Uttarakhand - An Abode of Gods and A Trekker's Pilgrimage

Uttarakhand, country's 27th state, with a population of nearly 8.5 million people is divided into 13 districts. All the districts are attached to the mighty Himalayas with some well-known pilgrimage spots as well as trek routes, which earn billions or rupees every year.

Buses, cars, road-side eateries, hotels for night stays, ponies used for carrying loads as well as people sometimes, tents, guides and porters used in unmarked paths-all of these add a significant amount of revenue generation for the state.

Apart from national parks and sanctuaries which attract thousands of tourists round the year, the famous shrines and temples bring in millions of pilgrims from time immemorial. People from around the globe visit these shrines, mainly to pay respect to our Hindu gods and goddesses and to our ancient Hindu culture.

Shrines like Kedar, Badri, Gangotri and Yamonotri are the most popular sites along with Panch Kedar and Sapta Badri. There are a few shrines of other religions as well like the one in Hemkund Sahib for Sikhs which is visited in the months of July and August.

There are a few lesser known temples in Uttarakhand which have been listed in Archaeological Survey of India, like Surya temple in the village of Kosi-Katarmal and Jageswar (Shiva) temples in the district of Almora and Baijnath temple in Bageswar district, to name a few intricately curved old shrines.

There are few places which are well known for their religious as well as trekking importance like Panch Kedar-Kedarnath, Tunganath, Rudranath, Madmaheswar and Kalpeswar, out of which, Kedarnath is the most visited shrine and Sapta Badri, a group of seven Badri temples of Hindu mythology.

People who want to spend their holidays on adventure seek for trek routes and there are innumerable destinations of such interests which not only charm our eyes with their scenic beauty but also refresh our souls.

Since earlier times, trekkers have hiked through the dense forests and snow-clad mountain passes to reach Roop Kund, Pindari- Kafni -Sundardunga glaciers, Gaumukh-Badrinath via Kalindi pass, Hemkund Sahib-Valley of Flowers National Park, Sangla Valley from garhwal through Rupin pass.

Some recently added destinations like Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, Har-ki Dun etc. to add with numerous others like Deoria Tal near Ukhimath, Dodital near Uttarkashi, Satopanth Tal near Badrinath, Kedar Tal and Vasuki Tal near Kedarnath, Khatling and Milam glaciers, Kuari pass, Panwali Bugyal to name a few.

Apart from the shrines and temples of Hindu gods and goddesses, Tals and Glaciers are chief attractions of this paradise. As they are the main sources of various rivers of northern India. If one is really interested to know about India and its natural beauty, these are the best places for doing that. The tranquility and charismatic power of the Himalayas would be definitely an unforgettable experience.

These places are called trekkers' paradise but they are more like a pilgrimage as one has to meet the nature with the most devoted mind and the available resources to make one comfortable. Along with profound energy of body to reach out some of the toughest routes like these, you need a lot of experience and knowledge about the Himalayas and its environment.

The serenity and beauty rest by each other and one has to understand the magic of that amazing surrounding in solitude. The majestic Himalayas have challenged people a thousand times, from our glorious past, but it never forgives those with ignorance, impatience and inexperience.

By : Sujata_Mukherjee