India Travel And Tourism – Uttarkhand Part One
Uttarkhand State is one of the world’s best hill stations, tourist and pilgrimage centers in India. The important places to visit in Uttkarkhand are: Almora, Mussoorie, Nainital, Chamba, Kanatal, Kausani, Auli and Vasuki Tal. Uttarkhand was carved out from the State of Uttar Pradesh and Dehradun is its capital. It lies at an altitude between 1600 m to 7817 m, above MSL. Dehradun is about 235 km from Delhi, and can be reached by road, rail and by air. The nearest airport is Jolly Grant, about 25 km away from the city. The best time to visit Dehradun is from April to August.
Surrounded by the majestic Himalayas, Shivaliks and sacred rivers Ganga and Yamuna, Dehradun is the gateway to fascinating locations like Haridwar, Rishikesh, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. The Doon School is one of the oldest land marks of the city.
Uttarkhand is blessed with innumerable lakes, sacred rivers, snow clad mountains, towering peaks, beautiful valleys and splendid flora and fauna. It has excellent facilities for skiing, river rafting, trekking and mountaineering. All these make it a tourist’s paradise.
Chamba, Kanatal, Kausani and Kedarnath
Chamba (not Chamba of Himachal) is a small hill station, about 50 km from Mussoorie. Located at an altitude of 1600 m above MSL is an un-spoilt and very picturesque location. The beauty is more enhanced by pine tress, deodar and beautiful surroundings. It is an ideal location for relaxing and rejuvenating.
Kanatal is an important tourist center on the Champa – Mussoorie highway. It is located at an altitude of 8500 feet about MSL. Kanatal can be visited during summer as well as winter. However, December to February, people throng this place to enjoy the winter. The climate is very pleasant both in winter and summer as well.
Important place to visit are the Surkanda Devi temple, Tehri Dam and hill stations Dhanaulti and Mussorie. Shivpuri, the river rafter’s paradise is just 75 km from Kanatal.
Kausani is a very beautiful hill station and is known as the Switzwerland of India. It is located in the Kumaon region of Uttarkhand at an altitude of 1890 m above MSL. You can see the peaks Trishul and Nanda Devi very clearly from here.
You can reach Kausani by air, rod and rail. The nearest airport is at Pantnagar, about 180 km from the town. The nearest railway station is Kathgodam about 142 km away from the town. It is well connected by road with other hill stations viz. Almora, Ranikhet, Pithoragarh, Gwaldam and Nainital.
Important places to visit are the Pant Museum, Lakshmi Ashram, Pinakeshawar (about 20 km from Kausani located at an altitude of 9050 feet above MSL, there is a Shiva temple and you can also have a panoramic view of the valley). The famous Baijnath temple, which was built more than thousand years ago, located on the banks of river Gomti is another attraction.
Another important place to visit is Chaukori about 75 km from Kausani. You can have very close view of the snow clad peaks from here. In case you wish to over stay for the night, there is a tourist bungalow there.
If you are an ardent fan of trekking, Sudardoonga and Kafni glaciers, located in the Pindari glacier are the two ideal locations to visit. However, you need the help of experienced guides. The route is through Umla Jatoli village via Dhakudi, a camping point 35 km away. To reach Kafini, located at an altitude of 3800 m above MSL, you have to trek about 20 km from Dwali camp.
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