For a small state, Uttarakhand (formerly Uttaranchal) packs in an incredible amount. You can be taking yoga classes at an ashram in Rishikesh and white-water rafting down the Ganges one day, trekking in the shadow of the Himalayas the next. Walk with pilgrims to ancient temples near the source of Ganges and Yamuna Rivers, or take puja (offering or prayers) with thousands of devotees on the ghats at Haridwar. Put your feet up and relax in Raj-era hill stations, or ride an elephant and take your camera on a hunt for tigers at Corbett or Rajaji National Parks. If you get your timing right, it’s all possible in Uttarakhand.
Category: Uttarakhand Uttaranchal
Ever since the Beatles rocked up at the ashram of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the late ’60s, Rishikesh has been a magnet for spiritual seekers. Today it styles itself as the ‘Yoga Capital of the World’ – with some justification – as there are masses of ashrams and all kinds of yoga and meditation classes. Most of this action is north of the main town, where the exquisite setting on the fast-flowing Ganges, surrounded by forested hills, is conducive to meditation and mind expansion. In the evening, the breeze blows down the valley, setting temple bells ringing as sadhus (spiritual men), pilgrims and tourists prepare for the nightly ganga aarti ceremony.
Ranikhet, home to the Kumaon Regiment and bristling with good old-fashioned military atmosphere, spreads over rolling green hills with some lovely views over the distant Himalaya. The focus of the town is a busy bazaar area, but you don’t have to walk far along the winding Mall Rd to be immersed in forest and tall English trees. Apart from a military museum, some peaceful walks and views of snowcapped peaks, there’s not much to do in Ranikhet – it’s much more of a retreat than some other hill stations, and in the off-season accommodation is excellent value.
This unspoilt park (Indian/foreigner up to 3 days Rs 40/350, camera free/Rs 50, video 2500/5000; 15 Nov-15 Jun), covering 820 sq km in the forested foothills near Haridwar, is best known for its wild elephants, numbering around 450 to 500 at last count.
Kumaon’s largest town and favourite hill resort, Nainital gets crowded with holidaying families and honeymooners during peak seasons. Occupying a steep forested valley around the deep, green volcanic lake Naini, it’s an attractive, upbeat place founded by homesick Brits reminded of the Cumbrian Lake District. Disaster struck here in December 1880 when a major landslide buried a hotel and 150 people, creating the memorial recreation ground now known as the Flats.
Perched on a ridge 2km high, the ‘Queen of Hill Stations’ spends much of the year swathed in clouds. When the mist clears, views of the green Doon Valley and the distant white-capped Himalayan peaks are superb, and in the hot months the cooler temperatures and fresh mountain air make a welcome break from the plains below. It certainly gets cold up here in winter, with snowfall common in January. Although Mussoorie’s main bazaars can at first seem like a tacky holiday camp for families and honeymooners, there are plenty of walks in the area, interesting Raj-era buildings, and an upbeat atmosphere.
Perched high on a forest-covered ridge, this tiny village has lovely panoramic views of distant snow-capped peaks, fresh air, a cool climate and as relaxed an atmosphere as you’ll find in northern India. Mahatma Gandhi found Kausani an inspirational place to retreat and write his Bhagavad Gita translation Anasakti Yoga and there is still an ashram devoted to him here.
Reached by a hair-raising mountain road from Rishikesh that hugs steep-sided valleys for the final few hours, Joshimath is a ramshackle two-street town that serves as the gateway to Auli ski resort, Badrinath Temple, and treks to the Valley of Flowers, Hem Kund and Kuari Pass. As such it’s a major destination for Hindu and Sikh pilgrims as well as trekkers.
Propitiously located at the point where the Ganges emerges from the Himalaya, Haridwar (also called Hardwar) is Uttarakhand’s holiest Hindu city and pilgrims arrive here in droves to bathe in the often fast-flowing Ganges. The sheer numbers of people gathering around Har-ki-Pairi Ghat give Haridwar a chaotic but reverent feel – as in Varanasi, it’s easy to get caught up in the spiritual clamour here. Within the religious architecture of India, Haridwar is much more significant than Rishikesh, an hour further north, and every evening the river comes alive with flickering flames as floating offerings are released onto the Ganges.
Blessed with a moderate climate, the capital of Uttarakhand is best known for the institutions the British left behind – the huge Forest Research Institute Museum, the Indian Military Academy, the Wildlife Institute of India and the Survey of India.