OVERVIEW
Uttarakhand is one of the newest states in India. It was carved out of Uttar Pradesh on November, 2000. Located in the northern part of India, it is also called Dev Bhoomi (literally, Land of Gods). It shares its borders with Nepal in the East, Himachal Pradesh in the West, Uttar Pradesh in the South and China in the North.
Most of the northern part of the state lies in Greater Himalaya ranges. The rivers flowing through massive rocks and beautiful pine trees make the state picture perfect. The provisional capital of Uttarakhand is Dehradun, which is the largest city and rail-head in the region. The small hamlet of Gairsen was proposed to be capital of the state due to its location, but because of the lack of resources Dehradun was declared the provisional capital.
Settled in Himalayas, it is the origin of Ganga and Yamuna rivers along with Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath, that together make ‘Char Dham’(four pilgrim spots combined into one). The Panch Prayag- Karnaprayag, Vishnuprayag, Rudraprayag, Nandaprayag, and Devprayag, is where Ganga meets its tributaries on its and forms five sacred sangams.
The state is divided in two divisions – Kumaon and Garhwal, both have beautiful natural sceneries, with series of magnificent mountain peaks that is home to trekkers from all over the globe. The Valley of Flowers, a world heritage site designated by UNESCO, well known for having many rare and variety of flora species, is located in Josimath in Garhwal.
The major industries of the state that caters to its economy are horticulture, floriculture, biotechnology, Agro and packaging industry and, information on communication technology. Tourism helps in development of economy and government has taken it up as a thrust sector. Uttarakhand Tourism Board is the apex body for tourism in North India.
The people of Uttarakhand follow vegetarian diet and many of their cuisines include spices and herbs. Coarse grain with high fibre content is widely used. Distinct festivals like Jaunsari, Tharu, Bhotia, Buksha and Raji and are celebrated with pomp and grandeur.
