult to

describe the beauty of Uttarakhand in words as it has profound beauty. It seems that nature has blessed Uttarakhand

immensely. The rivers, snow clad mountains, cliffs all add to the natural beauty of the place. Uttarakhand is both the new

and traditional name of the state that was formed from the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh, India. Historically, Uttarakhand is

believed to be the land where the Vedas and the Shastras were composed and the great epic, the Mahabharata, was written.

Rishikesh is widely considered the Yoga capital of the world.

History of Uttarakhand
To its credit the name of Uttarakhand finds mention even in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manaskhand and

Himavat. Uttarakhand was also the ancient Puranic term for the central stretch of the Indian Himalayas. Its peaks and

valleys were well known in ancient times as the abode of gods and goddesses and source of the Ganga River. The

Pauravas, Kushana Empire, Kunindas, Gupta Dynasty, Katyuris, Pala Dynasty, the Chands, and Paramara Dynasty or

Panwars and the British have ruled Uttarakhand in turns. The region was originally settled by Kols, an aboriginal people who

were later joined by Indo-Aryan Khas tribes that arrived from the northwest in the Vedic period. At that time, the region also

served as a haunt for Rishis and Sadhus. Among the first major dynasties of Garhwal and Kumaon were the Kunindas in

the 2nd century B.C. who practiced an early form of Shaivism. They traded salt with Western Tibet. It is evident from the

Ashokan edict at Kalsi in western Garhwal that Buddhism made inroads in this region. Between the 7th and 14th centuries,

the Katyuri dynasty of Khas origin dominated lands of varying extent from the Katyur valley in Kumaon. Other peoples of

the Tibeto-Burman group known as Kiratas are also said to have settled in the northern highlands as well as in pockets

throughout the region. Further, in the year 1791 the growing Gurkha Empire invaded Almora, which was the seat of the

Kumaon Kingdom. Later on, in the 19th century, expansion of the Gurkha Empire was brought to an end by British

annexation of these regions. Garhwal and Kumaon had to yield to the British as part of the Treaty of Sugauli. After the

Independence of the country, the state of Tehri was amalgamated into Uttar Pradesh where Uttarakhand composed of the

Garhwal and Kumaon Divisions. The present state of Uttaranchal was earlier a part of the United Province of Agra and

Awadh. In January 1950, the United Province was renamed, as Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal remained a part of Uttar

Pradesh. It emerged as an individual state on 9th November 2000. It was formed as the 27th state of India.

Geography of Uttarakhand
Bordering Tibet and Nepal on the northeast of Delhi, the mountains of Garhwal and Kumaon ascend from the lush and

fertile Sub-Himalayan plains. This state was formed from the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh. The peaks and valleys of this

state were known as the abode of gods and goddesses. Uttarakhand is situated between 77 degree 34 minutes to 81

degree 2 minutes east longitude and 28 degree 4 minutes to 31 degree 27 minutes north latitude. The climate of the state

varies from subtropical in valleys to temperate on higher slopes. Uttarakhand is rich in natural resources as forest and

water, as it has many glaciers, dense forests, mountain peaks and a network of mighty rivers namely Ganga, Yamuna River,

Ramganga, Kosi River, etc. Uttarakhand has a total geographic area of 53,483 sq kms, of which 93 percent is mountainous

and 64 percent is covered by forest. Most of the northern parts of the state are part of Greater Himalaya ranges, covered by

the high Himalayan peaks and glaciers, while the lower foothills were densely forested. The unique Himalayan ecosystem

plays host to a large number of animals, plants and rare herbs. Two of India`s mightiest rivers, the Ganga and the Yamuna

take birth in the glaciers of Uttarakhand, and are fed by myriad lakes, glacial melts and streams in the region.

Uttarakhand lies on the south slope of the mighty Himalayan ranges, and the climate and vegetation vary greatly with

elevation, from glaciers at the highest elevations to tropical forests at the lower elevations. Indian National Parks in

Uttarakhand include the Corbett National Park (the oldest national park of India) at Ramnagar in Nainital District, Valley of

Flowers National Park and Nanda Devi National Park in Chamoli District, Rajaji National Park in Haridwar District, and Govind

Pashu Vihar National Park and Gangotri National Park in Uttarkashi District.

Culture of Uttarakhand
The people of Uttarakhand are called by the name Garhwali or Kumaoni. Some people are also known as Paharis. Majority of

the people here are Hindus. Most of the people who reside here belong to the upper castes. However the scheduled caste

section of the population preceded the later migrants in settling the hills. The upper castes can be further subdivided into

two Indo Aryan groups. They are the original Khasi tribe that arrived in the hills by the Vedic era and migrants from

North-Central India that arrived in the medieval period. The other communities of the state are Jadh, Marcha, Tolcha,

Shauka, Buksha, Tharu and the Gujjar tribe. The Gujjar`s are mainly cattle herders. Majority of the people speak Hindi

language. Kumaoni and Garhwali dialects of Central Pahari are spoken by the people. The tribal communities use Jaunsari

and Bhotiya dialects. Several festivals are celebrated here such as Kumbha Mela, Devidhura Mela (Champawat), Purnagiri

Mela (Champawat), Nanda Devi Mela (Almora), Gauchar Me