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North Uttar
Pradesh Population:
170 million Uttar Pradesh has some of the most visited tourist sites in India. In Agra there is the famous Taj Mahal and also the impressive Agra Fort. Nearby is the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri. The city of Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges, is considered to be one of the most holy cities in India. In the north are the peaceful hill stations of Mussoorie and Nainital, which are good places to relax. Corbett Tiger Reserve is one of the most popular wildlife parks in India. Uttar Pradesh has some of the most important holy places in India. Mathura was where Lord Krishna was born, and Vrindavan is where he had his childhood pastimes. Both these places can easily be visited while traveling between Delhi and Agra. Ayodhya is where Lord Rama ruled, and at Allahabad the Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati Rivers meet. This is where one of the Kumbha-mela festivals is held every twelve years. South of Allahabad is Chitrakut, where Lord Rama is said to have spent 11 years in the forest while he was in exile. There is also Naimisaranya, which is located about 100km from Lucknow. In northern Uttar Pradesh are the important pilgrimage cities of Haridwar and Rishikesh. Further up into the mountains are the source of the Yamuna at Yamunotri and the source of the Ganges at Gangotri. Near these two places are Badrinath where there is an important Vishnu temple, and Kedarnath, where there is an important Siva temple. Also in Uttar Pradesh are two important places in reference to Lord Buddha’s life—Sarnath, where he preached his first important sermon, and Kushinagar, where he passed away. The
area that became Uttar Pradesh was part of Ashoka’s great empire
over 2,000 years ago. Beginning in the 12th century Muslim invaders
started taking over parts of Uttar Pradesh and eventually in the 16th
century it came under the control of the Mughal Empire. After the
Upraising of 1857, most of this area came under the control of the
British and was called the United Province. After Independence it
was renamed Uttar Pradesh. There are some popular hill stations here, including Mussoorie, Nainital and Almora. Two important holy places are Haridwar and Rishikesh. The Ganges River meets the plains at these places. There are also several important pilgrimage sites, such as Badrinath and Kedarnath. Also the two most holy rivers in India, the Ganges and the Yamuna start here. Information From Chilla, 13km east of Haridwar, you can get an elephant ride for Rs 200 per elephant (up to four people). Jeeps can be rented in Chilla. You pay the entry fee and book elephant rides at the Forest Ranger’s office near the Tourist Bungalow in Chilla. There is a lookout one km from the entry gate where wildlife can be viewed. Practicalities There
are Forest Rest Houses in the park. They are booked at the Chief Forest
Office, Tilak Rd, Dehra Dun or by writing Rajaji National Park (621-669),
5/1 Ansari Marg, Dehra Dun. There are five confluences (prayags) of the Ganges on the way to Badrinath. A confluence is when two rivers meet. This is considered to be an especially auspicious place. The main branch of the Ganges is the Bhagirathi, which originates at Gaumukh, 18km east of Gangotri. The five confluences are located on the route between Rishikesh and Badrinath and many pilgrims bathe at all five sangams (confluences) before having darshan at Badrinath. To visit all five places would be difficult without your own transport. Deva Prayag (Deoprayag) (610m) is the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alakananda. It is 90km from Rishikesh. At this point the river takes the name Ganges. It is the second most important confluence in India, next to Prayag (Allahabad), where the Yamuna, Ganges, and Saraswati meet. In Treta-yuga, Lord Rama and Laksman performed a yajna (sacrifice) here to atone for killing Ravana, who was a Brahmin. There is an ancient Raghunath Temple here with a 4.5m (15 ft) tall deity of Sri Rama (Raghunath). It was installed about 1,250 years ago and is one of the 108 most important Vishnu temples in India (Divya Desams). In front of the temple is Garuda and to the left is Annapurna. Behind the temple and slightly up a hill is Vamana’s cave. Nearby is Lord Rama’s stone throne. There is a Tourist Bungalow here, which is a pleasant place to stay. Rudra Prayag (618m) is where the Mandakini from Sri Kedarnath meets the Alakananda. There is a large temple of Rudranath here. Nearby is a place where Narada Muni is said to have performed austerities. At this point the river is very forceful and moves quickly. Rudra Prayag is 70km north of Deoprayag. The Alakananda has flowed 159km from Badrinath to reach here. There is a Tourist Bungalow here. Karna Prayag (788m) is where the Alakananda meets the Pindar Ganga (from the Pindar Glacier). Karna, the half-brother of the Pandavas from the Mahabharata, is said to have performed austerities here to please Surya Deva and Rudra. Karna Prayag is 34km from Rudraprayag. Nanda Prayag (914m) is a small confluence of the Nandakini and Alakananda. Ravana is said to have done austerities here, and Nanda Maharaja (Krishna’s father) is said to have performed a great sacrifice here. Dushyantha married Sakunthala here, and Kanva Rishi had his ashram at this place. There is a Gopalji temple here. Nanda
Prayag is 21km from Karna Prayag. Joshimath
on the way to Badrinath. Mount
Support can change money, but does so at a poor rate. Ceeway
Resort, a five-minute walk from the main bazaar, is a recommended
place with nice double rooms for Rs 275. Between
Uttarkashi and Gangotri There
is a nice Tourist Bungalow well situated next
to the river in Harsil, 30km before Gangotri. Srinagar The best place is the Nigam Tourist Bungalow, which has rooms for Rs 200 up to Rs 400. It should be booked in advance. On the main road are the Hotel Alpine, with rooms for Rs 400, the Hotel Menka, with rooms for Rs 375, and the Hotel New Rajhans, with rooms for Rs 350. By the evening most of these places will be booked. Hotel
Uttarakhand, down a side-road, is a decent place that has rooms with
common bath for Rs 275 and with attached bath for Rs 400. If all the
hotels on the main road are full, this place will probably still have
a room available. Guptakashi has two main temples dedicated to Ardhanareeswara (Gauri-shankar) and Viswanath. In front of the Viswanath Temple is a small kund called Manikarnika. Water coming from a Ganesh head and from a cow’s head flow into the kund. Water from one is called the Ganges, and water from the other is called the Yamuna. It is believed that the water comes from Gangotri and Yamunotri. Guptakashi is 45km south of Kedarnath. If you arrive here after dark there is a good chance you will have to stop here, as the road is closed for the night at this point. There are a few basic lodges and a GMVN Tourist Lodge. The Mandakini Lodge has decent doubles for Rs 300. The Rajhans Tourist Lodge has decent rooms for Rs 250. The Nigam Tourist Guest House has rooms for Rs 300 to Rs 350 and dorm beds for Rs 75. There is also a rest house here run by the Badari-Kedar temple committee. The town of Agastmuni, 25km before Guptakashi, is where Agastya Muni is said to have meditated. There is an Agastya temple there. Triyugi
Narayana You could start at Kedarnath. From there you return to Guptakashi and then go to Ukhimath and continue on to Mansuna village. From Mansuna village it is a 24km trek to Madhyamaheswar (3,497m), which is 30km from Guptakashi. You can stop at Ransi overnight, and then you go to Gondhar (3km) and climb 10km to Madhyamaheswar. The temple here is a small stone temple dedicated to the middle (madhya) part of the bull-Siva. Tungnath (3,680m or 2,065 ft) is the highest (in altitude) temple in India. It is surrounded by striking mountains such as Neelkanth, Kedarnath, and Nanda Devi. The Siva temple here is on a stone paved platform overlooking a cliff. Tungnath represents the arm of Lord Siva. There are five silver faces of the Pandavas along with deities of Vyasadeva and Kalabhairava in the temple. There is also a small Parvati temple here. You get here by trekking from Chopta (7km, 4 hr), which is 37km from Ukhimath. At Chopta there is a GMVN Tourist Bungalow that has rooms with attached baths. To
get the Kalpeswara Temple (2,100m), you first travel
by bus to the village of Helang, 14km south of Joshimath. From Helang
you walk 9km to the village of Urgam, which has basic accommodation
and food. From there it is a 1.5km walk to Kalpeswara Temple, which
is dedicated to the jata (hair) of Lord Siva. It is a rock temple
that is entered through a cave. GMVN has a Tourist Rest House at Auli (013712 2226) and at Joshimath (01389 2118). The GMVN offers skiing packages, which includes a place to stay, meals, equipment and lessons for Rs 1800 for seven days and Rs 3000 for 14 days. You can book in advance at the General Manager, GMVN, 74/1 Rajpur Rd, Dehra Dun, UP ((0135) 656-817; fax 24408). You can contact the GMVN office in Rishikesh (01364 30799) for information. Between
Joshimath & Badrinath Pandukeswar
is 4km further up the road. This town is the site of the Yogadhyan
Badri Temple, one of the five Badri temples. The utsava-murti of Badri
Vishal is brought here from Badrinath during the six winter months,
from November to May. From Ghangaria, if you follow the Laxman Ganga River, you reach Lake Hemkund (4,340m). In the Granth Sahib, the Sikh Guru Gobind Singh writes that in his previous life he meditated on the shore of a lake, that was surrounded by seven snow-capped mountains. The bank of Hemkund Lake is accepted as this place. There is a large gurudwara (Sikh temple) and a small Laksman (Lord Rama’s younger brother) temple at Lake Hemkund. Laksman is said to have meditated by the lake and regained his health here after Meghnath, the son of Ravana, seriously wounded him. You cannot stay here overnight, but have to stay at Ghangaria. To
reach either the Valley of Flowers or Hemkund, you start from Govind
Ghat (1,800m), which is about 25km south of Badrinath on the road
to Joshimath (20km away). There is a large Sikh Gurudwara where you
can stay for a donation. You then walk 15km (a hard climb) from Govind
Ghat to the village of Ghangaria, where there are basic lodges, gurudwaras,
and a GMVN Tourist Bungalow with a dormitory. From there it is a four
km walk to the Valley of Flowers. To get to Hemkund you leave the
main path to the Valley of Flowers and take a path 4km to the right. The KMVN Tourist Bungalow has rooms for Rs 350. It has a restaurant. You can stay in rooms in private homes here. The Rajmahal, opposite the Siva temple, is a fairly good place to eat. From
Artola, 3km away on the main road, buses depart to places in the Kumaon
area. Two buses daily go to Haldwani via Almora, which is where the
closest railway station is located. There
is a run-down KMVN Tourist Bungalow here with rooms for Rs 350. The
Forest Rest House is good, but it has to be booked in advance at the
forest department in Almora. A taxi to here from Almora is around
Rs 250. The KMVN Tourist Bungalow, 2km from the temple, has rooms for Rs 350. There
are buses to Almora (90km) and Nainital (155km south). Where
to Stay Travel To
get to Baijnath by taxi cost Rs 250 one way or Rs 400 roundtrip. From
Banbassa it is a 20 minutes rickshaw ride to the border at Mahendrenagar.
There are direct buses from there to Kathmandu (26 hr) and Nepalganj
(9 hr). From Nepalganj you can get a bus to Kathmandu (16 hr) and
Pokhara (15 hr). At 1650m, Pithoragarh is a pleasant place, with good places to take walks. The walk to Chandak (7km) has good views. The UP Tourist Office (22527), at Siltham, is useful for trekking information. Pithoragarh has a good market where trekking supplies can be purchased. There
are several hotels here. There are buses to Almora (6 hr, 2 daily), Tanakpur (165km south, the closest railway station), Nainital (8 hr, 190km southwest, 1 daily), Haldwani and Delhi. Munsiari There is a KMVN Tourist Bungalow here. There are buses to Pithorgarh for Nainital and Thal for Almora. Rupa
(Roopa) Kund If you know of information that is not listed here, or if you would like to help update our listings, please e-mail us at:
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