Uttarakhand - Devbhumi / Land of the Gods

Uttarakhand, one of the smallest and most gorgeous states in India, contains a total of 8 hill stations, and is renowned for its spiritual aspects. Uttarakhand, a north Indian state possessing some of the best tourist attractions in country, is blessed by immense natural beauty, amusing climate conditions, pilgrimage places, affluent wildlife and striking countryside, making the state a marvelous place for tourism.

How to Reach

• Air: Uttarakhand has only one main airport � Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun � with almost all regular flights from other parts of the country. The second is in Pant Nagar, near Nainital, with limited flights.
• Rail:The state is well connected through roads with the key railway stations at Dehradun, Haridwar and Kathgodam.
• Road:The state has an extensive road network, linking it with Delhi and many State Highways.

Best Time to Visit

• Summers stay here from April to June, with warm climate conditions and temperature moving up to 40�C.
• Monsoon pours the state during July to October, with temperature varying from 15�C to 25�C to make weather extremely amusing.
• Winters come here in November and stay till February, with temperatures going below 5�C.

Best time to visit Uttaranchal is during summer when the climate remains very pleasant amidst the gorgeous Himalayan ranges. Throughout winters, you can experience snowfalls near Dhanaulti and Aully but some places are inaccessible during this season.

Major Destinations

• Haridwar : Haridwar is a major pilgrimage town visited by a large number of pilgrims every year. Haridwar along with Ujjain, Nasik and Allahabad is one of four sites to hold Kumbh Mela.
• Dehradun : Situated in the Doon Valley, Dehradun is lying on the foothills of the Himalayas nestled between two of India's mightiest rivers � the Ganges on the east and the Yamuna on the west, making the town a beautiful site with amusing climate, and providing a gateway to the marvelous vicinity area.
• Rishikesh : Situated in the foothills of the Himalayas in North India, Rishikesh is known as The Gateway to the Himalayas.
• Mussoorie : The hill station of Mussoorie, located in the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayan ranges, is also known as the Queen of the Hills.
• Nainital : A popular hill station in Uttarakhand, Nainital lies in the Kumaon foothills of the outer Himalayas, and known for beautiful natural views, Naini Lake and Naini Devi Temple.

Other major tourist destinations in Uttarakhand are as follows:

• Pithoragarh
• Ranikhet
• Kausani
• Mukteshwar
• Lansdowne

Pilgrimage Places

• Char Dhams - Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamnotri and Gangotri.
• Sikh Shirines - Hemkund - Lokpal, Nanakmatta and Meetha - Reetha Sahib and Piran Kaliyar.

Fairs and Festivals

Uttarakhand celebrates its fairs and festivals with full fun and frolic. Being the land of several Hindu and Sikh Shrines, the state is known for numerous fairs and festivals including Kumbh Mela/Ardh Kumbh Mela celebrated at Haridwar after every 25 or 26 years. Some of the major Uttarakhand fairs and festivals are listed below :

• Devidhura Mela (Champawat)
• Purnagiri Mela (Champawat)
• Nanda Devi Mela (Nainital)
• Kumbh Mela/Ardh Kumbh Mela (Haridwar)

Flora and Fauna

The most parts of the state are covered by alpine and tropical rainforests, providing natural habitats of some of the most popular wildlife sanctuaries in India. The Jim Corbett National Park, Nainital, is home to Royal Bengal Tigers and is the spot for Jim Corbett's Man-eaters of Kumaon. Rajaji National Park is another famous wildlife known for numerous pachyderms. You can also take thrilling experience at the Valley of Flowers National Park, Nanda Devi National Park, Govind National Park and Gangotri National Park, etc in the region.