India Guide
Uttarakhand
Northeast of Delhi, bordering Nepal and Tibet, the mountains of Garhwal and Kumaon rise from the fertile sub-Himalayan plains. Together they form the state of UTTARAKHAND, which was shorn free from lowland Uttar Pradesh in 2000 after years of agitation, and changed its name from Uttaranchal in 2007. The region has its own distinct languages and cultures, and successive deep river valleys shelter fascinating micro-civilizations, where Hinduism meets animism and Buddhist influence is never too far away.
Although not as high as the giants of Nepal, further east, or as the Karakoram, the snow peaks here rank among the most beautiful mountains of the inner Himalayas, forming an almost continuous chain that culminates in Nanda Devi, the highest mountain in India at 7816m.
Garhwal is the more visited region, busy with pilgrims who flock to its holy spots. At Haridwar, the Ganges thunders out from the foothills on its long journey to the sea. The nearby ashram town of Rishikesh is familiar from one of the classic East-meets-West images of the 1960s; it was where the Beatles came to stay with the Maharishi. From here pilgrims set off for the high temples known as the Char Dham – Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri, the source of the Ganges. Earthier pursuits are on offer at Mussoorie, a British hill station that's now a popular Indian resort. The lesser-visited Kumaon region is more unspoilt, and boasts pleasant small towns famed for mountain views and hill walks, such as Kausani and Ranikhet, as well as its own Victorian hill station, Nainital, whose promenade throngs with refugees from the heat of the plains. Further down, the forests at Corbett Tiger Reserve offer the chance to go tiger-spotting from the back of an elephant. Both districts abound in classic treks, many leading through the high alpine meadows known as bugyals – summer pastures, where rivers are born and paths meet.
Highlights
1 Rishikesh This busy pilgrimage place on the banks of the turquoise Ganges is a renowned yoga and meditation centre.
2 Gangotri Hole up at the source of the Ganges, high in the mountains, where sadhus offer accommodation for spiritual retreats.
3 Corbett Tiger Reserve Established in the 1930s, India's most famous nature reserve is renowned for its population of tigers.