River Rafting In Uttaranchal

The Rapids of sacred river Ganga, offers the professional as well as the amateur, the sheer exhilaration of white water rafting. The Alaknanda and the Bhagirathi, are the main tributaries of the Ganga, and meet at Devprayag, frothing from their racy descent. Their waters are Grade IV and Grade V, challenging the expert to survive the thrill.

Down river from Devprayag, the Ganga changes into a pool drop river. This stretch of almost 70 kms, is perfect for the amateur and the novice, for here, the river offers some fine Grade III rapids, and two Grade II rapids, the 'wall' at Bysi and the 'Golf Course" 4 kms below Shivpuri village; each followed by deep and placid pools.

Sandy beaches line the river at intervals, allowing river rafters to pull up alongside, for a spot of relaxation. The slopes on either side, are covered with oak, pine, spruce, and fir, with an occasional village and its terraced fields, dotting the landscape. Wildlife can be sighted at a distance, especially spotted deer, monkeys and leopards. Spiritual retreats and ashrams (hermitages) overlook the river, and add a spiritual flavour to this fantastic experience.

Tehri dam

Tehri dam is the main dam of the Tehri Hydro Project, a major power project located near Tehri in the state of Uttarakhand in India. It is a multi purpose river valley project.Towering 855 feet (261 m), the main dam at Tehri is the 8th tallest dam in the world.The dam's projected capabilities include a power generation capacity of 2400 MW, irrigation stabilization to an area of 6,000 km², an additional area of 2,700 km² of irrigation stabilization and a supply of 270 million gallons (1.23 million cubic metres) of drinking water (per year?) to industrialized cities in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. While originally stated to be built with an approximate cost of 4 million U.S. dollars, an equivalent of over 1 billion US dollars has been spent on the construction of the dam to date.

The dam project was approved in 1972 and construction was started in 1978. The Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) was constituted in 1989 to supervise the construction of the dam. The main dam of the project is built near the old Tehri town that lies at the confluence of the rivers Bhagirathi, (one of the major tributary of the river Ganga) and Bhilangana. The main dam will produce 2000 MW of electricity when completed. However, only the Phase-I with capacity of 1000 MW is approved at present. There is another smaller dam 14 km downstream at Koteshwar that will produce 400 MW of electricity. The main reservoir comprises an area of 42 km². This has now flooded the old Tehri town and 112 villages around the town, thereby displacing more than 100,000 people. The town of New Tehri, on the hillside above the dam, has been built as a result.

This dam has been the object of intense protests from environmental groups and the people of this region. The issue of relocation of more than 1 lakh (100 thousand) people[1] of the area has resulted in protracted legal battles and has delayed the project. Besides this, environmental concerns regarding the location of large dams in the fragile ecosystem of the Himalayan foothills, there are also concerns regarding the dam's safety. The Tehri dam is located in the Central Himalayan Seismic Gap, a major geologic fault zone. This region was the site of a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in October 1991, epicentred 50 km from the location of the dam. There already has been a fatal accident in one of the tunnels in Aug, 2004 when a portion of a tunnel collapsed following heavy rains.

Following a court clearance, the tunnel T2 of Tehri dam has been finally closed on 29th Oct, 2005 and thereby started the process of filling the massive reservoir. Its planned closure was in Dec, 2002. Two of the lower tunnels, T3 and T4, were closed way back in Dec, 2001. But closing of tunnel T2 has resulted in another controversy as this has reduced supply of Bhagirathi water to a mere 2 ft³/s from the normal 1000 ft³/s. According to Hindu mythology, river Bhagirathi is the actual Ganga, though the name of Ganga is assumed only after the river Bhagirathi meets river Alaknanda at Devprayag. Cutting off the water supply of Bhagirathi to such low quantity means that after travelling more than 80 km from this point, water of Bhagirathi will be hardly reaching Ganga. Thus to many, sacredness of Ganga has reduced and this has created resentment. But the filling of the dam continued and the project generated its first unit of electricity in June, 2006.

Mussoorie

Mussoorie the 'Queen of Hills' is a paradise. Everywhere eyes are set, there is beauty unlimited. At a height of 7000 ft, it offers commanding views of snow capped peaks in the north east and the beautiful sprawling green Doon valley towards the south. The envy of other hill stations, no one escapes here from the magic spell of the queen.

Unlike other hill stations, Mussoorie hasn't got a rich history. It wasn't the summer capital of British but the charm of Mussoorie lies elsewhere. Mussoorie's date with fame came after an adventuroes British military officer came here in 1827 with Mr. Shore, the resident Superintendent of Revenues at Dehradun and came up with a shooting lodge. Since then tourists haven't stopped pouring in here. Never on official records, the air of informality hung in Mussoorie. it was as if it is left for the 'affairs of the heart'. And it was not long after that Mussoorie had to its credit, the title of 'honeymoon capital of India', where romance flutters everywhere.

The busiest of all, Mussoorie has a hectic social life, the malls, shops, tourists all this makes sure that the place does not have a dull day in calender through out the year. Being so popular Mussoorie is a highly developed hill station. It has all the facilities to cater to domestic and foreign tourists.

Dehradun

Founded by Guru Dronacharya, according to the epic of Mahabharata, Dehradun is today one of the most developed cities of India. Situated on the threshold of a world full of adventure, spiritualism and tranquility, amidst the Shivalik ranges, the foothills of Himalayas, Dehra Dun is an entry point for all the trekkers and mountaineers onto their journey into the Garhwal Himalayas. A gateway to the popular hill station of Mussoorie and the pilgrimage centres of Haridwar and Rishikesh, Dehra Dun boasts of the famous Forest Research Institute and the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy. Doon Valley finds its place between the two most important rivers of India Ganga and Yamuna, and is a picturesque town with moderate climate and a number of places of tourist interest.

ROCK CLIMBING IN GARHWAL

ROCK CLIMBING

If you’re fired by the spirit of adventure, let the sparks in your heart fly… in Garhwal.A land blessed with snow-bound peaks, crystal glaciers, rolling meadows, jagged rock faces, scenic valleys,meandering rivers, cascading waterfalls, dense forests and hospitable people with a rich culture.

A state Particular suited to Mountaineering, Trkking and Rock Climbing.

Various a gencies in the state provide guidance, training and equipment for the above sports.

Char Dham Yatra

Char Dham is a term coined for the four most revered Hindu pilgrimage destinations of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath.

According to the Puranas and various Hindu scriptures, the Char Dham Yatra is of very high religious significance. Pilgrims from all around the world brave the severe conditions of landscape and weather to visit the shrines and have a holy darshan of the revered deities.

Yamunotri

Yamunotri Temple lies in the western region of Garhwal Himalayas. It is situated at a height of 3235 m. Goddess Yamuna, the river goddess is worshipped here and has special significance in Hindu scriptures. The idol is made of black marble. The river Yamuna emerges from Yamunotri glacier which is at a height of 4420 m near the Kalind mountain. This was the home of Sage Asit. The temple was constructed by Maharaja Pratap Shah of Tehri Garhwal. A hot sulphur spring pond is situated at Yamunotri close to the temple.Nearby Places of interest include Surya Kund, Divya Shila, Sayanachatti, Janakichatti and Hanuman Chatti.

Gangotri

The shrine of Gangotri is situated at an elevation of 3200 m surrounded by deodars and pines. The original temple was constructed by the Gorkha General Amar Singh Thapa. Every year people from all around the world visit this shrine. A number of ashrams and dharamshalas are located on the other side of the river. It is believed that Raja Bhagirath used to worship Shiva on a slab of rock "Bhagirath Shila" situated near the temple. Submerged in the river there is a natural Shivling where, according to mythology, Lord Shiva sat when he received the Goddess Ganga in his matted locks. A days trek takes one to Gaumukh, the source of the mighty Ganges.

Kedarnath

The temple of Kedarnath dedicated to Lord Shiva is revered and visited by many pilgrims every year. The temple is situated at an altitude of 3580 m amidst the background of snow covered mountain peaks and greenery. The temple is built of large, heavy and evenly cut grey slabs of stones and is considered more than 1000 years old. The temple has a garbha griha where a conical rock formation is situated and a Mandapam for seating of pilgrims and visitors. A large statue of the Nandi Bull is situated outside the temple door. The nearest bus stop is Gaurikund and pilgrims have to trek 14 kms to reach the temple.

Badrinath

Badrinath Temple is the abode of Lord Vishnu. It is situated at an altitude of 3130 m at the banks of Alaknanda. In the backdrop, is the Neelkanth mountain peak situated between the twin peaks of Nar and Narayan. The name is derived from wild berries called Badri. Adi Shankarcharya established the idol of Vishnu in the temple. Near the temple is a hot water sulphur spring, Tapt Kund.

Garhwali Dance

The people of Garhwal are an interesting ethnic blend. They speak Garhwali, closely related to Hindi (Nepali is a dialect of Garhwali); their religion is Hinduism. In appearance, they cover the map, ranging from light-skinned, brown haired (I even saw a couple of redheads), with European features (Eastern Europeans, in particular) to light-skinned, brown-haired, with more Tibetan/ East Asian features, to "red" skinned, to brown-skinned, and black haired, with or without varying degrees of the epicanthic fold. And all these different looks, that in the US might pass for different "races," were intermixed as the same people, in the same communities. We saw a demonstration of traditional Garhwali folk dance and I was surprised to see that it was nearly identical to Eastern European folk dance, and distinctly different from folk dance styles from other parts of India. It made me wonder about the population migrations and mixtures across the region in the centuries past. But so far, I haven't found anything informative on the subject.

Garhwali Song

Surma Sarela A Song By Narendra Singh Negi Ji

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Chamoli

Chamoli, the abode of gods, is famous for its shrines and temples. Chamoli is situated near the river Alaknanda on the way to Badrinath. Chamoli lies in the arms of the heavenly Himalayas and is full of natural beauty. These mountain ranges, rivers and valleys are associated wit several Gods & Goddesses.

The celebrated shrine of Badrinath, a famous pilgirmage of Hindus, the well known "Valley of Flower" and Auli Bugyal are situated here. Today, this snow clad peaks which are a delight for adventure loving tourists. Gopeshwar is the district headquarter of chamoli and is situated at a height of 1308 mts.

Pauri Garhwal

Pauri is located in the Garhwal region of Uttaranchal. Pauri Garhwal is blessed with splendid view of snow-bound peaks of Himalayas, scenic valleys & surround ings, meandering rivers, dense forests and hospitable people with a rich culture.With a diverse topography, the district of Pauri Garhwal varies from the foothills of the ‘Bhabar' areas of Kotdwara to the soul-lifting meadows of Dhudatoli, sprawling at an altitude of 3,000 meters. Dhudatoli remains covered by snow through the winter months.

Garhwal Region

The Garhwal Himalayas area is remote and mountainous, filled with oak forests and alpine meadows. The forests are home to a number of endangered animal species and have historically been managed by local community institutions. In recent years, however, overgrazing and overharvesting in government-controlled forestlands has begun to threaten the area's biodiversity. The districts of Garhwal are Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Pauri.