Travel Garhwal Destination

Garhwal in the northern state of Uttranchal is an exceptional destination with charming surroundings. Garhwal is smack in the middle of the Himalayas, with Himachal Pradesh in the West and North-West; Tibet in the North; the plains of Western Uttar Pradesh in the South and Kumaon in the East. Garhwal is an administrative division of the raising state of Uttaranchal, comprising the districts of Chamoli, Dehradun, Pauri, Tehri and Uttarkashi. The history of Garhwal is older than that of the Ramayan and Mahabharata. Garhwal is a storehouse of antiquity a Mecca for the devout and a heaven for adventure sports like river rafting, aero sports & skiing. Making it an essential on the itinerary of adventure lovers, pleasure seekers and pilgrims alike.

The snow-wrapped mountains, luxuriant meadows, high-altitude lakes and impenetrable forests in the hills of Garhwal support exotic wildlife, bird life and plant life. The beautiful creations of nature in the Garhwal region add a bit of splendour to nature's wealth that dwells in its surrounding.

Garhwal comprises of the seven districts - Dehradun, Haridwar, Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Pauri, Tehri and Rudraprayag. The region is a unique mix of diverse geographical, demographic and social characteristics, heightened by an intensified sense of religiosity. Garhwal is the supreme haven for the devout, and the home of varied flora & fauna. Garhwal also has immense scope for adventure sports like river rafting, aero-sports and skiing. There is ample scope for wildlife watching also, making it an essential entry on the itinerary of adventure lovers, pleasure seekers and pilgrims, alike.

The sacred shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri & Yamunotri are located here and so are the source of the most revered rivers Ganga and Yamuna. The legendary valleys of Garhwal blooming with natural beauty, also offer an unique style of hill temple architecture and fantastic handicrafts.

Garhwal is flourishing with natural resources, which can be seen especially in its surroundings. Nature is at its very best in the Garhwal Region. The entire region is blooming in abundance with varied vegetations. A large number of nature lovers, environmentalists and tourists descend upon the region every year. But, If you want to behold the beauty of Garhwal in a reserved region then visit Govind Wildlife Sanctuary, Nanda Devi National Park, Rajaji National Park and Kedarnath Sanctuary.

Garhwal Trekking Tours

Garhwal himalayas is one of the most popular trekking destinations in India. Every year thousands of tourist came here for trekking and other adventure activities.

The beauty of Garhwal hills is picture perfect, a fusion of high mountain valley and lakes, of many streams and among India's greatest rivers. Carmine rhododendron blooms and scarlet flame of the forest blossoms are luminous in jungles of dense green, while the faith of an old people has kept alive a lifestyle that dates back by several centuries. In other words the Garhwal hills are a vertible paradise for trekkers.

Trekking in Garhwal.Com ( Subsidiary of Peak adventure tours ) provides all the trekking and adventure services regarding Trekking in Garhwal Himalayas, Trekking tours in garhwal, Mountaineering expeditions and mountain biking tours to Garhwal, Uttarakhand.

Garhwal Himalayas Region: Garhwal, is a region and administrative division of Uttarakhand state, India, lying in the Himalayas. It is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by kumaon region and on the west by Himachal Pradesh state. It includes the districts of Chamoli, Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal and Uttarkashi.

It is believed that Garhwal was named so because of the fact that it had 52 Garhs of 52 petty chieftainships, each chief with his own independent fortress (garh). Nearly 500 years ago, one of these chiefs, Ajai Pal, reduced all the minor principalities under his own sway, and founded the Garhwal kingdom.

Garhwal Himalaya has several wilderness trails through dense forests of Deodar, cypress, oak, pine and rhododendron that harbor a large variety of Himalayan faunas. These lead to lush verdant valleys and undulating green meadows carpeted with alpine flowers in summer. The blue and emerald lakes, majestic waterfalls, meandering rivers, rich thick forests, incredible mountains, green valleys and a wide range of flora and fauna including birds and butterflies, provide a glorious combination. The legendary Ganges, Yamuna and many rivers originate in the Garhwal Himalayas.

Famous trekking routes in Garhwal Himalayas :

• Chandrashila Summit Trek
• Dodital Trekking
• Dehradun Mussoorie Trekking
• Gangotri-Gaumukh-Tapoban Trek
• Gangotri-Badrinath Trekking
• Hem Kund-Valley Flowers Trekking
• Har Ki Dun Trek
• Kalindikhal Pass Trek
• Kedar Tal Trekking
• Khatling Trekking
• Kauri Tapovan Trekking Strenuous
• Kedarnath Vasuki Tal Trek
• Kempty Trekking
• Mussoorie Naqtibba Trek
• Nanda Devi Trek
• Outer Nanda Devi Sanctuary Trek
• Panch Kedar Trek
• Roop Kund Trekking
• Rishikesh Gopeshwar Trekking
• Rishikesh Pauri Binsar Trek
• Shivling Trekking
• The Source of the Ganges Trek
• Valley of Flowers Trekking
• Dayara Bugyal Trek

Hemkund Sahib In Garhwal

The high altitude Lokpal lake, known as Hemkund ( 4329 mts.) lies in heavenly environs. A steep trek from Ghangharia leads one to this spot in about four to six hours.

It is an important pilgrimage for both Hindus and Sikhs, as well as for people from other faiths. There is a Sikh Gurudwara and a Lakshman temple built on the bank of the lake.

Encircled by seven snow clad peaks and their associated glaciers, it reflects its surroundings enchantingly on its crystal clear serene waters. The glaciers from Hathi Parvat and Saptrishi peaks feed the lake and a small stream called Himganga flows out of this lake.

As alluded to, in the holy Granth Sahib, Guru Govind Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikh faith had meditated on the bank of this lake in one of his earlier births. It is widely believed among Sikhs that Guru Govind Singh introduced the features now universally associated with Sikhism. On 15th April 1699, he started the new brotherhood called the Khalsa (meaning the pure, from the Persian word 'Khales') an inner core of the faithful, accepted by baptism (amrit).


The five K's' date from this period: kesh (uncut hair) kangha (comb), kirpan (dagger or short sword), kara (steel bangle), and kachh (boxer shorts). The most important is the uncut hair, adopted before the other four. The comb is sometime designated specially as wooden. The dagger and the shorts reflect military influence, while the bangle may be a from of charm.

It is believed that Lakshman, the younger brother of Ram, meditated by the lake and regained his health after being severely wounded by Meghnath, son of the demon Ravana, during battle.

Despite its ancient connections, Hemkund/Lokpal was discovered by a Sikh Havaldar, Solan Singh and became a major pilgrimage centre only after 1930.