- published: 02 Dec 2011
- views: 4178
- author: Gabriel Morris
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- Aarti
- Adventure tourism
- Agritourism
- Almora
- Almora district
- Almora District
- Andhra Pradesh
- Anglo-Indian
- Anglo-Nepalese War
- Arunachal Pradesh
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- Bageshwar
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-
Almora
Almora (Hindi: अल्मोड़ा) is a municipal board, a cantonment town in the Almora district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Almora was founded in 1568.
It is a town bustling with activity and a rich cultural heritage and history. It is considered the cultural heart of the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand.
Almora is located at 29°37′N 79°40′E / 29.62°N 79.67°E / 29.62; 79.67. It has an average elevation of 1,651 metres (5,417 feet). It is located on a ridge at the southern edge of the Kumaon Hills of the Himalaya range. In the shape of a horse saddle shaped hillock, it is surrounded by thick forests of pine and fir trees. Flowing alongside the city are rivers of Koshi, (Kaushiki), and Suyal (Salmale). The snow capped Himalayas can be seen in the background.Almora got its name from "Kilmora" a short plant found nearby region. during olden days people living near Almora plug Kilmora plant for washing the utensils of "Katarmal Temple". Soon the people bringing Kilmora were called Kilmori and later "Almori". So the place from where Almori comes came to be known as "Almora".
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Almora District
Almora district (Hindi: अल्मोड़ा जिला) is a district of Uttarakhand state, India. The headquarters is at Almora.
Almora is a district in the Kumaun division of Uttarakhand in India. Almora is known for its cultural heritage, handicrafts, cuisine and wildlife.[citation needed]
The ancient town of Almora, before its establishment was under the possession of Katyuri king Baichaldeo. He donated major part of this land to a Gujrati Brahmin Sri Chand Tiwari Later on when Chand kingdom was founded in Baramandal, the town of Almora was founded at this centrally located place in 1568 by Kalyan Chand.[citation needed] In the days of the Chand Kings it was called Rajapur. The name 'Rajpur' is also mentioned over a number of ancient copper plates.
The present king of kumaon is Mahendra Chand of Lamakhet, he is married to Gita Chand of Rina and has three childrens (Aakanksha Chand, Mallika Chand, Aryan Chand)
In the 1960s Bageshwar district, Pithoragarh district and Champawat district had not yet been formed and were part of Almora district.
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Almora district
Almora district (Hindi: अल्मोड़ा जिला) is a district of Uttarakhand state, India. The headquarters is at Almora.
Almora is a district in the Kumaun division of Uttarakhand in India. Almora is known for its cultural heritage, handicrafts, cuisine and wildlife.[citation needed]
The ancient town of Almora, before its establishment was under the possession of Katyuri king Baichaldeo. He donated major part of this land to a Gujrati Brahmin Sri Chand Tiwari Later on when Chand kingdom was founded in Baramandal, the town of Almora was founded at this centrally located place in 1568 by Kalyan Chand.[citation needed] In the days of the Chand Kings it was called Rajapur. The name 'Rajpur' is also mentioned over a number of ancient copper plates.
The present king of kumaon is Mahendra Chand of Lamakhet, he is married to Gita Chand of Rina and has three childrens (Aakanksha Chand, Mallika Chand, Aryan Chand)
In the 1960s Bageshwar district, Pithoragarh district and Champawat district had not yet been formed and were part of Almora district.
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Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh /ˌɑːndrə prəˈdɛʃ/ is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the country's southeastern coast. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Hyderabad. Andhra Pradesh lies between 12°41' and 22°N latitude and 77° and 84°40'E longitude, and is bordered by Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Orissa in the north, the Bay of Bengal in the east, Tamil Nadu to the south and Karnataka to the west.
Andhra Pradesh has the second-longest coastline of 972 km (604 mi) among the states of India. Two major rivers, the Godavari and the Krishna, run across the state. The small enclave (30 square kilometres (12 sq mi)) of Yanam, a district of Pondicherry, lies in the Godavari delta in the northeast of the state. The state is separated into three regions: Telangana, Andhra, and Rayalaseema.
The primary official language of Andhra Pradesh is Telugu and the co-official language is Urdu. Other languages often spoken in the state include Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada, and Oriya.
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Assam
Assam /əˈsæm/ (Assamese: অসম) also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province (British India), is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country[citation needed]. Assam was one of the original provinces of the British ruled Indian sub-continent and among the original provinces of present day India, having a legislature that dates back to 1937. However, present day Assam has undergone numerous territory alignment changes, with its state map being altered more than any other province's. Known for exquisite natural resources, geography and its important role in India's freedom struggle; Assam has its capital as Dispur, an especialized city circuit region located on the outskirts of its largest metropolis, Guwahati.
Assam is particularly famous for its natural beauty. The landscape includes tea gardens, the river Brahmaputra, and many historical monuments and temples. Swami Vivekananda once said that, "next only to Kashmir, Assam is the most beautiful place in India" A state with an abundance of forest, Assam also has five national parks, around half a dozen other wildlife sanctuaries, and is home to two-thirds of the population of the unique one-horned rhino. When it comes to wildlife, Assam too has successfully conserved the one-horned Indian rhinoceros from near extinction, along with the tiger and numerous species of birds, and it provides one of the last wild habitats for the Asian elephant. It is becoming an increasingly popular destination for wildlife tourism, and Kaziranga and Manas are both World Heritage Sites.
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Badrinath
Badrinath is a Hindu/Jain holy town and a nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the most important of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage. The town gets its name from the Holy temple of Badrinath. The deity of Badrinath worshiped as an avatar of Vishnu by Hindus is regarded as "Adinath / Rishabdev" [1st Trithankar] by Jains. This indicates best unity between Jains and Hindus.
Badrinath is located at 30°44′N 79°29′E / 30.73°N 79.48°E / 30.73; 79.48. It has an average elevation of 3,415 metres (11,204 feet). It is in the Garhwal hills, on the banks of the Alaknanda River. The town lies between the Nar and Narayana mountain ranges and in the shadow of Nilkantha peak (6,560m). Badrinath is located 301 km north of Rishikesh. From Gaurikund (near Kedarnath) to Badrinath by road is 233 km.
Badrinath was re-established as a major pilgrimage site by Adi Shankara in the ninth century. In recent years its popularity has increased significantly, with an estimated 600,000 pilgrims visiting during the 2006 season, compared to 90,676 in 1961. The temple in Badrinath is also a sacred pilgrimage site for Vaishnavites.
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Badrinath temple
Badrinath temple (Hindi/Garhwali: बद्रीनाथ मंदिर, Tamil:பத்ரிநாத், Malayalam: ബദരിനാഥ്), sometimes called Badrinarayan temple, is situated along the Alaknanda river, in the hill town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand state in India. It is widely considered to be one of the holiest Hindu temples, and is dedicated to god Vishnu. The temple and town are one of the four Char Dham and Chota Char Dham pilgrimage sites. It is also one of the 108 Divya Desams, holy shrines for Vaishnavites. The temple is open only six months every year (between the end of April and the beginning of November), due to extreme weather conditions in the Himalayan region.
Several murtis are worshipped in the temple. The most important is a one meter tall statue of Vishnu as Lord Badrinarayan, made of black Saligram stone. The statue is considered by many Hindus to be one of eight swayam vyakta kshetras, or self-manifested statues of Vishnu. The murti depicts Vishnu sitting in meditative posture, rather than His far more typical reclining pose. In November each year, when the town of Badrinath is closed, the image is moved to nearby Jyotirmath.
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Badrinath Temple
Badrinath temple (Hindi/Garhwali: बद्रीनाथ मंदिर, Tamil:பத்ரிநாத், Malayalam: ബദരിനാഥ്), sometimes called Badrinarayan temple, is situated along the Alaknanda river, in the hill town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand state in India. It is widely considered to be one of the holiest Hindu temples, and is dedicated to god Vishnu. The temple and town are one of the four Char Dham and Chota Char Dham pilgrimage sites. It is also one of the 108 Divya Desams, holy shrines for Vaishnavites. The temple is open only six months every year (between the end of April and the beginning of November), due to extreme weather conditions in the Himalayan region.
Several murtis are worshipped in the temple. The most important is a one meter tall statue of Vishnu as Lord Badrinarayan, made of black Saligram stone. The statue is considered by many Hindus to be one of eight swayam vyakta kshetras, or self-manifested statues of Vishnu. The murti depicts Vishnu sitting in meditative posture, rather than His far more typical reclining pose. In November each year, when the town of Badrinath is closed, the image is moved to nearby Jyotirmath.
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Baleshwar Temple
Baleshwar Temple is ancient temple dedicated to Shiva, situated within city of Champawat in Uttarakhand.
Built by the rulers of the Chand dynasty, Baleshwar Temple is a marvelous symbol of stone carving. There isn't any historical manuscript that dates the Baleshwar temple, however it is believed to have been built between the tenth and twelfth century AD.
The main Baleshwar temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva (who is also known as Baleshwar). There are two other temples in the compound of Baleshwar, one dedicated to Ratneshwar and other to Champawati Durga. The temple is an example of South Indian Architecture with magnificent stone carving works. Close to the Baleshwar Temple is a "Naula" (freshwater resource) which has now dried up. On the day of Mahashivratri, a very crowded fair is held in the Baleshwar Temple compound.
The exteriors of Ratneshwar and Champawati Durga temples are carved with the different posters of the local deities.
Baleshwar temples at Champawat has been declared an Indian National Heritage Monument and has been looked after by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) since 1952.
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Bihar
Bihar (/bɨˈhɑr/, pronounced [bɪˈɦaːr] (
listen)) is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at 38,202 sq mi (98,940 km2) and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India.
Bihar lies mid-way between West Bengal in the east and Uttar Pradesh in the west. It is bounded by the country of Nepal to the north and by Jharkhand to the south. The Bihar plain is divided into two parts by the river Ganges which flows through the middle from west to east. Bihar has notified forest area of 6,764.14 km2, which is 6.8% of its geographical area. Hindi and Urdu are the official languages of the state, while the majority of the people speak Angika, Bhojpuri, Magadhi, Maithili and Bajjika. In 2000, Bihar was divided into 2 parts, the Southern part known as Jharkhand.
Ancient Bihar (which consisted of Anga, Videha/Mithila, Magadha and Vajji/Vrijji) was a centre of power, learning and culture in ancient and classical India. Out of five "The Greats" from India, four greats belonged to this region of India, Magadh: Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka, Samudragupta and Vikramaditya. From Magadha arose India's first and greatest empire, the Maurya empire as well as one of the world's most widely adhered-to religions, Buddhism. Magadha empires, notably under the Maurya and Gupta dynasties, unified large parts of South Asia under a central rule. Its capital Patna, earlier known as Pataliputra, was an important centre of Indian civilization.Nalanda and Vikramshila were centres of learning established in the 5th and 8th century respectively in Bihar, and are counted amongst the oldest and truly international universities, where people all over the world came to study. Bihar has distinction of giving the world its first democracy through Lichchivi (modern days Vaishali) during ancient era.
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Chamba, Uttarakhand
Chamba (Devanagari:चंबा) is a town and a nagar panchayat in Tehri Garhwal district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is situated at the junction of roads leading from Mussoorie, Rishikesh, Tehri Dam/ Lake and New Tehri.
Its nearby tourist places are Dhanaulti, Surkanda Devi Temple, Ranichauri, New Tehri, and Kanatal, midway through Chamba-Dhanaulti road.
About 50 km from Mussoorie is the small hill town of Chamba, Uttaranchal. Chamba is yet another of those destinations which still stand oblivious to most tourists and therefore unspoilt and fresh like a daisy for the lucky few who venture out seeking new places to explore and enjoy Chamba is at an altitude of 1600 mt above sea level. Again really unspoilt and with lot of pines and deodar and good views. Unlike Mussoorie, the place is very quiet and picturesque and an excellent place to relax to wash your city blues. One can reach Chamba in about 7-8 hrs from Delhi via Hardwar, Rishikesh and Narendranagar (290 km). One can also combine stay at Chamba with one at Mussoorie or Dhanolti and reach via Dehradun, Mussoorie and Dhanolti.
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Champawat
Champawat (Hindi: चम्पावत) is a town and a nagar panchayat in Champawat district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Champawat district.
Champwat is believed to the place where the Kurmavtar (the turtle incarnation of Lord Vishnu) took place.
Champawat was formerly the capital of the Chand dynasty rulers. The Baleshwar Temple built by the Chand rulers in 16th century is an excellent monument with marvelous stone carving works.
The present king of Kumaon is Raja Mahendra Chand of Lamakhet, he is married to Rani Gita Chand of Rina and has three childrens (Rajkumari Aakanksha Chand, Rajkumari Mallika Chand, Rajkumar Aryan Chand)
Champawat was home to the Champawat Tiger.
Champawat is located at 29°20′N 80°06′E / 29.33°N 80.10°E / 29.33; 80.10. It has an average elevation of 1,610 metres (5,280 feet).
As of 2001[update] India census,<marquee> Champawat had a population of 3958. Males constitute 57% of the population and females 43%. Champawat has an average literacy rate of 73%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 78% and female literacy of 67%. 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.
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Chandigarh
Chandigarh /ˈtʃɑːndɨɡər/ is a city and union territory in India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is derived from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city. It is also referred to as The City Beautiful due to its beautiful surroundings, central grid of gardens, each dedicated to different species of flora.
The city of Chandigarh was the first planned city in India and is known internationally for its architecture and urban design. The city has projects designed by architects such as Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Jane Drew, and Maxwell Fry. The city tops the list of Indian States and Union Territories with the highest per capita income in the country at Rs.99,262 at current prices and Rs.70,361 at constant prices (2006–2007). The city was reported in 2010 to be the "cleanest" in India, based on a national government study, and the territory also headed the list of Indian states and territories according to research conducted using 2005 data by Human Development Index.
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Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh /ˈtʃætɨsɡər/[citation needed] (Chhattisgarhi/Hindi: छत्तीसगढ़, pronounced [tʃʰət̪ˈt̪iːsɡəɽʱ] ( listen)) is a state in Central India. The state was formed on November 1, 2000 by partitioning 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking southeastern districts of Madhya Pradesh.
Raipur is the capital of the state of Chhattisgarh, which is the 10th-largest state in India, with an area of 135,190 km2 (52,200 sq mi). By population, it ranks as the 16th-largest state of the nation. It is an important electrical power and steel-producing state of India. Chhattisgarh produces 15% of the steel made in the country.
Chhattisgarh borders the states of Madhya Pradesh on the northwest, Maharashtra on the west, Andhra Pradesh on the south, Orissa on the east, Jharkhand on the northeast, and Uttar Pradesh on the north.
There are a wide array of opinions on the origin of the word Chhattisgarh. The name is not a very old one and has come into popular usage in the last few centuries. In ancient times, the region was called Dakshin Kosala (South Kosala). The name Chhattisgarh was popularized during the Maratha period and was first used in an official document in 1795.
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China
China (
i/ˈtʃaɪnə/; Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó; see also Names of China), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is the world's most-populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion. Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, the East Asian state is the world's second-largest country by land area, and the third- or fourth-largest in total area, depending on the definition of total area.
The People's Republic of China is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party of China. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four directly controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). Its capital city is Beijing. The PRC also claims Taiwan—which is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), a separate political entity—as its 23rd province, a claim controversial due to the complex political status of Taiwan and the unresolved Chinese Civil War. The PRC government denies the legitimacy of the ROC.
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Daman and Diu
Daman and Diu /dəˈmɑːn/ & /ˈdiːuː/ (
locally (help·info); Hindi: दमन और दीव, Gujarati: દમણ અને દીવ, Marathi: दमण आणि दीव, Portuguese: Damão e Diu) is a union territory in India.
For over 450 years, the coastal enclaves of Daman and Diu on the Arabian Sea coast were part of Portuguese India, along with Goa and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Goa, Daman, and Diu were incorporated into the Republic of India on 19 December 1961, by military conquest; Portugal did not recognize the Indian annexation of these territories until 1974. Goa, Daman, and Diu were administered as part of a single union territory until 1987, when Goa was granted statehood, leaving Daman and Diu as a separate union territory; each enclave constitutes one of the union territory's two districts.
English, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi are the official and main languages. The use of Portuguese goes on declining because it is no longer official nor taught at school, though a number of elderly people can still understand it, some even preferring it for discourse at home. In addition to standard Portuguese, there are two also shrinking Portuguese-based creole languages in Daman (known as Língua da Casa, "Home Language") and Diu (Língua dos Velhos, "Elders' Language"). English is increasingly accepted for official purposes.
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Dehradun
Dehra Dun, or Dehradun /ˌdɛrəˈduːn/ (Hindi: देहरादून, Dēharādūn), is the capital city of the State of Uttarakhand in north India. Located in the Garhwal region, it is 255 km north of India's capital New Delhi and consists of 6 tehsils, 6 community development blocks, 17 towns and 764 inhabited villages. The city has been chosen as one of the "Counter Magnets" of the National Capital Region (NCR) and is being developed as an alternative centre of growth to help ease the migration and population explosion in the Delhi metropolitan area.
Dehradun is renowned for its natural resources, publishing services, and for its prestigious educational institutions such as the Forest Research Institute (FRI), Indian Military Academy (IMA) and several day and boarding schools which are highly reputed across the country. It is also home to national foundations such as the Indian Institute of Petroleum, Survey of India, Wildlife Institute of India and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.
Located on the foothills of the Himalayas, the Doon Valley is nestled between two of India's mightiest rivers - the Ganges on the east and the Yamuna on the west. Dehradun is famous for its picturesque landscape and pleasant climate and provides a gateway to the surrounding region. It is well connected and in proximity to popular Himalayan tourist destinations such as Mussoorie, Nainital and Auli and the Hindu holy cities of Haridwar and Rishikesh along with the Himalayan pilgrimage circuit of Char Dham.
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Delhi
Delhi (/ˈdɛli/; locally pronounced Dillee or Dehli), officially the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT), is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16.7 million inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census. The region has been given special status of National Capital Region under The Constitution (69th Amendment) Act, 1991. There are nearly 22.2 million residents in the greater National Capital Region urban area (which also includes the cities Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon,Sonepat and Faridabad along with other smaller nearby towns).
Delhi is known to have been continuously inhabited since at least the 6th century BCE, though human habitation is believed to have existed since the second millennium BCE. Delhi is also widely believed to have been the site of Indraprastha, the legendary capital of the Pandavas during the times of the Mahabharata. Delhi re-emerged as a major political, cultural and commercial city along the trade routes between northwest India and the Gangetic plain after the rise of the Delhi sultanates. It is the site of many ancient and medieval monuments, archaeological sites and remains.
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Devprayag
Devprayag (Devaprayāg) (Devanagari: देव प्रयाग) is a town and a nagar panchayat (municipality) in Tehri Garhwal district in the state of Uttarakhand, India, and is one of the Panch Prayag (five confluences) of Alaknanda River and where the Ganges River is formed.
Traditionally, it is considered to be the place where sage Devasharma led his ascetic life, giving birth its present name, Devprayag. It is one of the five sacred confluences in the hills and is an important place of pilgrimage for devout Hindus.
"Devaprayaga" means "Holy Confluence" in Sanskrit. As per Hindu Scriptures, Devaprayaga is the sacred event of merging two heavenly rivers, Alakananda and Bhagirathi, to form the holy Ganges.
On a terrace in the upper part of the village is the temple of Raghunathji, built of huge stones, pyramidal in form and capped by a white cupola.
Devprayag is the home of the late Acharya Shri Pt. Chakradhar Joshi (a scholar in Astronomy and Astrology) who established Nakshatra Vedh Shala (an observatory) in the year 1946. This is located on a mountain called Dashrathanchal at Devprayag. The observatory is well equipped with two telescopes and many books to support research in astronomy. It also contains about 3000 manuscripts from 1677 AD onwards collected from various parts of country. Apart from the latest equipment, it also has the ancient equipment like Surya Ghati, Jal Ghati and Dhruv Ghati which showcase the pride of Bharatiya progress in the field of astronomy. Shri Dr. Prabhakar Joshi and Acharya Shri Bhaskar Joshi (Popularly known as Guruji) are currently in charge and caretakers of the observatory.
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Dhanaulti
Dhanaulti also known as Dhanolti, is a hill station 24 km (15 mi) from the popular hill station of Mussoorie, and 29 km (18 mi) from Chamba, as it is situated between the two.
It is situated at an altitude of 2286m, and is known for its quiet environs amidst the alpine forests of Deodar, Rhododendron and Oak.
The summer temperatures in the town, range from 32 °C to 37.5 °C, while winter temperatures remain between 7 °C and 1 °C.
Mussouri Forest Department is running Eco-huts for the tourists come to enjoy serene landscapes of Dhanaulti. These are built by green technology and are Eco-friendly.
It is 325 km (202 mi) from Delhi, an 8-9 hrs drive away. The nearest Airport is Jolly Grant Airport 82 km (51 mi) away, near Dehradun, and nearest railway head is at Dehradun, 66 km (41 mi) away.
View from Dhanaulti, Uttarakhand
Terrace fields near Dhanaulti
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Gairsain
Gairsen or Gairsain [ɡɛːrˈsɛːɳ]) is a village in Chamoli district in central Uttarakhand, India.
According to an old tale the name Gairsain comes from the Garhwali language. Gair means deep and sain means plane, referring to a place such as a valley, a plane area at the foot of hills.
It is situated in the center of the Garhwal and Kumaoun mandal. It is 1,750 metres (5,740 ft) high above sea level.
Gairsain is also the site of the source of the Ramganga River, the doodhatoli parwat where the Ramganga River rises.
Gairsain is just about 16 km from Almora border at the national highway 87 extension. Nearest railway station from Gairsain is Ramnagar which is 150 km away. Nearest airport is Gaucher which is about 54 km.
It is being seen as a future capital of Uttarakhand. Government of Uttarakhand had constituted Dixit commission for the search of a permanent capital which recommended Gairsain for the capital but the file related to this is gathering dust in Dehradun.
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Garhwal division
Coordinates: 30°30′N 78°30′E / 30.5°N 78.5°E / 30.5; 78.5 Garhwal (Hindi: गढ़वाल [ɡəɽʱʋaːl]) is the north-western region and administrative division of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand which is home to the Garhwali people. Lying in the Himalayas, It is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Kumaon region, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the north-west by Himachal Pradesh state. It includes the districts of Chamoli, Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal, and Uttarkashi. The people of Garhwal are known as Garhwali (गढ़वाली) and speak the Garhwali language (गढ़वाली भाषा). The administrative center for Garhwal division is the town of Pauri.
Garhwal the land of many ‘GAHRS’ meaning forts. This region was made up of many small forts which were ruled by chieftains. Therefore, the history of Garhwal before the dynastic rule of the ‘Panwar’ rulers is very obscure. Kanak Pal was the first ruler of the state of Garhwal in 823 AD.
The Garhwal Himalayas have nurtured civilization from the wee hours of history. It appears to have been a favorite locale for the voluminous mythology of the Puranic period. The traditional name of Garhwal was Uttarakhand and excavations have revealed that it formed part of the Mauryan Empire.
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Goa
Goai/ˈɡoʊ.ə/ is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast. Goa is India's richest state with a GDP per capita two and a half times that of the country as a whole. It was ranked the best placed state by the Eleventh Finance Commission for its infrastructure and ranked on top for the best quality of life in India by the National Commission on Population based on the 12 Indicators.
Panaji is the state's capital, while Vasco da Gama is the largest city. The historic city of Margao still exhibits the cultural influence of the Portuguese, who first landed in the early 16th century as merchants and conquered it soon thereafter. Goa is a former Portuguese colony, the Portuguese overseas territory of Portuguese India existed for about 450 years until it was annexed by India in 1961.
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Gujarat
Gujarat /ˌɡʊdʒəˈrɑːt/ (Gujarati: ગુજરાત Gujǎrāt [ɡudʒ(ə)ɾat] ( listen)) is a state in western India. It has an area of 75,686 sq mi (196,030 km2) with a coastline of 1,600 km, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula, and a population in excess of 60 million. The state is bordered by Rajasthan to the north, Maharashtra to the south, Madhya Pradesh to the east and the Arabian Sea as well as the Pakistani province of Sindh on the west. Its capital is Gandhinagar, while its largest city is Ahmedabad. Gujarat is home to the Gujarati-speaking people of India.
The state encompasses major sites of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, such as Lothal and Dholavira. Lothal is believed to be one of the world's first ports. Gujarat's coastal cities, chiefly Bharuch and Khambhat, served as ports and trading centers in the Maurya and Gupta empires. Mahatma Gandhi, India's "father of the nation", who led the Indian Independence Movement against the British colonial rule was a Gujarati.Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, independent India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister was also from Gujarat.
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Guptakashi
Guptakashi, Gupta Kashi or Guptkashi (Sanskrit: गुप्तकाशी) is a fairly large village located at an elevation of 1,319 metres (4,327 ft) in the Kedar-khanda ('khanda' means "sector"), in Garhwal Himalayas of Rudraprayag district in Uttrakhand, India. It is famous for the ancient Vishwanath Temple - dedicated to god Shiva - similar to the one in Varanasi (Kashi). The other famous temple here is dedicated to Ardhanareshvara (a half man half woman form of Shiva and Parvati). The name Guptakashi has legendary significance linked to the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Its religious importance is considered next to that of Varanasi, believed to be the most pious of all Hindu pilgrimage places.
The temple town is located on the way to the Kedarnath, one of the Chota Char Dhams and Panch Kedars. It has the scenic backdrop of the snow covered peaks of Chaukhamba and enjoys a salubrious weather throughout the year.
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Haridwar
Haridwar pronunciation (help·info) (also spelled Hardwar, Hindi: हरिद्वार) is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India. The River Ganges, after flowing for 253 kilometres (157 mi) from its source at Gaumukh at the edge of the Gangotri Glacier, enters the Indo-Gangetic Plains of North India for the first time at Haridwar, which gave the city its ancient name, Gangadwára.
Haridwar is regarded as one of the seven holiest places to Hindus. According to the Samudra manthan, Haridwar along with Ujjain, Nasik and Allahabad is one of four sites where drops of Amrit, the elixir of immortality, accidentally spilled over from the pitcher while being carried by the celestial bird Garuda. This is manifested in the Kumbha Mela being celebrated every 3 years in one of the 4 places, and thus every 12 years in Haridwar. Amidst the Kumbha Mela, millions of pilgrims, devotees, and tourists congregate in Haridwar to perform ritualistic bathing on the banks of the river Ganges to wash away their sins to attain Moksha. Brahma Kund, the spot where the Amrit fell, is located at Har ki Pauri (literally, "footsteps of the Lord") and is considered to be the most sacred ghat of Haridwar.
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Haryana
Haryana /ˌhɑriˈɑːnə/ is a state in India. Constituted in 1966, it is one of two newly created states carved out of the greater Punjab province as a means of creating a stronger national identity. It has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar (VS 1189-1230). It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south. The river Yamuna defines its eastern border with Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. Haryana also surrounds Delhi on three sides, forming the northern, western and southern borders of Delhi. Consequently, a large area of Haryana is included in the National Capital Region. The capital of the state is Chandigarh which is administered as a union territory and is also the capital of Punjab.
Sites in Haryana were part of the Indus Valley and Vedic Civilizations. Several decisive battles were fought in the area, which shaped much of the history of India. These include the epic battle of Mahabharata at Kurukshetra mentioned in the Hindu mythology (including the recital of the Bhagavad Gita by Krishna), and the three battles of Panipat. Haryana was administered as part of the Punjab province of British India, and was carved out on linguistic lines as India's 17th state in 1966. Haryana is now a leading contributor to the country's production of foodgrain and milk. Agriculture is the leading occupation for the residents of the state, the flat arable land irrigated by submersible pumps and an extensive canal system. Haryana contributed heavily to the Green Revolution that made India self-sufficient in food production in the 1960s.
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Hemkund
Hemkunt Sahib or Hemkund Sahib (Punjabi: ਹੇਮਕੁੰਟ ਸਾਹਿਬ) is a pilgrimage site for Sikhs in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India. With a setting of a glacial lake surrounded by seven mountain peaks and each peak is adorned by a Nishan Sahib on its cliff, it is located in the Himalayas at an elevation of 15,200 ft as per the Survey of India. It is accessible only by foot from Gobindghat on the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway.
Hemkunt Sahib is famous for the Sikh worship-place Gurudwara, known as Gurudwara Sri Hemkunt Sahib Ji, devoted to Guru Gobind Singh Ji (1666–1708), the tenth Sikh Guru, which finds mention in Dasam Granth, a piece of work narrated by Guru Gobind Singh Ji,Himself.
Hemkund is a Sanskrit name derived from Hem ("Snow") and Kund ("bowl"). Dasam Granth says this is the place where Pandu Raja practiced Yoga.
Bachitira Natak is an autobiographical account of incarnated life of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji as a powerful youth who was called into existence during Sat Yug, the 'era of truth' (the first of four ages according to Hindu mythology) to do battle with fierce demons that terrorized mortals and gods including Hindu deities and gods. When they had been destroyed, the youth, known as Dusht Daman, the 'destroyer of evil', was instructed to go to Hemkunt Sapatsring to meditate until he was called upon by God. Guru Gobind Singh's own account in Bachitra Natak completes this story. After realizing his oneness with God through meditation and austere discipline, he was reborn in Kal Yug, the 'age of darkness', as the son of the ninth Guru and his wife. Later, after his father's martyrdom, he became the tenth and final living Guru of the Sikhs.
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Hemkund Sahib
Hemkunt Sahib or Hemkund Sahib (Punjabi: ਹੇਮਕੁੰਟ ਸਾਹਿਬ) is a pilgrimage site for Sikhs in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India. With a setting of a glacial lake surrounded by seven mountain peaks and each peak is adorned by a Nishan Sahib on its cliff, it is located in the Himalayas at an elevation of 15,200 ft as per the Survey of India. It is accessible only by foot from Gobindghat on the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway.
Hemkunt Sahib is famous for the Sikh worship-place Gurudwara, known as Gurudwara Sri Hemkunt Sahib Ji, devoted to Guru Gobind Singh Ji (1666–1708), the tenth Sikh Guru, which finds mention in Dasam Granth, a piece of work narrated by Guru Gobind Singh Ji,Himself.
Hemkund is a Sanskrit name derived from Hem ("Snow") and Kund ("bowl"). Dasam Granth says this is the place where Pandu Raja practiced Yoga.
Bachitira Natak is an autobiographical account of incarnated life of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji as a powerful youth who was called into existence during Sat Yug, the 'era of truth' (the first of four ages according to Hindu mythology) to do battle with fierce demons that terrorized mortals and gods including Hindu deities and gods. When they had been destroyed, the youth, known as Dusht Daman, the 'destroyer of evil', was instructed to go to Hemkunt Sapatsring to meditate until he was called upon by God. Guru Gobind Singh's own account in Bachitra Natak completes this story. After realizing his oneness with God through meditation and austere discipline, he was reborn in Kal Yug, the 'age of darkness', as the son of the ninth Guru and his wife. Later, after his father's martyrdom, he became the tenth and final living Guru of the Sikhs.
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Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh /hɨˈmɑːtʃəl prəˈdɛʃ/ (Hindi: हिमाचल प्रदेश [ɦɪmaːtʃəl prəd̪eːʃ] ( listen)) is a state in Northern India. It is spread over 21,495 sq mi (55,670 km2), and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east.
Himachal Pradesh is known to be abundant in natural beauty After the Anglo Gorkha War, the British colonial government came into power. In 1950 Himachal was declared as a union territory but after the State of Himachal Pradesh Act 1971, Himachal emerged as the 18th state of the Republic of India. Himachal has many prestigious boarding schools. Hima means snow in Sanskrit, and the literal meaning of the state's name is In the lap of Himalayas. It was named by one of the great Sanskrit scholars of Himachal Pradesh, Acharya Diwakar Datt Sharma. Its name means "Abode of Snow".[citation needed]
The Economy of the Himachal Pradesh is currently the third fastest growing economy in India. Himachal Pradesh has been ranked fourth in the list of the highest per capita incomes of Indian states. Due to the abundance of perennial rivers, Himachal also sells hydro electricity to other states such as Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan. The economy of the state is highly dependent on three sources: hydroelectric power, tourism and agriculture.
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Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains ( /ˌhɪməˈleɪ.ə/ or /hɪˈmɑːləjə/;Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya, is a mountain range immediately to the north of the Indian subcontinent. By extension, it can also refer to the massive mountain system that additionally includes the Karakoram, the Hindu Kush, and other lesser ranges that extend out from the Pamir Knot. Some of the world's major river systems arise in the Himalayas, and their combined drainage basins are home to some 3 billion people (almost half of the Earth's population) in 18 countries. The Himalayas have profoundly shaped the cultures of South Asia; many Himalayan peaks are sacred in Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.
Geologically, the Himalayas originate from the northward movement of the Indian tectonic plate at 15 cm[citation needed] per year to impact the Eurasian continent, with first contact about 70 million years ago, and with movement continuing today. This caused the formation of the Himalayan arc peaks: the lighter rocks of the seabeds of that time were easily uplifted into mountains. An often-cited fact used to illustrate this process is that the summit of Mount Everest is made of marine limestone.
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India
India (i/ˈɪndiə/), officially the Republic of India (Bhārat Gaṇarājya), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the south-west, and the Bay of Bengal on the south-east, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west;China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Burma and Bangladesh to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; in addition, India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.
Home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. Four of the world's major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism—originated here, whereas Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived in the 1st millennium CE and also helped shape the region's diverse culture. Gradually annexed by and brought under the administration of the British East India Company from the early 18th century and administered directly by the United Kingdom from the mid-19th century, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence that was marked by non-violent resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi.
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Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmiri/ˌdʒɑːmuː/ & /ˈkæʃmɪər/ is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the Pakistan-administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit–Baltistan, to the west and northwest respectively.
Formerly a part of the erstwhile Princely State of Kashmir and Jammu, which governed the larger historic region of Kashmir, this territory is disputed among China, India and Pakistan. Pakistan, which claims the territory as disputed, refers to it alternatively as Indian-occupied Kashmir or Indian-held Kashmir, while some international agencies such as the United Nations, call it Indian-administered Kashmir. The regions under the control of Pakistan are referred to as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir or PoK within India.
Jammu and Kashmir consists of three regions: Jammu, the Kashmir valley and Ladakh. Srinagar is the summer capital, and Jammu is the winter capital. While the Kashmir valley is famous for its beautiful mountainous landscape, Jammu's numerous shrines attract tens of thousands of Hindu pilgrims every year. Ladakh, also known as "Little Tibet", is renowned for its remote mountain beauty and Buddhist culture.
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Jhabrera
Jhabrera is a town and a nagar panchayat in Hardwar district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, situated 17 kilometres from Roorkee.
The town gets its name from the former village of "Jhabar Hera", established by Rao Bah Mal, a ‘zamindar’ during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shahjahan.
As of 2001[update] India census, Jhabrera had a population of 9378. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Jhabrera has an average literacy rate of 57%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 65%, and female literacy is 48%. In Jhabrera, 18% of the population is under 6 years of age.
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Jharkhand
Jharkhand /dʒɑrˈkɑːnd/[citation needed] (Hindi: झारखण्ड; Bengali: ঝাড়খন্ড; Urdu: جھاڑکھنڈ; Jhārkhaṇḍ, pronounced [ˈdʒʱaːrkʰəɳɖ] ( listen)) is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east. It has an area of 79,714 km2 49,821 sq mi (129,040 km2). The industrial city of Ranchi is its capital and Dumka is sub capital while Jamshedpur is the largest and the biggest industrial city of the state. Some of the other major cities and industrial centres are Dhanbad, Bokaro and Hazaribagh.
The name "Jharkhand" means "The Land of Forests".
According to some writers like Gautam Kumar Bera, there was already a distinct geo-political, cultural entity called Jharkhand even before the period of Magadha Empire. Bera's book (page 33) also refers to the Hindu Mythological book Bhavishya Purana. The tribal rulers, some of whom continue to thrive till today were known as the Munda Rajas, who basically had ownership rights to large farmlands. During the Mughal period, the Jharkhand area was known as Kukara.
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Kalpeshwar
Kalpeshwar (Sanskrit: कल्पेश्वर) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located at an elevation of 2,200 m (7,217.8 ft) in the picturesque Urgam valley in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand state in India. The temple’s ancient legend linked to the Pandavas, heroes of epic Mahabharata eminence is the fifth temple of the Panch Kedars (five temples) of Shiva’s five anatomical divine forms; the other four temples in the order of their worship are Kedarnath, Rudranath, Tungnath and Madhyamaheshwar temples; all in the Kedar Khand region of the Garhwal Himalayas. Kalpeshwar is the only Panch Kedar temple accessible throughout the year. At this small stone temple, approached through a cave passage, the matted tress (jata) of Lord Shiva is worshipped. Hence, Lord Shiva is also called as Jatadhar or Jateshwar. It is approachable only by 12 km (7.5 mi) trekking from the nearest road head of Helong on the Rishikesh-Badrinath road.
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Karnataka
Karnataka /kɑrˈnɑːtəkə/ is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava (Formation Day). Originally known as the State of Mysore /maɪˈsɔər/, it was renamed Karnataka in 1973. It is the land of the Kannadigas, Tuluvas, Konkanis and Kodavas. The capital and largest city is Bangalore.
Karnataka is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, Goa to the northwest, Maharashtra to the north, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the southwest. The state covers an area of 191,976 square kilometres (74,122 sq mi), or 5.83% of the total geographical area of India. It is the eighth largest Indian state by area. With over 61 million inhabitants (2011), Karnataka is the ninth largest state by population, comprising 30 districts. Kannada is the most widely spoken and official language of the state.
The two main river systems of the state are Krishna and its tributaries (Bhima, Ghataprabha, Vedavati, Malaprabha, and Tungabhadra) in the north, and the Cauvery and its tributaries (Hemavati, Shimsha, Arkavathi, Lakshmana Thirtha and Kabini) in the south. Both these rivers flow eastward and fall into the Bay of Bengal.
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Kedarnath Temple
Kedarnath Mandir (Tamil: திருக்கேதாரம், Thiruk Kedaram,Hindi: केदारनाथ मंदिर, Kēdārnāth Maṃdir ) is one of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and is located atop the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini river in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand in India. Due to extreme weather conditions, the temple is open only between the end of April to Kartik Purnima (the autumn full moon). During the winters, the murtis (idols) from Kedarnath temple are brought to Ukhimath and worshipped there for six months. In this region Lord Shiva is worshipped as Kedarnath, the 'Lord of Kedar Khand', the historical name of the region. This temple is a Paadal Petra Sthalam (the 275 Holy Abodes of Shiva on the continent), praised by the Tamil Nayanars saints in the 6th-9th century CE.
The temple is not directly accessible by road and has to be reached by a 14 km uphill trek from Gaurikund . The temple is believed to have been built by Adi Sankaracharya and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the holiest Hindu shrines of Shiva. The older temple existed from the times of Mahabharata, when the Pandavas are supposed to have pleased Shiva by doing penance in Kedarnath. The temple is also one of the four major sites in India's Chota Char Dham pilgrimage of Northern Himalayas.
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Kerala
Kerala or Keralam /ˈkɛrələ/ is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was formed on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions.
The state has an area of 38,863 km2 (15,005 sq mi) and is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and the Arabian Sea on the west. Thiruvananthapuram is the state capital. Kochi and Kozhikode are other major cities. According to a survey by The Economic Times, five out of ten best cities to live in India are located in Kerala.
Kerala has the highest Human Development Index in India, higher than that of most developed countries The state has the highest literacy rate in India with 93.91 percent. It hopes to be the first e-literate state in India through the state run Akshaya project. The state recently became and is currently the only one to have banking facilities in every village. A survey conducted in 2005 by Transparency International ranked Kerala as the least corrupt state in the country. Kerala is also ranked as India's cleanest state. Kerala has witnessed significant migration of its people, especially to the Persian Gulf countries during the Kerala Gulf boom and is heavily dependent on remittances from its large Malayali expatriate community.
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Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep /ləkˈʃɑːdwiːp/ (Malayalam: ലക്ഷദ്വീപ് Lakṣadvīp (help·info), Mahl: ލަކްޝަދީބު Lakshadīb), formerly known as the Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands /ˌlækədaɪv ˌmɪnɨkɔɪ/ & /ˌæmɨnˈdiːvi/, is a group of islands in the Laccadive Sea, 200 to 440 km off the coast of the South West Indian state of Kerala. They were also known as Laccadive Islands, although geographically this is only the name of the central subgroup of the group.
The islands form the smallest Union Territory of India. The total surface area of the islands is just 11 sq mi or 32 km2. However, the lagoon area is about 4,200 square kilometres (1,600 sq mi), the territorial waters area is 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 sq mi) and the exclusive economic zone area is 400,000 square kilometres (150,000 sq mi).
Lakshadweep is the northern part of the erstwhile Lakshadweepa.[clarification needed] The islands are the northernmost among the Lakshadweep-Maldives-Chagos group of islands, which are actually the tops of a vast undersea mountain range, in the Indian Ocean, the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge.
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Lohaghat
Lohaghat is a town and a nagar panchayat in Champawat district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. This is a hill station with many tourist spots around.
As of 2001[update] India census, Lohaghat had a population of 5828. Males constitute 56% of the population and females 44%. Lohaghat has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 79%, and female literacy is 75%. In Lohaghat, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Lohaghat on the banks of Lohawati River in Champawat district is one of the important places for its beautiful temples. Located at an altitude of 1706 mts, Lohaghat is a few kilometers from Pithoragarh. This ancient town of Lohaghat has immense historical and mythological importance which attracts a number of tourists. Mostly devotees and pilgrims from all over drop into Lohaghat before visiting Advaita Ashram which is also called the Mayawati Ashram. A sleepy little town of Uttaranchal it shot to fame because of the beautiful temples and fascinating locales nearby.
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Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh /ˈmɑːdjə prəˈdɛʃ/, abbreviated MP, often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city.
Madhya Pradesh is the second largest state by area and with over 75 million inhabitants the sixth largest state in India by population. It borders the states of Uttar Pradesh to the northeast, Chhattisgarh to the southeast, Maharashtra to the south, Gujarat to the west, and Rajasthan to the northwest.
The city of Ujjain (also known as Avanti) arose as a major center in the second wave of Indian urbanization in the sixth century BC, and served as the chief city of the kingdom of Malwa or Avanti. Further east, the kingdom of Chedi lie in Bundelkhand. Chandragupta Maurya united northern India c. 320 BC, establishing the Maurya empire (321 to 185 BC), which included all of modern-day Madhya Pradesh. King Ashoka's wife was said to come from Vidisha- a town north of today's Bhopal. The Maurya empire went into decline after the death of Asoka the Great, and Central India was contested among the Sakas, Kushanas, and local dynasties during the 3rd to 1st centuries BCE. Ujjain emerged as the predominant commercial center of western India from the first century BCE, located on the trade routes between the Ganges plain and India's Arabian Sea ports. It was also an important Hindu and Buddhist center.
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Madhyamaheshwar
Madhyamaheshwar (Sanskrit: मध्यमहेश्वर) or Madmaheshwar is a Hindu temple dedicated to god Shiva, located in the Mansuna village of Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand, India. Situated at an elevation of 3,497 m (11,473.1 ft), it is the fourth temple to be visited in the Panch Kedar pilgrimage circuit, comprising five Shiva temples in the Garhwal region. The other temples in the circuit include: Kedarnath, Tungnath and Rudranath to be visited before Madmaheshwar and Kalpeshwar to be visited after Madmaheshwar. The middle (madhya) or belly part or navel (nabhi) of the bull, considered a divine form of Shiva, is worshipped at this temple, believed to be built by the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata.
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Mahakali Zone
Mahakali(Nepali: महाकाली अञ्चल Listen (help·info), is one of the fourteen zones of Nepal, covering an area of 6205 km2 in the most western part of the country. It stretches along Nepal's far western border with India, marked by the Kali River or Mahakali River, which originates from Kalapani.
Mahakali's headquarter is Mahendranagar in Kanchanpur District. The zone covers the Himalayan range including Api Peak in the North, Hill valleys, Inner Terai valleys such as Patan in Baitadi District in the center and the outer Terai in the South. The name of this zone is derived from the Kali River.
The Boundary of this Region was Kali river on the west and Seti Zone on the east. After the Sugauli Treaty (also spelled Segowlee) was signed on December 2, 1815 and ratified on March 4, 1816, between the British East India Company and The Kingdom of Nepal, Kali river became the international boundary with Uttrakhand of India . The zone involves Coldest Byans to hottest Kanchanpur. Api Himalaya Lies on this zone from where Chameliya river originates. Mahakali Zone is divided into four districts:
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Maharashtra
Maharashtra /mɑːhəˈrɑːʃtrə/ (Marathi: महाराष्ट् mahārāṣṭra [məharaːʂʈrə] ( listen)) is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India. Maharashtra is the richest state in India, contributing 15% of the country's industrial output and 13.3% of its GDP (2006–2007 figures).
Maharashtra is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, Gujarat and the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli to the northwest, Madhya Pradesh to the northeast, Chhattisgarh to the east, Karnataka to the south, Andhra Pradesh to the southeast, and Goa to the southwest. The state covers an area of 307,731 km2 (118,816 sq mi) or 9.84% of the total geographical area of India. Mumbai, the capital city of the state, is India's largest city and the financial capital of the nation. Nagpur is the second capital of the state. Marathi is the official language.
Maharashtra is the world's second most populous first-level administrative country sub-division. Were it a nation in its own right, Maharashtra would be the world's tenth most populous country ahead of Mexico.
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Mahasu Devta Temple
Mahasu Devta Temple is located on the Tuini-Mori road at Hanol. The temple is dedicated to Mahasu Devta. Lord Mahasu is the chief deity of this area and is worshiped in Mahasu Devta Temple by the people of Hanol and nearby villages. It is the ancient temple of Mahasu Devta built in 9th century. The temple was constructed in Huna architectural style initially but, over the ages, acquired a mixed style. It is included in the Archaeological Survey of India list of ancient temple in Dehradun circle, Uttarakhand.
Mahasu Devta Temple is on the eastern bank of Tons River (Tamas) at Hanol village, near Chakrata, about 180 km from Dehradun and 78 km from Mussoorie.
The name of the village according to the legend was kept after the name of Huna Bhatt, a Brahmin. Earlier the place was known as Chakrapur, and it is said to be the place to which the pandavas escaped from laksha graha or the Lakhmandal on River Yamuna. The village is at an altitude of 1,050 m above M.S.L. on the left bank of River Tons earlier known as River Tamas (meaning short-tempered). No water can be drawn from it for irrigation purposes, because of its precipitous banks and deep gorges. It is for this reason the river is called Karam Nashini. According to the another tradition, the water of River Tons are the tears from the eyes of Bhubruvanan.
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Mahua Dabra Haripura
Mahua Dabra Haripura is a town, a nagar panchayat in Udham Singh Nagar district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.
Mahuadabra Haripura is located at 29°16′N 78°47′E / 29.26°N 78.79°E / 29.26; 78.79.
As of 2001[update] India census, Mahua Dabra Haripura had a population of 6110. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Mahuadabra Haripura has an average literacy rate of 59%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 68%, and female literacy is 49%. In Mahua Dabra Haripura, 18% of the population is under 6 years of age.
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Manipur
Manipur /mænɨˈpʊər/ (Pronunciation manipur (help·info)), literally meaning "a jeweled land", is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of 22,347 square kilometres (8,628 sq mi).
The Meiteis (Meeteis), who live primarily in the state's valley region, form the primary ethnic group (60% of the total population) but occupy only 10% of the total land area. Their language, Meiteilon (Meeteilon), (also known as Manipuri), is also the lingua franca in the state, and was recognized as one of the national languages of India in 1992. The Muslims (Meitei-Pangal) also live in the valley; the Kukis, Nagas, Paites and other smaller groups form about 40% of the population but occupy the remaining 90% of the total land area of Manipur State. Manipur is considered a sensitive border state.[citation needed]
Manipur state has taken Bengali script of writing but now-a-days started in their original scripts "Meetei/Meitei Mayek(Script)" at schools as well as in Newspapers.
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Meghalaya
Meghalaya /ˌmɛɡəˈleɪə/ (Hindi: मेघालय; pronounced [meːˈɡʱaːləjə]) is a state in north-eastern India. The word "Meghalaya" literally means the Abode of Clouds in Sanskrit and other Indic languages. Meghalaya is a hilly strip in the eastern part of the country about 300 km long (east-west) and 100 km wide, with a total area of about 8,700 sq mi (22,720 km²). The population numbered 2,175,000 in 2000. The state is bounded on the north by Assam and by Bangladesh on the south. The capital is Shillong also known as the Scotland of the East, which has a population of 260,000.
About one third of the state is forested. The Meghalaya subtropical forests ecoregion encompasses the state; its mountain forests are distinct from the lowland tropical forests to the north and south. The forests of Meghalaya are notable for their biodiversity of mammals, birds, and plants. It was previously part of Assam, but on January 21, 1972, the districts of Khasi, Garo and Jaintia hills became the new state of Meghalaya.
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Mizoram
Mizoram /mɨˈzɔrəm/ (Mizo pronunciation: /mɪ.'zoʊ.'rʌm/) (from mi 'people', zo 'hill', ram 'country', Land of the Hill People / Mizo people") is one of the Seven Sister States listed as in North Eastern India, sharing borders with the states of Tripura, Assam, Manipur and with the neighboring countries of Bangladesh and Myanmar Burma. Mizoram became the 23rd state of India on 20 February 1987. Its capital is Aizawl. Mizoram is located in the northeast of India.
Mizoram has a mild climate, comfortable in summer 20 °C to 29 °C (68 °F to 84 °F) and never freezing during winter, with temperatures from 7 °C to 21 °C (44 °F to 70 °F). The region is influenced by monsoons, raining heavily from May to September with little rain in the dry (cold) season. The average state rainfall is 254 cm (100 in.), per annum. In the capital, Aizawl rainfall is about 208 centimetres (82 in.) and in Lunglei, another major center, about 350 centimetres (138 in.)
Mizoram is a land of rolling hills, valleys, rivers and lakes. As many as 21 major hills ranges or peaks of different heights run through the length and breadth of the state, with plains scattered here and there. The average height of the hills to the west of the state are about 1,000 metres (3,281 feet). These gradually rise up to 1,300 metres (4,265 feet) to the east. Some areas, however, have higher ranges which go up to a height of over 2,000 metres (6,562 feet). Phawngpui Tlang also known as the Blue Mountain, situated in the south-eastern part of the state, is the highest peak in Mizoram at 2,210 metres (7,251 feet).
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Moteshwar Mahadev
Kashipur (Govishn) is a historic place in Nainital Distt (Now U.S. Nagar) and around 1 km from this place is a place known as ujjanak. This is the place where Lord Shiva is situated in his full face as a Jyotirlingam known as Bheem Shankar. This is the Bheem Shankar Jyotirlingam.
Shree Moteshwar Mahadev also known as Shree Bheem Shankar Mahadev is an abobe of Lord Shiva in Kashipur, this place was known as the Dakini State in ancient days
Timings: 6:00 AM to 12:00 Noon & 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Primary Deity : Shiva
Other Deity : Parvati, Kartikeya, Ganesha Hanuman, Kali, Bhairo
Maha Shivratri Fair
Chaiti Mela
Shrawan Mela
Shree Moteshwar (Bheema Shankar) Mahadev is located in Ujjanak area of Kashipur which is around 3 km from the Kashipur Bus Station, Kashipur is well conncted via the Road with all major cities of North India, and is also linked to Delhi, Lucknow, Moradabad, Ramnagar & Varanasi via Train.
Nearest airport is at Pantnagar which is about 72 km from Kashipur.
Kashipur was known as Govishan or Govisana, during the time of Harsha (606–647 AD), when Xuanzang (631–641 AD) visited this region. The ruins of the large settlement of those days are still to be seen near the city. Kashipur is named after Kashinath Adhikari, the founder of the township and Governor of the pargana, one of the officers of the Chand Kings of Kumaon in the 16-17 century.
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Nagaland
Nagaland /ˈnɑːɡəlænd/ is a state in the far north-eastern part of India. It borders the state of Assam to the west, Arunachal Pradesh and part of Assam to the north, Burma to the east and Manipur to the south. The state capital is Kohima, and the largest city is Dimapur. The state of Nagaland has an area of 16,579 km2 with a population of 1,980,602 (nineteen lakhs eighty thousand six hundred two) as per the 2011 census making it one of the smallest states of India. The state is mostly mountainous except those areas bordering Assam valley. Mount Saramati is the highest peak in Nagaland with a height of 3,840 metres and its range forms a natural barrier between Nagaland and Burma. It lies between the parallels of 98 degree and 96 degree East Longitude and 26.6 degree and 27.4 degree latitude North of the Equator.
Nagaland, the 16th state of the Indian Union, was established on December 1, 1963. It is divided into eleven districts: Kohima, Phek, Mokokchung, Wokha, Zunheboto, Tuensang, Mon, Dimapur, Kiphire, Longleng and Peren. It is a largely mountainous state. Agriculture is the most important economic activity in Nagaland. Principal crops include rice, corn, millets, pulses, tobacco, oilseeds, sugarcane, potatoes and fibres. Other economy boosters are forestry, cottage industries, insurance, real estate and tourism.
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Orissa
Orissa /ɔːˈrɪsə/ (Oriya: ଓଡ଼ିଶା [oˑɽisaˑ], Hindi: ओड़िशा – Oṛiśā), officially spelled Odisha, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BCE. The modern state of Orissa was established on April 1, 1936, as a province in India, and consists predominantly of Oriya speakers. April 1st is therefore celebrated as Utkala Dibasa (formation day of Orissa). Cuttack remained the capital of the state for over eight centuries until April 13, 1948 when Bhubaneswar was officially declared as the new capital of Orissa, and is the present capital of this state.
Orissa is the ninth largest state by area in India, and the eleventh largest by population. Oriya (officially spelled Odia) is the official and most widely spoken language, spoken by three quarters of the population. Orissa has a relatively unindented coastline (about 480 km long) and lacked good ports, except for the deepwater facility at Paradip, until the recent launch of the Dhamara Port (The Dhamra Port Company Limited (DPCL) is a 50:50 joint venture of L&T and Tata Steel. DPCL has been awarded a concession by Government of Orissa to build and operate a port north of the mouth of river Dhamra in Bhadrak district). The narrow, level coastal strip, including the Mahanadi River delta supports the bulk of the population. The interior of the state is mountainous and sparsely populated.Deomali at 1672 m is the highest point of the state. Orissa is subject to intense cyclones. The most intense one, in October 1999, Tropical Cyclone 05B caused severe damage and nearly 15,000 deaths.
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Pondicherry
Puducherry /ˌpɒndɨˈtʃɛri/ is a Union Territory of India formed out four enclaves of former French India and named for the largest, Pondicherry.
In September 2006, the territory changed its official name from Pondicherry to Puducherry, which means "New village" in the Tamil language. The territory is called புதுச்சேரி (Putuccēri) or பாண்டிச்சேரி (Pāṇṭiccēri) in Tamil, or Pondichéry in French. It is also known as "The French Riviera of the East" (La Côte d'Azur de l'Est).
Pondicherry consists of four small unconnected districts: Pondicherry, Karaikal and Yanam on the Bay of Bengal and Mahé on the Arabian Sea. Pondicherry and Karaikal are by far the larger ones and are both enclaves of Tamil Nadu. Yanam and Mahé are enclaves of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala respectively. The territory has a total area of 492 km²: Pondicherry (city) 293 km², Karaikal 160 km², Mahé 9 km² and Yanam 30 km². It has 900,000 inhabitants (2001).
Some of those enclaves are themselves amalgamations of non-contiguous enclaves, often called pockets in India. Thus, Pondicherry district is made of 12 pockets, some of whom are very small (see map) and entirely surrounded by the territory of Tamil Nadu. For its part, Mahe district is made of 3 pockets. This unusual geography is a legacy of the colonial period since the U.T. of Puducherry has retained the borders of former French India.
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Punjab, India
Punjab (i/pʌnˈdʒɑːb/) (Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬ Hindi: पंजाब) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the west, it is also bounded to the north by Jammu and Kashmir. The state capital is Chandigarh, which is a Union Territory and also the capital of neighbouring state of Haryana. Major cities of Punjab includes Ludhiana, Amritsar, Patiala, Jalandhar, Bathinda and Mohali.
After the partition of India in 1947, the Punjab province of British India was divided between India and Pakistan. The Indian Punjab was divided in 1966 with the formation of the new states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh as well as the current state of Punjab. Punjab is the only state in India with a majority Sikh population.
The Greeks referred to Punjab as Pentapotamia, an inland delta of five converging rivers. In Avesta, the sacred text of Zoroastrians, the Punjab region is associated with the ancient hapta həndu or Sapta Sindhu, the Land of Seven Rivers. The British used to call Punjab "Our Prussia."[citation needed] Historically, the Punjab region has been the gateway to the Indian subcontinent for people from Greece, Central Asia, Iran and Afghanistan and Vice-versa.
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Rajasthan
Rājasthān /ˈrɑːdʒəstæn/ (Hindustani pronunciation: [raːdʒəsˈt̪ʰaːn] ( listen)) the land of Rajasthanis, ("the land of kings"), is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert (Thar Desert), which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with Pakistan. The state is bordered by Pakistan to the west, Gujarat to the southwest, Madhya Pradesh to the southeast, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to the northeast and Punjab to the north. Rajasthan covers 10.4% of India, an area of 342,269 square kilometres (132,151 sq mi).
Jaipur is the capital and the largest city of the state. Geographical features include the Thar Desert along north-western Rajasthan and the termination of the Ghaggar River near the archaeological ruins at Kalibanga of the Indus Valley Civilization, which are the oldest in the Indian subcontinent discovered so far.
One of the world's oldest mountain ranges, the Aravalli Range, cradles the only hill station of Rajasthan, Mount Abu, famous for Dilwara Temples, a sacred pilgrimage for Jains. Eastern Rajasthan has the world famous Keoladeo National Park near Bharatpur, a World Heritage Site known for its bird life. It also has two national tiger reserves, Ranthambore and Sariska Tiger Reserve, and a famous temple in Khatu, Sikar district, dedicated to Khatu Shyam Ji. Rajasthan was formed on 30 March 1949, when the region known until then as Rajputana, consisting of erstwhile princely states ruled mainly by Rajputs.
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Republic of India
India (i/ˈɪndiə/), officially the Republic of India (Bhārat Gaṇarājya), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the south-west, and the Bay of Bengal on the south-east, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west;China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Burma and Bangladesh to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; in addition, India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.
Home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. Four of the world's major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism—originated here, whereas Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived in the 1st millennium CE and also helped shape the region's diverse culture. Gradually annexed by and brought under the administration of the British East India Company from the early 18th century and administered directly by the United Kingdom from the mid-19th century, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence that was marked by non-violent resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi.
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Rishikesh
Rishikesh (Hindi: ऋषिकेश), also spelled Hrishikesh, Rushikesh or Hrushikesh, is a city and a municipal board in Dehradun district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Located in the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India, it is known as The Gateway to the Himalayas. Rishikesh is surrounded by three other districts namely Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal and Haridwar. It is located around 25 km north of holy city, Haridwar. Rishikesh has a permanent population of around 75,000.
"Hṛṣīkeśa" (Sanskrit: हृषीकेश) is a name of Vishnu that means 'lord of the senses'. The root words Hrishik and ish join together to make Hrishikesh. Hrishik means Senses and ish means master or Lord. Hence the word means Lord of Senses or Lord Vishnu. The place gets its name after Lord Vishnu who appeared to 'Raibhya Rishi', as a result of his tapasya (austerities), as Lord Hrishikesh. In Skanda Purana, this area is known as 'Kubjamrak' as Lord Vishnu appeared, under a mango tree.
The name Rishikesh is loosely applied to an association of five distinct sections encompassing not only the town but also hamlets and settlements on both sides of the river Ganges. These include Rishikesh itself, the commercial and communication hub; the sprawling suburb Muni-ki-Reti or the "sands of the sages"; Shivananda Nagar the home of Sivananda Ashram and the Divine Life Society founded by Swami Sivananda, north of Rishikesh; the temple section of Lakshman Jhula, a little further north; and the assorted Ashrams around Swarg Ashram on the east bank. One can reach the famous Neelakanta Maha Deva Temple from here. The Ganga Aarti performed at dusk at the Triveni Ghat is popular with visitors. 'Neelkanth Mahadev Temple', situated 28 km from Rishikesh, amidst forest is also a popular local pilgrimage, along with 'Vasishtha Guha', (Cave of sage Vasishtha), 21 km up from the town by the Ganges.
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Rudranath
Rudranath (Sanskrit: रुद्रनाथ) is a Hindu temple dedicated to god Shiva, located in the Garhwal Himalayan mountains in Uttarakhand, India. Located at 2,286 metres (7,500 ft) above sea level, this natural rock temple is situated within a dense forest of rhododendron dwarfs and Alpine pastures. The temple is the third temple to be visited in the Panch Kedar pilgrimage circuit, comprising five Shiva temples in the Garhwal region. The other temples in the circuit include: Kedarnath and Tungnath to be visited before Rudranath and Madhyamaheshwar or Madmaheshwar and Kalpeshwar to be visited after Rudranath. The face (mukha) of god Shiva is worshipped as "Nilkanth Mahadeva" here.
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Sikkim
Sikkim (/ˈsɪkɨm/; Devanagari: सिक्किम, i.e. the "Goodly Region", or Shikim, Shikimpati or Sikkim;Lepcha: Mayel Lyang; Limbu: Yuksom, "one of the fortified place";Standard Tibetan: འབྲས་ལྗོངས་, Bras Ljongs, Denzong or Demojongs) is a landlocked Indian state located in the Himalayan mountains. The state borders Nepal to the west, China's Tibet Autonomous Region to the north and east, and Bhutan to the southeast, while the state of West Bengal lies to the south.
With around 607,000 inhabitants as of 2011[update], Sikkim is the least populous state in India and the second-smallest state after Goa in total area, covering approximately 7,096 km2 (2,740 sq mi). Sikkim is nonetheless geographically diverse due to its location in the Himalayas; the climate ranges from subtropical to high alpine, and Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest peak, is located on Sikkim's border with Nepal. Sikkim is a popular tourist destination, owing to its culture, scenery and biodiversity. It also has the only open land border between India and China. Sikkim's capital and largest city is Gangtok.
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Srinagar
Srinagar /sriˈnɑːɡər/ ( Hindi pronunciation (help·info)) is the summer capital of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in the Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats. It is also known for traditional Kashmiri handicrafts and dry fruits.
Etymologically Srinagar is composed of two Sanskrit words, śrī (venerable) and nagar, which means "city". One theory of the origin of the name is that a Pandava King Ashoka (not to be confused with the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka) built the city of Srinagari (Srinagar). Another theory is that Mauryan Emperor Ashoka founded the original city of Srinagar, then situated on the site of the present village of Pandrathan, 5 km to the north of the existing capital.
Srinagar has a long history, dating back at least to the 3rd century BC, and has been known by different names. The city was founded by the King Pravarasena II over 2,000 years ago, named it Parvasenpur. The city was then a part of the Maurya Empire, one of the largest empires of the Indian subcontinent. Ashoka introduced Buddhism to the Kashmir valley, and the adjoining regions around the city became a centre of Buddhism. In the 1st century, the region was under the control of Kushans and several rulers of this dynasty strengthened the Buddhist tradition. Vikramaditya (of Ujjain) and his successors probably ruled the regions just before the city fell to the control of the Huns in the 6th century, and Mihirkula was the most dreaded ruler of the city and the valley.
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Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu /ˈtæmɨl ˈnɑːduː/ (Tamiḻ Nāṭu [t̪amɨɭ naːɖɯ] ( listen)) is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital is Chennai, the largest city. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. It is bound by the Eastern Ghats in the north, the Nilgiri, the Anamalai Hills, and Palakkad on the west, by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Gulf of Mannar, the Palk Strait in the south east, and by the Indian Ocean in the south.
Tamil Nadu is the eleventh largest state in India by area and the seventh most populous state. It is the fourth largest contributor (as of 2010) to India's GDP and ranks tenth in Human Development Index as of 2006. Tamil Nadu is also the most urbanised state in India. The state has the highest number (10.56%) of business enterprises and stands second in total employment (9.97%) in India, compared to the population share of about 6%.
The region has been the home of the Tamil people since at least 500 BCE. Its official language Tamil has been in use in inscriptions and literature for over 2000 years. Tamil Nadu is home to many natural resources, Hindu temples of Dravidian architecture, hill stations, beach resorts, multi-religious pilgrimage sites and eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
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Tripura
Tripura /ˈtrɪpərə/ is a state in North East India, and one of the Seven Sister States. The third smallest state of India, it occupies an area of 4,051 sq mi (10,490 km2). Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to its east. The state capital is Agartala. A landlocked state, Tripura's geography is characterized by several north-south laid parallel hill ranges with intervening valleys, and plain in the western part of the state.
The area of the modern Tripura was part of an independent Tripuri kingdom that ruled for several centuries, probably millennia. It was known as "Hill Tippera" during the British rule in India. The kingdom merged with independent India on 15 October 1949 by the Tripura Merger Agreement. Ethnic strife between original tribes and largely migrant Bengali population led to tension and scattered violence since 1970s. Establishment of an autonomous tribal zone soothed such tensions to a great extent, and the state remains peaceful, as of 2012.
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Tungnath
Tungnath is the highest temple in the world and is one of the five and the highest Panch Kedar temples located in the mountain range of Tunganath in Rudraprayag district of Tehri Garhwal, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The Tunganath (literal meaning: Lord of the peaks) mountains form the Mandakini and Alaknanda river valleys. Located at an altitude of 3,680 m (12,073 ft), and just below the peak of Chandrashila, Tungnath temple is the highest Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is believed to be 1000 years old and is the second in the pecking order of the Panch Kedars. It has a rich legend linked to the Pandavas, heroes of the Mahabharata epic.
According to Hindu mythology Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati both reside in the Himalayas: Lord Shiva resides at Mount Kailash. Parvati is also called Shail Putri which means 'daughter of hills'.
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Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh /ˌʌtər prəˈdɛʃ/, abbreviation U.P. ("Northern Province"; formerly: United Provinces), is a state located in the north western part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity. Were it a nation in its own right, Uttar Pradesh would be the world's fifth most populous country, ahead of Brazil (a country thirty-five times larger in territorial area than Uttar Pradesh). On 9 November 2000, the Himalayan portion of the state, comprising the Garhwal and Kumaon divisions and Haridwar district, was formed into a new state 'Uttaranchal', now called Uttarakhand, meaning the 'Northern Segment' state.
Uttar Pradesh is the second largest state-economy in India, with a GDP of $103.5 billion in 2009. The annual per capita GDP of the state was $1586 in 2009, on purchasing power parity basis. It contributed 8.34% to India's total GDP in the financial year 2010. Agriculture is a significant part of UP's economy. The state was India's sixth largest producer of fruits, and became the largest producer of vegetables in 2010. With an area of 93,933 sq mi (243,290 km2), Uttar Pradesh covers a large part of the highly fertile and densely populated upper Gangetic plain. It shares an international border with Nepal to the north. Other states along Uttar Pradesh's border include Uttarakhand, Haryana and Delhi to the north and northwest; Rajasthan on the west; Madhya Pradesh on the south; Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand on the south east; and Bihar on the east.
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Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand[needs IPA] (Sanskrit: उत्तराखण्डम्, Uttarākhanḍam ?, Hindi: उत्तराखण्ड, Uttarākhanḍ ?), formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods (Hindi: देव भूमि, Dēv bhūmi ?) due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship. Known for its natural beauty and wealth of the Himalayas, the Bhabhar and the Terai, the state was carved out of the Himalayan and adjoining north-western districts of Uttar Pradesh on 9 November 2000, becoming the 27th state of the Republic of India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region on the north, the Mahakali Zone of Far-Western Region, Nepal on the east and the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh to the south and Himachal Pradesh to the north west.
The region is traditionally referred to as Uttarakhand in Hindu scriptures and old literature, a term which derives from Sanskrit uttara (उत्तर) meaning north, and khaṇḍ (खण्ड्) meaning country or part of a country. It has an area of 20,682 sq mi (53,566 km²).
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Valley of Flowers
Valley of Flowers National Park is an Indian national park, located high in West Himalaya. It is renowned for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and the variety of flora found in there. It is located in Uttarakhand state. This richly diverse area is also home to rare and endangered animals, including the Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, brown bear and blue sheep. The gentle landscape of the Valley of Flowers National Park complements the rugged mountain wilderness of Nanda Devi National Park to the east. Together they encompass a unique transition zone between the mountain ranges of the Zanskar and Great Himalaya. The park stretches over an expanse of 87.50 km². Both parks are encompassed in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (223,674 ha) which is further surrounded by a buffer zone (5,148.57 km²). This Reserve is in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2004.
The Valley of Flowers is an outstandingly beautiful high-altitude Himalayan valley that has been acknowledged as such by renowned mountaineers and botanists in literature for over a century and in Hindu religion for much longer. Its ‘gentle’ landscape, beautiful meadows of alpine flowers and ease of access complement the rugged, mountain wilderness for which the inner basin of Nanda Devi National Park is renowned.
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West Bengal
West Bengal /bɛŋˈɡɔːl/ (proposed new English name: Paschim Banga) is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. Covering a total area of 34,267 sq mi (88,750 km2), it is bordered by the countries of Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, and the Indian states of Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, Sikkim, and Assam. The state capital is Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). West Bengal encompasses two broad natural regions: the Gangetic Plain in the south and the sub-Himalayan and Himalayan area in the north.
In the 3rd century BC, the broader region of Bengal was conquered by the emperor Ashoka. In the 4th century AD, it was absorbed into the Gupta Empire. From the 13th century onward, the region was ruled by several sultans, powerful Hindu states and Baro-Bhuyan landlords, until the beginning of British rule in the 18th century. The British East India Company cemented their hold on the region following the Battle of Plassey in 1757, and the city of Calcutta (now known as Kolkata) served for many years as the capital of British India. The early and prolonged exposure to British administration resulted in expansion of Western education, culminating in development in science, institutional education, and social reforms of the region, including what became known as the Bengal Renaissance. A hotbed of the Indian independence movement through the early 20th century, Bengal was divided in 1947 along religious lines into two separate entities: West Bengal – a state of India – and East Bengal, which initially joined the new nation of Pakistan, before becoming part of modern-day Bangladesh in 1971.
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Yamunotri
Yamunotri (Hindi: यमुनोत्री) is the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the Goddess Yamuna in Hinduism. It is situated at an altitude of 3,293 metres (10,804 ft) in the Garhwal Himalayas and located approximately 30 kilometers (19 mi) North of Uttarkashi, the headquarters of the Uttarkashi district in the Garhwal Division of Uttarakhand, India. It is one of the four sites in India's Chhota Char Dham pilgrimage. The sacred shrine of Yamunotri, source of the river Yamuna, is the westernmost shrine in the Garhwal Himalayas, perched atop a flank of Bandar Poonch Parvat. The chief attraction at Yamunotri is the temple devoted to the Goddess Yamuna and the holy thermal springs at Janki Chatti (7 km. Away).
The actual source, a frozen lake of ice and glacier (Champasar Glacier) located on the Kalind Mountain at a height of 4,421 m above sea level, about 1 km further up, is not frequented generally as it is not accessible; hence the shrine has been located on the foot of the hill. The approach is extremely difficult and pilgrims therefore offer puja at the temple itself.
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Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry, or people of British descent born or living in India, Pakistan, or Burma, now mainly historical in the latter sense. British residents in India used the term "Eurasians" for people of mixed European and Indian descent (cf. George Orwell's Burmese Days). The Oxford Dictionary's definition of "Anglo-Indian" is "Of mixed British and Indian parentage, of Indian descent but born or living in Britain, or (chiefly historical) of British descent or birth but living or having lived long in India".
The Anglo-Indian community in its modern sense is a distinct, small minority community originating in India. It consists of people from mixed British and Indian ancestry whose native language is English. An Anglo-Indian's British ancestry was usually bequeathed paternally.
Article 366(2) of the Indian Constitution defines Anglo-Indian as "a person whose father or any of whose other male progenitors in the male line is or was of European descent but who is domiciled within the territory of India and is or was born within such territory of parents habitually resident therein and not established there for temporary purposes only". This definition extends "Anglo-Indian" to include Indians of purely European (male) ancestry.
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Ashoka
Ashoka (Devanāgarī: अशोक, IAST: Aśoka, IPA: [aˈɕoːkə], ca. 304–232 BC), also known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests. His empire stretched from present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan in the west, to the present-day Bangladesh and the Indian state of Assam in the east, and as far south as northern Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. He conquered the kingdom named Kalinga, which none of his ancestors had conquered starting from Chandragupta Maurya. His reign was headquartered in Magadha (present-day Bihar). He embraced Buddhism after witnessing the mass deaths of the Kalinga War, which he himself had waged out of a desire for conquest. He was later dedicated to the propagation of Buddhism across Asia and established monuments marking several significant sites in the life of Gautama Buddha. Ashoka was a devotee of ahimsa (nonviolence), love, truth, tolerance and vegetarianism. Ashoka is remembered in history as a philanthropic administrator. In the history of India, Ashoka is referred to as Samraat Chakravartin Ashoka – the "Emperor of Emperors Ashoka".
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Bhagiratha
Bhagiratha (Sanskrit: भगीरथ, bhagīratha) was a great king in Hindu mythology who brought the River Ganges to Earth. The name is also often written as Bhagiratha.
Bhagiratha was the king of Kosala, a kingdom in ancient India. He was a descendent of the great king Sagara of the Suryavamsa, or Sun Dynasty. He was one of the forefathers of Lord Rama, of the Ramayana, the epic in which Bhagiratha's tale is primarily recounted.
He lost his father when he was just a child, and was raised by his mother. Bhagiratha was very intelligent, virtuous and kind hearted. When he came of age, Bhagiratha ascended to the throne of the kingdom of Kosala, today located in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. He was a pious, benevolent ruler who adhered to his duties as a king as prescribed by dharma.
When king Sagara chose to perform the Ashwamedha yagna, his royal agents lost track of the sacrificial horse. Sagara ordered his sixty thousand sons by Sumati to track down the horse. The proud and mercurial princes raged across Bharat, burning down forests and uprooting life and property to find the horse. They finally arrived at a quiet spot where the Sage Kapila was sitting in meditation. Besides him was tied the white horse. The enraged princes condemned Kapila as a thief and attacked him. When the sage opened his eyes,his immense power turned the princes into ashes.
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Brahmin
Brahmin (also called Brahman; from Sanskrit brāhmaṇa ब्राह्मण) is a name used to designate a member of one of the four varnas (castes) in the traditional Hindu societys of Nepal and India.
Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self. Brahmin or Brahmana refers to an individual, while the word Brahma refers to the creative aspect of the universal consciousness. The English word brahmin is an anglicised form of the Sanskrit word Brāhmana. In the Smriti view there are four "varnas", or classes: the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas, and Shudras. The Atreya smriti 141-142 enjoins that
One is a Shudra by birth
samskarad dvija ucyate
By observing Sanskara one becomes a Dvija
vedapathi bhaved viprah
By studying the Vedas one becomes a Vipra
brahma janati brahmanah
Traditionally Brahmin was the name given to persons who had attained the highest spiritual knowledge (brahmavidya) and who adhered to different branches (shakhas) of Vedas. This was described to be a difficult path of discipline of body, mind, and intellect. Irrespective of their birth or class,[citation needed] people who were dedicated to such an austere life were recognized as Brahmins.[citation needed] An example of this definition of Brahmin, that a person becomes a Brahmin, rather than being born as one, is the story of the sage Vishwamitra, who was a warrior, who became a Brahmin after attaining brahmavidya, and composed the Gayatri mantra. [defunct example from period before dharmashastras So,[citation needed] The belief that people born into the Brahmin caste, automatically become Brahmins, is a concept that emerged later in ancient India.[citation needed]
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Brahmins
Brahmin (also called Brahman; from Sanskrit brāhmaṇa ब्राह्मण) is a name used to designate a member of one of the four varnas (castes) in the traditional Hindu societys of Nepal and India.
Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self. Brahmin or Brahmana refers to an individual, while the word Brahma refers to the creative aspect of the universal consciousness. The English word brahmin is an anglicised form of the Sanskrit word Brāhmana. In the Smriti view there are four "varnas", or classes: the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas, and Shudras. The Atreya smriti 141-142 enjoins that
One is a Shudra by birth
samskarad dvija ucyate
By observing Sanskara one becomes a Dvija
vedapathi bhaved viprah
By studying the Vedas one becomes a Vipra
brahma janati brahmanah
Traditionally Brahmin was the name given to persons who had attained the highest spiritual knowledge (brahmavidya) and who adhered to different branches (shakhas) of Vedas. This was described to be a difficult path of discipline of body, mind, and intellect. Irrespective of their birth or class,[citation needed] people who were dedicated to such an austere life were recognized as Brahmins.[citation needed] An example of this definition of Brahmin, that a person becomes a Brahmin, rather than being born as one, is the story of the sage Vishwamitra, who was a warrior, who became a Brahmin after attaining brahmavidya, and composed the Gayatri mantra. [defunct example from period before dharmashastras So,[citation needed] The belief that people born into the Brahmin caste, automatically become Brahmins, is a concept that emerged later in ancient India.[citation needed]
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Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy indigenous to the Indian subcontinent and encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs, and practices largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, who is commonly known as the Buddha (meaning "the awakened one" in Sanskrit and Pāli). The Buddha lived and taught in the eastern part of Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. He is recognized by Buddhists as an awakened or enlightened teacher who shared his insights to help sentient beings end ignorance (avidyā), craving (taṇhā), and suffering (dukkha), by recognizing dependent origination and sunyata, and attain Nirvana.
Two major branches of Buddhism are recognized: Theravada ("The School of the Elders") and Mahayana ("The Great Vehicle"). Theravada has a widespread following in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Mahayana is found throughout East Asia and includes the traditions of Pure Land, Zen, Nichiren Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Shingon, Tiantai (Tendai) and Shinnyo-en. In some classifications, Vajrayana—practiced mainly in Tibet and Mongolia, and adjacent parts of China and Russia—is recognized as a third branch, while others classify it as a part of Mahayana. There are other categorisations of these three Vehicles or Yanas.
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Buddhist
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy indigenous to the Indian subcontinent and encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs, and practices largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, who is commonly known as the Buddha (meaning "the awakened one" in Sanskrit and Pāli). The Buddha lived and taught in the eastern part of Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. He is recognized by Buddhists as an awakened or enlightened teacher who shared his insights to help sentient beings end ignorance (avidyā), craving (taṇhā), and suffering (dukkha), by recognizing dependent origination and sunyata, and attain Nirvana.
Two major branches of Buddhism are recognized: Theravada ("The School of the Elders") and Mahayana ("The Great Vehicle"). Theravada has a widespread following in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Mahayana is found throughout East Asia and includes the traditions of Pure Land, Zen, Nichiren Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Shingon, Tiantai (Tendai) and Shinnyo-en. In some classifications, Vajrayana—practiced mainly in Tibet and Mongolia, and adjacent parts of China and Russia—is recognized as a third branch, while others classify it as a part of Mahayana. There are other categorisations of these three Vehicles or Yanas.
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China
China (i/ˈtʃaɪnə/; Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó; see also Names of China), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is the world's most-populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion. Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, the East Asian state is the world's second-largest country by land area, and the third- or fourth-largest in total area, depending on the definition of total area.
The People's Republic of China is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party of China. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four directly controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). Its capital city is Beijing. The PRC also claims Taiwan—which is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), a separate political entity—as its 23rd province, a claim controversial due to the complex political status of Taiwan and the unresolved Chinese Civil War. The PRC government denies the legitimacy of the ROC.
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Indo-Aryans
Indo-Aryan is an ethno-linguistic term referring to the wide collection of peoples united as native speakers of the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-Iranian family of Indo-European languages. Today, there are over one billion native speakers of Indo-Aryan languages, most of them native to South Asia, where they form the majority.
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Kiratas
The Kirāta (Sanskrit: किरात) is a generic term in Sanskrit literature for people who lived in the mountains, particularly in the Himalayas and North-East India and who are postulated to have been Mongoloid in origin. It has been theorized that the word Kirata- or Kirati- means people with lion nature. It is derived from two words Kira (meaning Lion) and Ti (meaning people). The reference of lion as well as them staying in the Himalayan Mountains may suggest their possible relation to the mythical lion-headed tribe called Kimpurusha.
They are mentioned along with Cinas (Chinese), and were different from the Nishadas. They are first mentioned in the Yajurveda (Shukla XXX.16; Krisha III.4,12,1), and in the Atharvaveda (X.4,14) . In Manu's Dharmashastra (X.44) they are mentioned as degraded Kshatriyas, but outside the ambit of Brahminical influence. It is speculated that the term is a Sanskritization of a Sino-Tibetan tribal name, like that of Kirant or Kiranti of eastern Nepal.
Mythology gives an indication of their geographical position. In the Mahabharata, Bhima meets the Kiratas to the east of Videha, where his son Ghatotkacha is born; and in general the dwellers of the Himalayas, especially the eastern Himalayas, were called Kiratas. In general they are mentioned as "gold-like", or yellow, unlike the Nishadas or the Dasas, who were dark.
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Kol people
The Kol people is a generic name for the Munda, Ho, and Oraon tribes (Adivasi) of eastern India who live in the states of Jharkhand, Orissa, and West Bengal, and spread over into parts of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Tripura, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
The Kol tribals in Uttar Pradesh are found mainly in the southern districts of Mirzapur, Varanasi, Banda and Allahabad. It is the largest tribe found in Uttar Pradesh, and numbered 135,617 according to the 1981 Census of India. They are said to have emigrated from central India some five centuries ago. The Kol are further divided into a number of exogamous clans, such as the Rojaboria, Rautia, Thakuria, Monasi, Bhil, Chero and Barawire. They are now Hindu and speak the Bundelkhandi dialect. Most Kol are landless, and the forest is their main source of income. They collect firewood and leaves from the forest and sell these at the local markets. The Kol have been granted Scheduled Caste status.
The kols inhabited large portion of the chota nagpur region. They rebelled to resist British entry into their dominion.Soon they joined the Munda rebellion.
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Kumaoni people
Kumauni or Kumaoni (कुमाँऊनी) are people from Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, India.
They include all those who speak the Kumaoni language or any of its numerous dialects, living in the Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Nainital, Dehradun, Udham Singh Nagar, Pauri districts of Uttarakhand, India.
Significant populations of Kumauni people exist in Uttar Pradesh especially in Lucknow, Allahabad, Bijnor, Kanpur, Assam, Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh; Maharashtra, the Punjab, and some regions of Himachal Pradesh like Solan and Nahan.
There is evidence that the hills of Kumaon have been inhabited by mankind for millennia, and the people of Kumaon today are the descendants of different waves of migration to these hills which took place over centuries.
The Armed Forces and the Central Police Organisations have been the major source of employment for the people of Kumaon. The nineteen battalions of the Kumaon Regiment clearly reflects the participation of Kumaoni people in defending the frontiers of India.
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Kumauni People
Kumauni or Kumaoni (कुमाँऊनी) are people from Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, India.
They include all those who speak the Kumaoni language or any of its numerous dialects, living in the Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Nainital, Dehradun, Udham Singh Nagar, Pauri districts of Uttarakhand, India.
Significant populations of Kumauni people exist in Uttar Pradesh especially in Lucknow, Allahabad, Bijnor, Kanpur, Assam, Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh; Maharashtra, the Punjab, and some regions of Himachal Pradesh like Solan and Nahan.
There is evidence that the hills of Kumaon have been inhabited by mankind for millennia, and the people of Kumaon today are the descendants of different waves of migration to these hills which took place over centuries.
The Armed Forces and the Central Police Organisations have been the major source of employment for the people of Kumaon. The nineteen battalions of the Kumaon Regiment clearly reflects the participation of Kumaoni people in defending the frontiers of India.
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Kumauni people
Kumauni or Kumaoni (कुमाँऊनी) are people from Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, India.
They include all those who speak the Kumaoni language or any of its numerous dialects, living in the Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Nainital, Dehradun, Udham Singh Nagar, Pauri districts of Uttarakhand, India.
Significant populations of Kumauni people exist in Uttar Pradesh especially in Lucknow, Allahabad, Bijnor, Kanpur, Assam, Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh; Maharashtra, the Punjab, and some regions of Himachal Pradesh like Solan and Nahan.
There is evidence that the hills of Kumaon have been inhabited by mankind for millennia, and the people of Kumaon today are the descendants of different waves of migration to these hills which took place over centuries.
The Armed Forces and the Central Police Organisations have been the major source of employment for the people of Kumaon. The nineteen battalions of the Kumaon Regiment clearly reflects the participation of Kumaoni people in defending the frontiers of India.
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Rajput
A Rajput (from Sanskrit raja-putra, “son of a king”) is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and some parts of Pakistan. They claim to be descendants of ruling Hindu warrior classes of North India.[dubious – discuss] Rajputs rose to prominence during the 6th to 12th centuries. Until the 20th century Rajputs ruled in the "overwhelming majority" of the princely states of Rajasthan and Surashtra, where the largest number of princely states were found.
The Rajput population and the former Rajput states are found spread through much of the subcontinent, particularly in north, west and central India. Populations are found in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Surashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra.
Rajput is from the Sanskrit word Raja-Putra (son of a king). The word is found in ancient texts, including the Vedas, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata.[citation needed] It was used by the ancient Sanskrit grammarian Pāṇini in the 4th century BCE.[citation needed] The word Kshatriya ("warrior") was used for the Vedic community of warriors and rulers. To differentiate royal warriors from other Kshatriyas the word Rajputra was used.[citation needed] Rajputra eventually was shortened to Rajput; gradually it became a caste.[citation needed] Rajputs claim descent from various mythological patrilineages, being Suryavanshi, Chandravanshi, Agnivanshi and Nagavanshi.[citation needed]
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Rajputs
A Rajput (from Sanskrit raja-putra, “son of a king”) is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and some parts of Pakistan. They claim to be descendants of ruling Hindu warrior classes of North India.[dubious – discuss] Rajputs rose to prominence during the 6th to 12th centuries. Until the 20th century Rajputs ruled in the "overwhelming majority" of the princely states of Rajasthan and Surashtra, where the largest number of princely states were found.
The Rajput population and the former Rajput states are found spread through much of the subcontinent, particularly in north, west and central India. Populations are found in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Surashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra.
Rajput is from the Sanskrit word Raja-Putra (son of a king). The word is found in ancient texts, including the Vedas, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata.[citation needed] It was used by the ancient Sanskrit grammarian Pāṇini in the 4th century BCE.[citation needed] The word Kshatriya ("warrior") was used for the Vedic community of warriors and rulers. To differentiate royal warriors from other Kshatriyas the word Rajputra was used.[citation needed] Rajputra eventually was shortened to Rajput; gradually it became a caste.[citation needed] Rajputs claim descent from various mythological patrilineages, being Suryavanshi, Chandravanshi, Agnivanshi and Nagavanshi.[citation needed]
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Ramesh Pokhriyal
Ramesh Pokhriyal "Nishank" (Sanskrit: रमेश पोखरियाल "निशंक"; born August 15, 1958) is an Indian politician belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was Chief Minister of Uttarakhand from 2009 to 2011.
He was born to Parmanand Pokhriyal and Vishwambhari Devi at Pinani village in Pauri Garhwal district in Uttar Pradesh (presently in Uttarakhand).
He was elected to the Vidhan Sabha of Uttar Pradesh for the first time in 1991, from Karnaprayag constituency. He was elected again in 1993 and 1996 from the same constituency. In 1997, he became the Minister for Uttaranchal Development in the Uttar Pradesh state government. In 2002, he contested the Uttaranchal Vidhan Sabha election from Thalisain constituency but lost. He contested the 2007 elections to the Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha from the same constituency, this time successfully. There have been a slew of corruption charges against Pokhriyal and his government—which led to his dismissal as CM by BJP's central committee and his replacement with preceder B.C. Khanduri.
wn.com/Ramesh_Pokhriyal -
Shankaracharya
Shankaracharya, (IAST: Śaṅkarācārya, Shankara acharya) is a commonly used title of heads of mathas in the Advaita Vedanta tradition. The title derives from Adi Shankara, a 9th century CE reformer of Hinduism. He is honored as Jagadguru, a title that was used earlier only to Lord Krishna. The popular view among historians is that there were four mathas established by Ādi Śankara:
Sri Adi Shankara established a fifth math in Kanchipuram, with jurisdiction over the four mathas and that Sankaracharya ascended a sarvagna-pitha at Kanchipuram and he died in Kanchi.[citation needed]
Like other religions and sects, some rivalry exists between some groups who claim to have been initiated into the Shankaracharya Order.
The existence of such multiple mathas occurs because a Guru/or descendant of the shankaracharya lineage could have had many disciples. This could have resulted in the branching out of the parent institution. It is also possible that a Guru might have died without naming a successor, leading to the formation of rival groups.
wn.com/Shankaracharya -
Tharu people
Tharu (Nepali: थारू, Thārū) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Terai -- the southern foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal and India. They are considered to be the direct discendents of the Gautama Buddha.[citation needed] Anthropologist Prof Dor Bahadur Bista, Balaram Gharti Magar and many scholars support the logic Suddhodhana being Tharu king of Kapilvastu, Lumbini-the birth place of Buddha, Nepal. Archealogical findings have also been supporting that Tharu people were living in that area for quite long time. The Tharus are recognized as an official nationality by the Government of Nepal.
The Tharu were famous for their ability to survive in the most malarial parts of the Terai that were deadly to outsiders. In 1902 a British observer noted, "Plainsmen and paharis generally die if they sleep in the Terai before November 1 or after June 1.", although others thought the Tharu weren't totally immune.
Contemporary medical research comparing Tharu with other ethnic groups living nearby found an incidence of malaria nearly seven times lower among Tharu. The researchers believed such a large difference pointed to genetic factors rather than behavioral or dietary differences. This was confirmed by follow-up investigation finding genes for thalassemia in nearly all Tharu studied.
wn.com/Tharu_people -
Vyasa
Vyasa (Devanagari: व्यास, vyāsa) is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa (वेद व्यास, veda vyāsa), (the one who classified the Vedas in to four parts) or Krishna Dvaipayana (referring to his complexion and birthplace). He is the author as well as a character in the Mahabharata and considered to be the scribe of both the Vedas, and the supplementary texts such as the Puranas. A number of Vaishnava traditions regard him as an Avatar of Vishnu. Vyasa is sometimes conflated by some Vaishnavas with Badarayana, the author of the Vedanta Sutras. Vyāsa is also considered to be one of the seven Chiranjivins (long lived, or immortals), who are still in existence according to general Hindu belief. He is also the fourth member of the Rishi Parampara of the Advaita Guru Paramparā of which Adi Shankara is the chief proponent.
The festival of Guru Purnima, is dedicated to him, and also known as Vyasa Purnima as it is the day, which is believed to be his birthday and also the day he divided the Vedas.
wn.com/Vyasa
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Ultimate Himalaya bus journey—amazing Uttarakhand, India
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 7:40
- Updated: 15 Dec 2012
Lots more adventure travel at: gabrieltraveler.com Check out "Gabe's Guide to Budget Travel"! http Follow me on twitter: www.twitter.com Video created by Gabriel Morris, who is the owner of all video or photo content. See more below. Gabriel Morris is a world traveler and travel writer who has been adventuring around the world off and on since his first trip to Europe in the summer of 1990. He is author of "Following My Thumb", a collection of 26 exciting and hilarious autobiographical travel stories from his worldly wanderings during the 1990s; and of several other books. Visit gabrieltraveler.com for lots more info about his travel writing, photography, videos, budget travel tips and much more. Thanks a lot for watching, and safe journeys!
http://wn.com/Ultimate_Himalaya_bus_journey—amazing_Uttarakhand,_India
Lots more adventure travel at: gabrieltraveler.com Check out "Gabe's Guide to Budget Travel"! http Follow me on twitter: www.twitter.com Video created by Gabriel Morris, who is the owner of all video or photo content. See more below. Gabriel Morris is a world traveler and travel writer who has been adventuring around the world off and on since his first trip to Europe in the summer of 1990. He is author of "Following My Thumb", a collection of 26 exciting and hilarious autobiographical travel stories from his worldly wanderings during the 1990s; and of several other books. Visit gabrieltraveler.com for lots more info about his travel writing, photography, videos, budget travel tips and much more. Thanks a lot for watching, and safe journeys!
Rains create havoc in Uttarakhand, 7 killed
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:00
- Updated: 05 Aug 2012
Three jawans of fire services were among seven persons killed as torrential rains continued to pound Uttarakhand today triggering landslides and flash floods which flattened homes and stranded hundreds of pilgrims with the Chardham Yatra coming to a grinding halt. For more info log on to: www.youtube.com/abpnewsTV
http://wn.com/Rains_create_havoc_in_Uttarakhand,_7_killed
Three jawans of fire services were among seven persons killed as torrential rains continued to pound Uttarakhand today triggering landslides and flash floods which flattened homes and stranded hundreds of pilgrims with the Chardham Yatra coming to a grinding halt. For more info log on to: www.youtube.com/abpnewsTV
- published: 04 Aug 2012
- views: 5649
- author: abpnewstv
beauty of Uttarakhand
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:33
- Updated: 20 Dec 2012
beauty of Uttarakhand,husan pehado ka
http://wn.com/beauty_of_Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand beauty
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:01
- Updated: 29 Nov 2012
Presented by: www.uttrakhand.co.in
http://wn.com/Uttarakhand_beauty
Kedarnath Temple, Uttarakhand
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:20
- Updated: 21 Dec 2012
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Kedarnath Temple is one of the holiest Hindu temples located in the Garhwal Himalayan Ranges in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. For more - www.indiavideo.org
http://wn.com/Kedarnath_Temple,_Uttarakhand
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Kedarnath Temple is one of the holiest Hindu temples located in the Garhwal Himalayan Ranges in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. For more - www.indiavideo.org
- published: 19 Dec 2012
- views: 72
- author: indiavideodotorg
Farming in Guptakashi, Uttarakhand
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:21
- Updated: 18 Dec 2012
Video of farming in Guptakashi village in Uttarakhand. For more:www.indiavideo.org
http://wn.com/Farming_in_Guptakashi,_Uttarakhand
Video of farming in Guptakashi village in Uttarakhand. For more:www.indiavideo.org
- published: 18 Dec 2012
- views: 41
- author: indiavideodotorg
Dramatic Moment Two-storey Building Collapses in Uttarakhand
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:35
- Updated: 17 Dec 2012
This dramatic video captures the moment a two-storey house in India collapsed as cloudbursts wreaked havoc - with the building disappearing from sight in just six seconds. A camera filmed residents on the street in Uttarkashi watching as the house toppled down a river bank in the northern state of Urrarakhand as monsoon rains battered the area, triggering landslides, flash floods and cloudbursts throughout the region. Reports in India said at least 26 people had been killed in flash floods in the Uttarkashi district yesterday, with nearly 40 others reported as missing. The two storey house seen here looked to topple backwards down the bank of the Bhagirathi River, one of the source streams for the Ganges, exposing its foundations as residents looked on in horror. The house crashes down the bank amid the noise of the swirling winds and rain. India's monsoon season runs from June to September, with the country braced for unpredictable rains.
http://wn.com/Dramatic_Moment_Two-storey_Building_Collapses_in_Uttarakhand
This dramatic video captures the moment a two-storey house in India collapsed as cloudbursts wreaked havoc - with the building disappearing from sight in just six seconds. A camera filmed residents on the street in Uttarkashi watching as the house toppled down a river bank in the northern state of Urrarakhand as monsoon rains battered the area, triggering landslides, flash floods and cloudbursts throughout the region. Reports in India said at least 26 people had been killed in flash floods in the Uttarkashi district yesterday, with nearly 40 others reported as missing. The two storey house seen here looked to topple backwards down the bank of the Bhagirathi River, one of the source streams for the Ganges, exposing its foundations as residents looked on in horror. The house crashes down the bank amid the noise of the swirling winds and rain. India's monsoon season runs from June to September, with the country braced for unpredictable rains.
- published: 05 Aug 2012
- views: 31263
- author: gakyoungtube
CLOUDBURST IN UTTARKASHI UTTARAKHAND BHAGIRATHI OVERFLOW
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:59
- Updated: 17 Sep 2012
CLOUDBURST IN UTTARKASHI UTTARAKHAND BHAGIRATHI OVERFLOW DESTROYED MORE THAN 200 HOUSE, SHOP AND HOTELS
http://wn.com/CLOUDBURST_IN_UTTARKASHI_UTTARAKHAND_BHAGIRATHI_OVERFLOW
CLOUDBURST IN UTTARKASHI UTTARAKHAND BHAGIRATHI OVERFLOW DESTROYED MORE THAN 200 HOUSE, SHOP AND HOTELS
- published: 04 Aug 2012
- views: 3937
- author: tiwarijideep
Almora Uttarakhand 2011.wmv
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 7:47
- Updated: 14 Dec 2012
http://wn.com/Almora_Uttarakhand_2011wmv
Majestic Diesel Action - Uttarakhand Sampark Kranti
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:25
- Updated: 21 Dec 2012
DLI bound Uttarakhand Sampark Kranti skips past SBB majestically chugging away led by the Lucknow`s own Prabal ..
http://wn.com/Majestic_Diesel_Action_Uttarakhand_Sampark_Kranti
DLI bound Uttarakhand Sampark Kranti skips past SBB majestically chugging away led by the Lucknow`s own Prabal ..
- published: 19 Dec 2012
- views: 8
- author: Adarsh Nair
Young Uttarakhand Cine Awards 2012 - Best Singer Female
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:06
- Updated: 13 Dec 2012
Young Uttarakhand Cine Awards 2012 - Best Singer Female
http://wn.com/Young_Uttarakhand_Cine_Awards_2012_Best_Singer_Female
Young Uttarakhand Cine Awards 2012 - Best Singer Female
- published: 10 May 2012
- views: 2978
- author: yucineaward
Nirankari Baba Hardev Singhji Maharaj @ Majkhali(Ranikhet), Sitlakhet and Almora(Uttarakhand)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 7:53
- Updated: 20 Dec 2012
Nirankari Baba Hardev Singhji Maharaj @ Majkhali(Ranikhet), Sitlakhet on 11 may 2012 and Almora(Uttarakhand) on 12-13 may 2012. song :- mahi veh mahi artist :- paramjeet album :- rang pyar dai
http://wn.com/Nirankari_Baba_Hardev_Singhji_Maharaj_@_MajkhaliRanikhet,_Sitlakhet_and_AlmoraUttarakhand
Nirankari Baba Hardev Singhji Maharaj @ Majkhali(Ranikhet), Sitlakhet on 11 may 2012 and Almora(Uttarakhand) on 12-13 may 2012. song :- mahi veh mahi artist :- paramjeet album :- rang pyar dai
- published: 20 Dec 2012
- views: 5
- author: Brijesh Kumar
Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand, India
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:49
- Updated: 09 Sep 2012
Coordinates :- 29°32′00″N 78°56′7″E Country:- India State:-Uttarakhand Jim Corbett National Park—named after the hunter and conservationist Jim Corbett who played a key role in its establishment—is the oldest national park in India.[2] The park was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park. Situated in Nainital district of Uttarakhand the park acts as a protected area for the critically endangered Bengal tiger of India, the secure survival of which is the main objective of Project Tiger, an Indian wildlife protection initiative.[2] The park has sub-Himalayan belt geographical and ecological characteristics.[3] An ecotourism destination,[4] it contains 488 different species of plants and a diverse variety of fauna.[5][6] The increase in tourist activities, among other problems, continues to present a serious challenge to the park's ecological balance.[7] Corbett has been a haunt for tourists and wildlife lovers for a long time. Tourism activity is only allowed in selected areas of Corbett Tiger Reserve so that people get an opportunity to see its splendid landscape and the diverse wildlife. In recent years the number of people coming here has increased dramatically. Presently, every season more than 70000 visitors come to the park from India and other countries. The Jim Corbett National Park is a haven for the adventure seekers and wildlife adventure lovers alike. Corbett National Park is India's first national park which comprises 520.8 km2. area of hills, riverine ...
http://wn.com/Corbett_National_Park,_Uttarakhand,_India
Coordinates :- 29°32′00″N 78°56′7″E Country:- India State:-Uttarakhand Jim Corbett National Park—named after the hunter and conservationist Jim Corbett who played a key role in its establishment—is the oldest national park in India.[2] The park was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park. Situated in Nainital district of Uttarakhand the park acts as a protected area for the critically endangered Bengal tiger of India, the secure survival of which is the main objective of Project Tiger, an Indian wildlife protection initiative.[2] The park has sub-Himalayan belt geographical and ecological characteristics.[3] An ecotourism destination,[4] it contains 488 different species of plants and a diverse variety of fauna.[5][6] The increase in tourist activities, among other problems, continues to present a serious challenge to the park's ecological balance.[7] Corbett has been a haunt for tourists and wildlife lovers for a long time. Tourism activity is only allowed in selected areas of Corbett Tiger Reserve so that people get an opportunity to see its splendid landscape and the diverse wildlife. In recent years the number of people coming here has increased dramatically. Presently, every season more than 70000 visitors come to the park from India and other countries. The Jim Corbett National Park is a haven for the adventure seekers and wildlife adventure lovers alike. Corbett National Park is India's first national park which comprises 520.8 km2. area of hills, riverine ...
- published: 27 Feb 2011
- views: 2077
- author: DIPYAMAN SARKAR
River Ganga in Haridwar Uttarakhand
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:36
- Updated: 18 Dec 2012
This video shows the river Ganga which is considered as the holiest of all rivers in the country, flowing beside Haridwar, India. For more information on this video click - www.indiavideo.org Video by www.invismultimedia.com
http://wn.com/River_Ganga_in_Haridwar_Uttarakhand
This video shows the river Ganga which is considered as the holiest of all rivers in the country, flowing beside Haridwar, India. For more information on this video click - www.indiavideo.org Video by www.invismultimedia.com
- published: 03 Feb 2010
- views: 623915
- author: indiavideodotorg
Santosh vihar near Bhalla farm,Pratapur,Kashipur, Uttarakhand 244713
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:31
- Updated: 21 Dec 2012
plot for sales near Indian Institutes of Management front of Little Scholars School plot size 30*40 feet
http://wn.com/Santosh_vihar_near_Bhalla_farm,Pratapur,Kashipur,_Uttarakhand_244713
plot for sales near Indian Institutes of Management front of Little Scholars School plot size 30*40 feet
- published: 21 Dec 2012
- views: 1
- author: prsang chaturvedi
uttarakhand garhwali pandav lila
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:00
- Updated: 01 Dec 2012
the traditional dance of the GARHWALI clan residing in the northern INDIA (mostly in uttrakhand). the dance is performed in the commemoration of the MAHABHARAT an indian EPIC.the traditional dance lasts for 10 to 14 days and is performed in most of the villages. the songs that are used to perform the dance have no written script ,they have been passes down from generation to generation. the five dancers with the white outfits are the PASHUS of the five pandav brothers the protagonists of the EPIC.
http://wn.com/uttarakhand_garhwali_pandav_lila
the traditional dance of the GARHWALI clan residing in the northern INDIA (mostly in uttrakhand). the dance is performed in the commemoration of the MAHABHARAT an indian EPIC.the traditional dance lasts for 10 to 14 days and is performed in most of the villages. the songs that are used to perform the dance have no written script ,they have been passes down from generation to generation. the five dancers with the white outfits are the PASHUS of the five pandav brothers the protagonists of the EPIC.
- published: 10 Dec 2010
- views: 12414
- author: pawan panwar
Char Dham Yatra - Uttarakhand
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:26
- Updated: 16 Nov 2012
Char Dham Yatra consists of visit to holy shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri in the state of Uttarakhand
http://wn.com/Char_Dham_Yatra_Uttarakhand
Char Dham Yatra consists of visit to holy shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri in the state of Uttarakhand
- published: 18 Dec 2009
- views: 14757
- author: alumnitrek
Uttarakhand celebrities night
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:16
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
4th July 2009 JW Juhu.. Sudhir Pandey, HImani Shivpuri Deepak Dobriyal Bela Negi Sudhanshu Pandey
http://wn.com/Uttarakhand_celebrities_night
4th July 2009 JW Juhu.. Sudhir Pandey, HImani Shivpuri Deepak Dobriyal Bela Negi Sudhanshu Pandey
- published: 27 Apr 2010
- views: 26643
- author: RajneeshBabu
Tapovan Ashram, Gangotri, Uttarakhand
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:52
- Updated: 17 Oct 2012
Tapovankuti or the Tapovan Ashram at Gangotri in Uttarakhand. is located on the left bank of River Ganga. For more information on this video click - www.indiavideo.org Video by invismultimedia.com
http://wn.com/Tapovan_Ashram,_Gangotri,_Uttarakhand
Tapovankuti or the Tapovan Ashram at Gangotri in Uttarakhand. is located on the left bank of River Ganga. For more information on this video click - www.indiavideo.org Video by invismultimedia.com
- published: 13 Mar 2010
- views: 5626
- author: indiavideodotorg
Floods will destroy man
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:33
- Updated: 10 Aug 2012
Flooding and torrential rain does more damage. This video is the Indian state of Uttarakhand. After the devastation caused by the floods were way off. People were stuck in jams. Everything has been destroyed. People are upset. Not even the flood has left the home and temple.
http://wn.com/Floods_will_destroy_man
Flooding and torrential rain does more damage. This video is the Indian state of Uttarakhand. After the devastation caused by the floods were way off. People were stuck in jams. Everything has been destroyed. People are upset. Not even the flood has left the home and temple.
- published: 10 Aug 2012
- views: 453
- author: CrimesWarrior
![[IRI]Uttarakhand Sampark Kranti Exp. cross us near GZB](http://web.archive.org./web/20121221202634im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RryEVcPqlkU/default.jpg "[IRI]Uttarakhand Sampark Kranti Exp. cross us near GZB")
[IRI]Uttarakhand Sampark Kranti Exp. cross us near GZB
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:57
- Updated: 21 Dec 2012
the only sampart karnti of india which is under mail/express Category Uttarakhand Sampark Kranti Express/15035 crossing us near GZB outer [MB side] train was lead by famous TKD shed WDM3A nd running bang on time ,, this train runs always full nd passengers travel on footplate also bcz of rush -- Travel Time: 6h 30m 7 halts Distance: 277 km Avg Speed: 42 km/hr -- train runs from Kathgodam to Old Delhi Junction
http://wn.com/_IRI_Uttarakhand_Sampark_Kranti_Exp_cross_us_near_GZB
the only sampart karnti of india which is under mail/express Category Uttarakhand Sampark Kranti Express/15035 crossing us near GZB outer [MB side] train was lead by famous TKD shed WDM3A nd running bang on time ,, this train runs always full nd passengers travel on footplate also bcz of rush -- Travel Time: 6h 30m 7 halts Distance: 277 km Avg Speed: 42 km/hr -- train runs from Kathgodam to Old Delhi Junction
- published: 19 Jul 2012
- views: 2
- author: Mohd Arif
Tour of Haridwar and Rishikesh (Part 1)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:47
- Updated: 30 Oct 2012
In Sanskrit, Haridwar stands for Dwara of Hari or Gateway to God, where 'Hari' means God and 'dwar' means gate. In ancient times, the city was referred to as Gangadwára, the place where the Ganges descends to the plains A paradise for nature lovers, Haridwar presents a kaleidoscope of Indian culture and civilization. In the scriptures it has been variously mentioned as Kapilsthan, Gangadwar and Mayapuri. It is also an entry point to the Char Dham (the four main centers of pilgrimage in Uttarakhand viz, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri), hence, Shaivaites (followers of Lord Shiva) and Vaishnavites (followers of Lord Vishnu) call this place Hardwar and Haridwar respectively, corresponding to Har being Shiv and Hari being Vishnu "Hṛṣīkeśa" is a name of Vishnu that means 'lord of the senses'. The place gets its name after Lord Vishnu who appeared to 'Raibhya Rishi', as a result of his tapasya (austerities), as Lord Hrishikesh. In Skanda Purana, this area is known as 'Kubjamrak' as Lord Vishnu appeared, under a mango tree. The name Rishikesh is loosely applied to an association of five distinct sections encompassing not only the town but also hamlets and settlements on both sides of the river Ganges. These include Rishikesh itself, the commercial and communication hub; the sprawling suburb Muni-ki-Reti or the "sands of the sages"; Shivananda Nagar the home of Sivananda Ashram and the Divine Life Society founded by Swami Sivananda, north of Rishikesh; the temple ...
http://wn.com/Tour_of_Haridwar_and_Rishikesh_Part_1
In Sanskrit, Haridwar stands for Dwara of Hari or Gateway to God, where 'Hari' means God and 'dwar' means gate. In ancient times, the city was referred to as Gangadwára, the place where the Ganges descends to the plains A paradise for nature lovers, Haridwar presents a kaleidoscope of Indian culture and civilization. In the scriptures it has been variously mentioned as Kapilsthan, Gangadwar and Mayapuri. It is also an entry point to the Char Dham (the four main centers of pilgrimage in Uttarakhand viz, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri), hence, Shaivaites (followers of Lord Shiva) and Vaishnavites (followers of Lord Vishnu) call this place Hardwar and Haridwar respectively, corresponding to Har being Shiv and Hari being Vishnu "Hṛṣīkeśa" is a name of Vishnu that means 'lord of the senses'. The place gets its name after Lord Vishnu who appeared to 'Raibhya Rishi', as a result of his tapasya (austerities), as Lord Hrishikesh. In Skanda Purana, this area is known as 'Kubjamrak' as Lord Vishnu appeared, under a mango tree. The name Rishikesh is loosely applied to an association of five distinct sections encompassing not only the town but also hamlets and settlements on both sides of the river Ganges. These include Rishikesh itself, the commercial and communication hub; the sprawling suburb Muni-ki-Reti or the "sands of the sages"; Shivananda Nagar the home of Sivananda Ashram and the Divine Life Society founded by Swami Sivananda, north of Rishikesh; the temple ...
- published: 02 Nov 2010
- views: 14023
- author: Proloy Chakroborty
Gurdas Maan Live in Uttarakhand, Nov 2010
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:02
- Updated: 04 Oct 2012
gurdas maan's performance in Uttarakhand's village Durgapur,
http://wn.com/Gurdas_Maan_Live_in_Uttarakhand,_Nov_2010
gurdas maan's performance in Uttarakhand's village Durgapur,
- published: 08 Dec 2010
- views: 27897
- author: jeet sandhu
photo: AP / Carolyn Kaster
20 Dec 2012
Obama held a White House news conference on Wednesday to announce that Vice President Joe Biden will lead an interagency effort to craft new gun policies. The group is expected to offer its proposals in January. “We know this is a complex issue that stirs deeply held passions and political divides,” Obama said. “But the fact that this problem is complex can no longer be an excuse for doing nothing.” ... WAKE-UP CALL ... ....(size: 6.1Kb)
photo: AP / Fahd al-Bakoush
20 Dec 2012
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three senior U.S. State Department officials were asked to resign after an official inquiry harshly criticized their offices for failing to provide adequate security at the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, before it came under attack in September, a U.S. official said on Wednesday ... State Department officials declined to comment on the matter, saying it was a personnel issue ... Joint Chiefs of Staff ... facilities....(size: 5.4Kb)
photo: AP / Charles Krupa
18 Dec 2012
Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling. "Most people reason dramatically, not quantitatively." -Oliver Wendell Holmes. On the same day that a 20-year-old, described as brilliant but remote, walked into an elementary school in Connecticut and massacred 26 children and adults, the school where I teach went on "lock-down." Four students with a handgun were arrested ... That morning before school, he had posted on Twitter and Facebook....(size: 14.0Kb)
photo: AP / Mohammad Hannon
19 Dec 2012
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said she accepts the findings of an independent panel that faulted the State Department over the deadly September attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya. An inquiry into the attack on the US mission, which saw the US ambassador and three other US citizens killed, found that the State Department security arrangements there were "grossly inadequate" ... 390 Source. ... Share ... Jaws ... Anaheim....(size: 19.2Kb)
photo: Creative Commons / Joachim Huber
18 Dec 2012
Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling. When a Stanford geneticist, Gerald Crabtree, published a provocative and controversial new view on evolutionary change, namely that humans are actually getting dumber, he should have also added that humans are still developing an extermination gene ... Paleontologist Tim Flannery would more than likely agree with Crabtree ... Strange strings of gravel also overlaid some bones ... (1) Kane, Alex ... 195....(size: 9.4Kb)
Zeenews
21 Dec 2012
Demanding stern punishment for the culprits, people from different walks of life, especially students and women, on Thursday hit the streets across Uttarakhand in protest against the Delhi gang-rape incident ... Uttarakhand has been witnessing a spurt of protests for the past few days with students ......(size: 1.6Kb)
Zeenews
21 Dec 2012
Lucknow ... Uttarakhand government has also assured full co-operation in controlling pollution, the spokesperson added ... PTI. For Zee News’s Updates, follow us on Twitter , Facebook, Google+, Pinterest. First Published. Friday, December 21, 2012, 14.39. ....(size: 1.4Kb)
The Times of India
21 Dec 2012
NEW DELHI. Congress appeared uneasy at the sight of Narendra Modi emerging unscathed but took comfort from the election victory in Himachal Pradesh ... But with Himachal providing a political cover, the theory of a 1-1 draw gained currency ... Conventional wisdom says Congress is the winner." ... The example of Uttarakhand, that went to polls in March and where similar factors nearly helped BJP win a repeat mandate, was already there ... ....(size: 2.8Kb)
Zeenews
21 Dec 2012
New Delhi ... "The most beautiful and endangered of the five specimens of butterflies collected from an unknown valley in Bhutan in 1934 have been rediscovered in India," said Smetacek, who manages the Butterfly Research Centre at Bhimtal in Uttarakhand. The researcher believes the delicate winged creatures are not threatened by extinction ... Providing insights into the research work on butterflies in Asia, Smetacek said ... he said ... IANS ... ....(size: 3.6Kb)
Zeenews
20 Dec 2012
The Uttarakhand BJP women's wing on Thursday hit the streets across the state to protest the alleged dismal law and order scenario in the country under UPA government saying the recent gang-rape of a girl in a moving bus in Delhi was not an isolated incident ......(size: 1.4Kb)
The Times of India
20 Dec 2012
That should dent his prime ministerial ambitions, and improve the prospects of others ... Modi avoided campaigning for his party in the Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand assembly elections last February, ostensibly because he was busy with his sadbhavana yatra. BJP did badly in Uttar Pradesh , but won in Punjab in alliance with the Akalis, and only just lost in Uttarakhand, not a bad performance ... Ditto for Raman Singh ... ....(size: 3.2Kb)
The Hindu
20 Dec 2012
A revolutionary cultural activist and performing artiste of Uttarakhand, Alakh Nath Upreti died at the age of 80 after prolonged illness in Delhi on December 12. Born in Bareilly and brought up in Almora town, Alakh Nath did his M.A. in economics from Allahabad University and was associated with Lok Kalakar Sangh, Almora, which was part of the cultural renaissance ushered in by Mohan Upreti in Uttarakhand during the 1950s ... Keywords....(size: 3.9Kb)
IMDb
20 Dec 2012
But she wasn't India's original contestant as Uttarakhand's Urvashi Rautela, the original winner of the "I Am She" ......(size: 0.7Kb)
Indian Express
20 Dec 2012
Or should they fly in a CM from Centre as it did in the case of Uttarakhand. ....(size: 0.5Kb)
The Times of India
20 Dec 2012
The meeting — to be held on Friday and Saturday — is slated to consider some big-ticket projects such as the controversial 320mw Stage-1 and 530mw Stage-II Kotlibhel projects on river Alaknanda in Uttarakhand, the 520mw Teesta Stage IV hydel project in Sikkim and opening up of another 1,400 hectares of forestland by Mahanadi Coal Fields in Odisha's Jharsuguda mines ... ....(size: 1.8Kb)
The Times of India
20 Dec 2012
AMRITSAR. Police commissioners from 21 police commissionerates in the country would assemble in the holy city of Amritsar to ponder upon various aspects of policing including city patrolling system, traffic management, crowd control etc ... These states include J & K, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh ... It was introduced in Hyderabad in 1939 ... ....(size: 2.5Kb)
The Times of India
20 Dec 2012
SHIMLA. As sun rises in a snow-clad Himachal Pradesh on Thursday morning, the fortunes of a political regime will witness a new dawn ... Whether the mandate is for BJP's "Mission Repeat" or the Congress's "Mission Delete" will soon be clear ... Many within the Congress feel that the party high command might replicate the Uttarakhand model in Himachal Pradesh and send someone from the Centre as the chief minister ... ....(size: 2.6Kb)
The Times of India
20 Dec 2012
NEW DELHI ... Sonia Gandhi indicated an early organizational reshuffle, strengthening the indication that changes, including a new assignment for Rahul, may be announced around the brainstorming session the party is set to hold on January 18-20 in Jaipur ... The evidence of Uttarakhand, that went to polls in March and where similar factors nearly helped BJP win a repeat mandate, proved too alluring ... ....(size: 3.0Kb)
| Uttarakhand उत्तराखण्ड |
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| — State — | |||
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| Coordinates (Dehradun): 30°20′N 78°04′E / 30.33°N 78.06°E / 30.33; 78.06Coordinates: 30°20′N 78°04′E / 30.33°N 78.06°E / 30.33; 78.06 | |||
| Country |  India |
||
| Established | 9 November 2000 | ||
| Capital | Dehradun† | ||
| Largest city | Dehradun | ||
| Districts | 17 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Governor | Aziz Qureshi | ||
| • Chief Minister | Vijay Bahuguna (INC) | ||
| • Legislature | Unicameral (71‡ seats) | ||
| • Parliamentary constituency | 5 | ||
| • High Court | Uttarakhand High Court | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 53,566 km2 (20,682 sq mi) | ||
| Area rank | 18th | ||
| Population (2011) | |||
| • Total | 10,116,752 | ||
| • Rank | 19th | ||
| • Density | 190/km2 (490/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) | ||
| ISO 3166 code | IN-UT | ||
| HDI |  0.628 (medium)[citation needed] |
||
| HDI rank | 12th (2005) | ||
| Literacy | 79.63%[1] | ||
| Sex Ratio | 963 | ||
| Languages spoken | Garhwali, Kumaoni, Hindi, Urdu | ||
| Official languages | Hindi, Sanskrit[2] | ||
| Website | uk.gov.in | ||
| ^† Dehradun is the provisional capital of the state. The new capital has not yet been chosen. ^‡ 70 (elected) + 1 (nominated Anglo-Indian) |
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Uttarakhand[needs IPA] (Sanskrit: उत्तराखण्डम्, Uttarākhanḍam ?, Hindi: उत्तराखण्ड, Uttarākhanḍ ?), formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods (Hindi: देव भूमि, Dēv bhūmi ?) due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship. Known for its natural beauty and wealth of the Himalayas, the Bhabhar and the Terai, the state was carved out of the Himalayan and adjoining north-western districts of Uttar Pradesh on 9 November 2000, becoming the 27th state of the Republic of India.[3] It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region on the north, the Mahakali Zone of Far-Western Region, Nepal on the east and the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh to the south and Himachal Pradesh to the north west.
The region is traditionally referred to as Uttarakhand in Hindu scriptures and old literature, a term which derives from Sanskrit uttara (उत्तर) meaning north, and khaṇḍ (खण्ड्) meaning country or part of a country. It has an area of 20,682 sq mi (53,566 km²).
In January 2007, the name of the state was officially changed from Uttaranchal, its interim name, to Uttarakhand. The provisional capital of Uttarakhand is Dehradun, which is also a rail-head and the largest city in the region. The small hamlet of Gairsain has been mooted as the future capital owing to its geographic centrality but controversies and lack of resources have led Dehradun to remain provisional capital. The high court of the state is in Nainital.
Recent developments in the region include initiatives by the state government to capitalise on handloom and handicrafts, the burgeoning tourist trade as well as tax incentives to lure high-tech industry to the state. The state also has big-dam projects, controversial and often criticised in India, such as the very large Tehri dam on the Bhagirathi-Bhilangana rivers, conceived in 1953, the phase one of which has already been completed.[4] Uttarakhand is also well known as the birthplace of the Chipko environmental movement,[5] and other social movements including the mass agitation in the 1990s that led to its formation.
Contents |
History[link]
Main article: History of Uttarakhand
Literally North Country or Section in Sanskrit, the name of Uttarakhand finds mention in the early Hindu scriptures as the combined region of Kedarkhand (present day Garhwal) and Manaskhand (present day Kumaon). Uttarakhand was also the ancient Puranic term for the central stretch of the Indian Himalayas. It is well known for the presence of a multitude of Hindu pilgrimage spots. The Pauravas, Kushanas, Kunindas, Guptas, Katyuris, Raikas, Palas, the Chands, and Parmaras or Panwars, Sikhs and the British have ruled Uttarakhand in turns.[6]
The region was originally settled by Kols, an aboriginal people of the austro- Asiatic physical type who were later joined by Indo-Aryan Khas tribes that arrived from the northwest by the Vedic period. At that time, present-day Uttarakhand also served as a haunt for Rishis and Sadhus. It is believed that Sage Vyasa scripted the Mahabharata here as the Pandavas are believed to have traveled and camped in the region. Among the first major dynasties of Garhwal and Kumaon were the Kunindas in the 2nd century B.C. who practiced an early form of Shaivism. They traded salt with Western Tibet. It is evident from the Ashokan edict at Kalsi in Western Garhwal that Buddhism made inroads in this region. Folk shamanic practices deviating from Hindu orthodoxy also persisted here. However, Garhwal and Kumaon were restored to nominal Brahmanical rule due to the travails of Shankaracharya and the arrival of migrants from the plains. Between the 4th and 14th centuries, the Katyuri dynasty of Khas origin dominated lands of varying extent from the Katyur (modern day Baijnath) valley in Kumaon. The historically significant temples at Jageshwar are believed to have been built by the Katyuris and later remodeled by the Chands. Other peoples of the Tibeto-Burman group known as Kiratas are thought to have settled in the northern highlands as well as in pockets throughout the region, and believed to be the ancestors to the modern day Bhotiya, Raji, Buksha, and Tharu peoples.[7]
By the medieval period, the region was consolidated under the Garhwal Kingdom in the west and the Kumaon Kingdom in the east. From the 13th–18th century, Kumaon prospered under the Chand Rajas who had their origins in the plains of India. During this period, learning and new forms of painting (the Pahari school of art) developed.[8] Modern-day Garhwal was likewise unified under the rule of Parmar/Panwar Rajas, who along with a mass migration of Brahmins and Rajputs, also arrived from the plains.[9]
In 1791, the expanding Gurkha Empire of Nepal, overran Almora, the seat of the Kumaon Kingdom. In 1803, the Garhwal Kingdom also fell to the Gurkhas. With the conclusion of the Anglo-Nepalese War in 1816, a rump portion of the Garhwal Kingdom was reestablished from Tehri, and eastern British Garhwal and Kumaon ceded to the British as part of the Treaty of Sugauli.
In the post-independence period, the Garhwal Kingdom was merged into Uttar Pradesh state, where Uttarakhand composed the Garhwal and Kumaon Divisions.[10] Until 1998, Uttarakhand was the name most commonly used to refer to the region, as various political groups including most significantly the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Uttarakhand Revolutionary Party est. 1979), began agitating for separate statehood under its banner. Although the erstwhile hill kingdoms of Garhwal and Kumaon were traditional rivals with diverse lingual and cultural influences due to the proximity of different neighbouring ethnic groups, the inseparable and complementary nature of their geography, economy, culture, language, and traditions created strong bonds between the two regions.[11] These bonds formed the basis of the new political identity of Uttarakhand, which gained significant momentum in 1994, when demand for separate statehood (within the Union of India) achieved almost unanimous acceptance among the local populace as well as political parties at the national level.[12] Most notable incident during this period was the Rampur Tiraha firing case on the night of 1 October 1994, which led to public uproar.[13] On 24 September 1998 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed the 'Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Bill', 1998, which eventually led to the creation of the state,[14] eventually the Parliament passed the Indian Federal Legislation - Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2000, and thus on 9 November 2000,[15] Uttarakhand became the 27th state in the Republic of India.
However, the term Uttaranchal came into use when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central and Uttar Pradesh state governments initiated a new round of state reorganization in 1998 and introduced its preferred name. Chosen for its allegedly less separatist connotations, the name change generated enormous controversy among the rank and file of the separate state activists who saw it as a political act,[16] however they were not quite as successful as Jharkhand state that successfully thwarted a similar move to impose the name Vananchal. Nevertheless, the name Uttarakhand remained popular in the region, even while Uttaranchal was promulgated through official usage.
In August 2006, India's Union Cabinet assented to the four-year-old demand of the Uttaranchal state assembly and leading members of the Uttarakhand movement to rename Uttaranchal state as Uttarakhand. Legislation to that effect was passed by the State Legislative Assembly in October 2006,[17] and the Union Cabinet brought in the bill in the winter session of Parliament. The bill was passed by Parliament and signed into law by the President in December 2006. Since then, Uttarakhand denotes a state in the Union of India.
Under the name of Greater Nepal, some in Nepal have asked for the return of states previously usurped by Nepal that were annexed by the British East India Company. However, little support for this motion exists in these regions.
Geography[link]
Main article: Geography of Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand has a total geographic area of 53,566 km², of which 93% is mountainous and 64% is covered by forest. Most of the northern parts of the state are part of Greater Himalaya ranges, covered by the high Himalayan peaks and glaciers, while the lower foothills were densely forested till denuded by the British log merchants and later, after independence, by forest contractors. Recent efforts in reforestation, however, have restored the situation to some extent. The Himalayan ecosystem plays host to a large number of animals (including bharal, snow leopards, leopards and tigers), plants and rare herbs. Two of India's largest rivers, the Ganges and the Yamuna originate in the glaciers of Uttarakhand, and are fed by myriad lakes, glacial melts and streams in the region.[18]
Uttarakhand lies on the southern slope of the Himalaya range, and the climate and vegetation vary greatly with elevation, from glaciers at the highest elevations to subtropical forests at the lower elevations. The highest elevations are covered by ice and bare rock. Below them, between 3,000 and 5,000 metres (9,800 and 16,000 ft) are montane grasslands and shrublands: the western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows. Temperate coniferous forests, the western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests, grow just below the tree line. At 3,000 to 2,600 metres (9,800 to 8,500 ft) elevation they transit to the temperate western Himalayan broadleaf forests, which lie in a belt from 2,600 to 1,500 metres (8,500 to 4,900 ft) elevation. Below 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) elevation lie the Himalayan subtropical pine forests. The Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests and the drier Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands cover the lowlands along the Uttar Pradesh border. This belt is locally known as Bhabhar. These lowland forests have mostly been cleared for agriculture, but a few pockets remain.[19]
Indian National Parks in Uttarakhand include the Jim Corbett National Park (the oldest national park of India) at Ramnagar in Nainital District, Valley of Flowers National Park and Nanda Devi National Park in Chamoli District, which together are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Rajaji National Park in Haridwar District, and Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Gangotri National Park in Uttarkashi District.
Demographics[link]
See also: Garhwali people and Kumauni People
| Population Growth | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1951 | 2,946,000 |
|
|
| 1961 | 3,611,000 | 22.6% | |
| 1971 | 4,493,000 | 24.4% | |
| 1981 | 5,726,000 | 27.4% | |
| 1991 | 7,051,000 | 23.1% | |
| 2001 | 8,489,000 | 20.4% | |
| Source:Census of India[20] | |||
According to 2011 India census, Uttarakhand had a population of 10,116,752. The native people of Uttarakhand are generally called either Kumaoni or Garhwali depending on their place of origin in either the Garhwal or Kumaon region.
Another well known category is Gujjar, they were the rulers of a kingdom with capital at Landhaura of gurjar partihar dynasty,Hindu gurjar is power ful than other Muslim gurjar of the state landhora gurjar was a big riyasat of gurjar's in past and which covered the whole of today's Haridwar District. Gujjars King Raja Ramdayal Singh Panwar had helped the Tehri ruler against the Gorkhas and the Present MLA from Laksar in Haridwar is Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion is the descendant of that King. Gujjar is a dominant community of Haridwar District.
Kumaoni and Garhwali dialects of Central Pahari are spoken in Kumaon and Garhwal region respectively. Jaunsari and Bhotiya dialects are also spoken by tribal communities in the west and north respectively. The urban population however converses mostly in Hindi. Sanskrit has also official status in the state.
Hindus form the majority of the population at 85.0%, Muslims form 10.5%, Sikhs 2.5% and Christians, Buddhists, Jains and others about 0.5%. It has male-female ratio of .963 and has a literacy rate of 79.63%. The largest cities in the state include Dehradun (530,263), Haridwar (220,767), Roorkee (158,896), Haldwani (145,278) and Rudrapur (88,720). The state government recognizes 15,620 villages and 81 cities and urban areas.
Historians of Kumaon and Garhwal say that in the beginning there were only three castes: Rajput, Brahmin and Shilpkar. Main occupation of Rajput were Zamindari and law enforcement. Occupation of Brahmins were to perform religious rituals in temples and religious occasions. Shilpkar were mainly working for rajputs, in their lands and were expert in handcrafts. The famous surnames Pundir, Kalakoti, Chauhan, Bashera or Basera,Bhaisora(Thal,distt pithoragarh), Bisht, Bhayera, Nainwal, Rawat, Dhapola, Rautela and Negi are used by Rajputs. Bahuguna, Painuly (Panuly), Kukreti, Bhatt, Nautiyal, Naithani, Joshi, Tripathi, Pant are some of the famous Brahmin surname, also having a university by the name of Bahuguna in Pauri district of Garhwal. According to a 2007 study, Uttarakhand has the highest percentage of brahmins of any state in India, with approximately 20% of the population being brahmin.[21]
Government and politics[link]
Main articles: Government of Uttarakhand and Legislature of Uttarakhand
The present Chief Minister of Government of Uttarakhand is Mr.Vijay Bahuguna.He was appointed as the seventh Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.Governor Margaret Alva administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr.Bahuguna, who became the CM for the first time. The last state elections in Uttarakhand were held on 30 January 2012. The Indian National Congress emerged as the largest party with 32 seats in the 70-seat Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly. Three seat short of forming a majority, the Congress have had to rely on support from the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal,three independents and the Bahujan Samaj Party to form the government. The BJP is the official opposition, holding 31 seats.
Chief ministers of Uttarakhand[link]
- Nityanand Swami, BJP, 2000–2001
- Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, BJP, 2001–2002
- Narayan Dutt Tiwari, Congress, 2002–2007
- B C Khanduri, BJP, 2007–2009
- Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, BJP, 2009–2011
- B C Khanduri, BJP,2011–2012
- Vijay Bahuguna,Congress, 2012–present
State Assembly[link]
No. of Seats = 70, General = 55, SC = 12, ST = 03
The First State Assembly for Uttarakhand was carved out from the Vidhan-Sabha of Uttar-pradesh for which elections were held in 1996. In UP Assembly, the number of seats for the area consisting of Uttarakhand were 26. The First State Assembly consisted on these 26 Seats. BJP which had won 17 Seats out of these 26 Seats formed the Government under Nityanand Swami. Swami was replaced by Bhagat Singh Koshiyari in 2001. The BJP rule was marred by severe internal factionalism which made the party unpopular.
The State Elections for Second State Assembly were held on 14th Feb,2002. A Total of 927 Candidates were in fray. Congress won the simple majority with 36 Seats and Narayan Dutt Tiwari was elected as the Chief Minister. The State clocked an impressive 14.5% growth during the Congress rule, however, there was widespread disenchantment with the style of functioning of the Chief Minister.
The State Elections for Third State Assembly were held in March-2007. None of the parties got the clearcut majority. BJP emerged as the largest party with 34 seats followed by Congress with 21 Seats. Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP) made impressive gains with 07 Seats though its success was more attributed to rebels of BJP joining BSP. Uttarkhand Kranti Dal managed 3 Seats.
BJP formed the government along with Uttarakhand Kranti Dal and Maj.General B.C.Khanduri was appointed as the Chief Minister. B.C.Khanduri continued as Chief Minister till End-2009 when he was removed due to shocking defeat of BJP in all the five Lok Sabha Constituencies of Uttarakhand in May-2009. Khanduri was replaced by Ramesh Pokhriyal "Nishank" who was a Teacher by profession. However, due to widespread disenchantment with the BJP Government's lack lustre performance under Pokhriyal's leadership, he was replaced with B.C.Khanduri in End-2011. Taking advantage of the wide spread Anna Hazare's movement against Corruption, Khanduri immediately introduced and got passed the Uttarakhand Lokayukta Bill in line with Anna Hazare's Jan Lokpal Bill and got kudos from the Media,Anna Hazare and people at large. This single step brought BJP in the election fray for the coming Assembly Elections in Jan-2012.
The State Elections for Fourth State Assembly of Uttarakhand were held on 30-01-2012. Total 788 Candidates were in fray. The main parties were BJP, Congress and BSP. The results were announced on 6 March 2012 and no party got a majority. The Congress emerged as the largest party with 32 seats with BJP at 31 seats. BSP got 3 seats, Uttarakhand Kranti Dal 01 Seat and Independent 3 seats. The surprising result was that although the ruling party BJP made a comeback in the elections under Chief Minister B.C.Khanduri but Khanduri himself lost his Kotdwar Seat, whereas Ramesh Pokhriyal won his Doiwala Seat. Immediately after the results were announced, both Congress and BJP started manuoveres to form the next government along with BSP and independents.
Congress party was able to secure the support of three independents and one UKD candidate and submitted its claim for forming the government. Congress was later joined by the three MLAs of BSP. The sitting MP from Tehri-Garhwal Region Vijay Bahuguna was nominated as Chief Minister by the Congress High Command.
Districts[link]
Main article: Districts of Uttarakhand
There are 13 districts in Uttarakhand which are grouped into two divisions, Kumaon and Garhwal. Four more districts namely Didihat, Ranikhet, Kotdwar and Yamunotri were declared by the then CM of Uttarakhand, Ramesh Pokhriyall on 15 August 2011. However, these districts have not been created yet.
The Kumaon division includes six districts.
The Garhwal division includes seven districts.
- Dehradun
- Haridwar
- Tehri Garhwal
- Uttarkashi
- Chamoli
- Pauri Garhwal (commonly known as Garhwal)
- Rudraprayag
Proposed districts[link]
- Didihat to be carved out from Pithoragarh
- Ranikhet to be carved out from Almora district
- Kotdwara to be carved out from Pauri district
- Yamunotri to be carved out from Uttarkashi
Each district is governed by a district commissioner or district magistrate. The districts are further divided into sub-divisions, which are governed by sub-divisional magistrates; sub-divisions comprise blocks containing panchayats (village councils) and town municipalities. As per the 2011 census, Haridwar, Dehradun, Udham Singh Nagar are the most populous districts, each of them having a population of more than one million.
Important cities[link]
File:Nainital-lake-lg.jpg
A view of the Nainital lake.
| City | Population | District |
|---|---|---|
| Dehradun | 7,78,593 | Dehradun |
| Haridwar | 3,24,372 | Haridwar |
| Roorkee | 2,82,784 | Haridwar |
| Haldwani | 2,66,942 | Nainital |
| Kashipur | 1,81,208 | Udham Singh Nagar |
| Kotdwara | 1,16,497 | Pauri Garhwal |
| Rudrapur | 119281 | Udham Singh Nagar |
| Rishikesh | 75,020 | Dehradun(Mainly in Dehradun)/(Partly in)Haridwar/Tehri Garhwal/Pauri Garhwal |
| Pithoragarh | 66378 | Pithoragrah |
| Manglaur | 65267 | Haridwar |
| Ramnagar | 47099 | Nainital |
| Nainital | 38560 | Nainital |
| Almora | 30613 | Almora |
| Mussoorie | 26069 | Dehradun |
| Pauri | 25400 | Pauri Garhwal |
| Srinagar | 19861 | Pauri Garhwal |
| Gopeshwar | 19855 | Chamoli |
| Ranikhet | 19049 | Almora |
| Uttarkashi | 16220 (2001) | Uttarkashi |
| Tanakpur | 15810 | Champawat |
| Khatima | 14378 | Udham Singh Nagar |
| Gadarpur | 13,638 | Udham Singh Nagar |
| Vikasnagar | 12485 | Dehradun |
| Bageshwar | 7803 | Bageshwar |
| Banbasa | 7138 | Champawat |
| Karanprayag | 6976 | Chamoli |
| Champawat | 3958 | Champawat |
| Rudraprayag | 2242 | Rudraprayag |
| Devprayag | 2144 | Pauri Garhwal |
| Devprayag | 2144 | Pauri Garhwal |
Economy[link]
Growth story of Uttarakhand- Peeyush Sharma Doon University
The size of Uttarakhand's Economy as measured by its Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) for 2011 (Financial year ending March 2011) is estimated at 
775.8 billion in current prices. Born out of the division of Uttar Pradesh, the new state of Uttarakhand produces about 12% of the output of the old Uttar Pradesh state. Consolidated Finvest and Holdings, a S&P CNX 500 conglomerate has its corporate office in Uttarakhand. It reported a gross income of 137 million for 2005.[citation needed]
In 2003, a new industrial policy for the state with generous tax benefits for investors was initiated that has led to a massive upsurge of capital investment. SIDCUL, the State Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand has established seven industrial estates in the southern periphery of the state, while dozens of hydroelectric dams are being built in the upper reaches. However, hill development remains an uphill challenge as out migration of local peoples continues from the highland hinterlands.
| Animal |
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| Bird |
.jpg){kind=small} |
| Flower |
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| Tree |
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Transport[link]
Uttarakhand is well connected with Rail, Road and Air modes of transport
Airports[link]
- Jolly Grant Airport (Dehradun)
- Pantnagar Airport (Pantnagar)
- NAINI-SAINI (Pithoragarh)
- Uttarkashi
- Gochar (Chamoli)
- Agastyamuni (Heliport) (Rudraprayag)
Tourism[link]
Leisure, adventure, and religious tourism play a prominent role in Uttarakhand's economy, with the Corbett National Park and Tiger Reserve and the nearby hill-stations of Nainital, Mussoorie, Almora, Kausani, Bhimtal and Ranikhet being amongst the most frequented destinations of India. The state also contains numerous peaks of interest to mountaineers, although Nanda Devi, the highest and best-known of these, has been off-limits since 1982. Other national wonders include the Valley of Flowers, which along with Nanda Devi National Park, form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
To Uttarakhand, long called "abode of the gods" (Devbhumi), belong some of the holiest Hindu shrines, and for more than a thousand years, pilgrims have been visiting the region in the hopes of salvation and purification from sin. Gangotri and Yamunotri, the sources of both the Ganges and Yamuna fall in the upper reaches of the state and together with Badrinath (dedicated to Vishnu) and Kedarnath (dedicated to Shiva) form the Char Dham, one of Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious pilgrimage circuits. Haridwar, meaning "Gateway to God" is a prime Hindu destination. Haridwar hosts the Kumbha Mela every twelve years, in which millions of pilgrims take part from all parts of the India and the world. Rishikesh near Haridwar is known as the preeminent yoga centre of India. The state has an abundance of temples and shrines, many dedicated to local deities or manifestations of Shiva and Durga, references to many of which can be found in Hindu scriptures and legends.[23] The architecture of most of these temples is typical of the region and slightly different from other parts of India. The ancient temples at Jageshwar (a complex of 124 temples in a deodar woodland) are historically the most prominent for their distinct architectural features. Uttarakhand is, however, a place of pilgrimage not only for the Hindus. Hemkund nested in the Himalayas is a prime pilgrimage center for the Sikhs. Tibetan Buddhism has also made itself felt with the recent reconstruction of Mindroling Monastery and its Buddha Stupa, touted as the world's highest,[24] southwest of Dehradun.
The state has always been a destination for mountaineering, hiking and rock climbing in India. A recent development in adventure tourism in the region has been white water rafting and other adventures sports. Eco tourism, agritourism and rural tourism have also found new grounds in many villages of the state.
Tourist destinations[link]
Uttarakhand has many tourist spots where tourists come from all over the world, such as Nainital and Mussoorie.The other main places are:
- Kedarnath
- Nainital
- Gangotri
- Yamunotri
- Badrinath
- Almora
- Rishikesh
- Hemkund Sahib
- Nanakmatta
- Valley of Flowers
- Mussoorie
- Dehradun
- Haridwar
- Auli
- Chakrata
- Ranikhet
- Munsyari
- Bageshwar
- Bhimtal
- Kausani
- Lansdowne
Education[link]
Building_IIT-Roorkee.JPG)
Uttarakhand is home to several important educational institutions, including the oldest engineering colleges in Asia, the Indian Institute of Technology at Roorkee and Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology in Pantnagar.Other universities and institutes of prime importance include, Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, Forest Research Institute in Dehradun, Govind Ballabh Pant Engineering College in Pauri and Bipin Chandra Tripathi Kumaon Engineering College, Dwarahat.
Uttarakhand is home to several reputed and prestigious day and boarding schools including G D Birla Memorial School, Ranikhet, St. Joseph's College (Nainital), The Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) (Dehradun) The Doon School (Dehradun), Welham Girls School (Dehradun), Welham Boys School (Dehradun), Summer Valley School (Dehradun), SelaQui International School (Dehradun), Brightlands (Dehradun), St. Joseph's Academy (Dehradun), Woodstock School (Landour), St. George's College (Mussoorie), Birla Vidya Mandir (Nainital), Sherwood College (Nainital), All Saints' College (Nainital), St. Mary's Convent (Nainital). Several Indian luminaries have attended these schools including former prime ministers and film stars.
Historically, Uttarakhand is believed to be the land where the Vedas and the Shastras were composed and the great epic, the Mahabharata, was written. Rishikesh is widely considered the Yoga capital of the world.
Universities[link]
Garhwal and Kumaun Universities were founded in 1973 as part of the upsurge of regional sentiment that led to the Uttarakhand statehood. The most famous universities of Uttarakhand are:
Government Engineering Colleges[link]
- Bipin Chandra Tripathi Kumaon Engineering College,Ranikhet
- Govind Ballabh Pant Engineering College, Pauri
- Seemant Institute Of Technology,Pithoragarh
- THDC Institute of Hydropower Engineerig & Technology, Tehri
Leading Private Engineering Colleges[link]
- Dehradun Institute of Technology ,Dehradun
- College of Engineering Roorkee, Roorkee
- Birla Institute of Applied Sciences, Bhimtal
- Dev Bhoomi Institute of Technology, Dehradun
- Uttaranchal Institute of Technology, Dehradun
Entertainment industry[link]
Although the entertainment industry of Uttarakhand is in its infant stage, yet there is a rapid growth in terms of audio visual entertainment. The pure folk seems to be disappearing from villages, so is the younger generation. Still there are many options one can get close to the folk music. Recently, in the honor of all who gave Bedupako Baramaasa folk tune an international fame and also to make Uttarakhand folk available all around the world 24X7, an online radio, which is one of the only and very first on-line radio of Uttarakhand available on web, was created by the name of bedupako.
See also[link]
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- Kumauni People
- Kumaoni
- Kumaon Division
- Garhwali people
- Garhwali
- Kumaon Regiment
- Baitada
- Doti
- Bengal Engineers
- Special Frontier Force
- Bedupako
References[link]
- ^ http://censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/data_files/india/Final%20PPT%202011_chapter6.pdf
- ^ "Sanskrit is second official language in Uttarakhand". http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NorthIndia/Sanskrit-is-second-official-language-in-Uttarakhand/Article1-499467.aspx. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
- ^ Uttarakhand Govt. of India, Official website.
- ^ Yadav, K. P. S. (2002). Going Under: Tehri prepares for a watery grave as the controversial dam becomes a grim reality. Its residents are in mourning, their grief compounded by an uncertain future. Down To Earth, 10(16), 20.
- ^ Guha, R. (2000). The unquiet woods: ecological change and peasant resistance in the Himalaya (Expanded ed.). Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press.
- ^ Kandari, O. P., & Gusain, O. P. (Eds.). (2001). Garhwal Himalaya: Nature, Culture & Society. Srinagar, Garhwal: Transmedia.
- ^ Saklani, D. P. (1998). Ancient communities of the Himalaya. New Delhi: Indus Pub. Co.
- ^ Pande, B. D. (1993). History of Kumaun: English version of "Kumaun ka itihas". Almora, U.P., India: Shyam Prakashan: Shree Almora Book Depot.
- ^ Rawat, A. S. (1989). History of Garhwal, 1358-1947: an erstwhile kingdom in the Himalayas. New Delhi: Indus Pub. Co.
- ^ Saklani, A. (1987). The history of a Himalayan princely state: change, conflicts and awakening: an interpretative history of princely state of Tehri Garhwal, U.P., A.D. 1815 to 1949 A.D. (1st ed.). Delhi: Durga Publications.
- ^ Aggarwal, J. C., Agrawal, S. P., & Gupta, S. S. (Eds.). (1995). Uttarakhand: past, present, and future. New Delhi: Concept Pub. Co.
- ^ Kumar, P. (2000). The Uttarakhand Movement: Construction of a Regional Identity. New Delhi: Kanishka Publishers.
- ^ Rampur Tiraha firing The Times of India, 31 Jul 2003.
- ^ Reorganisation Bill passed by UP Govt The Indian Express, 24 September 1998.
- ^ Uttarakhand Govt. of India, Official website.
- ^ Negi, B. (2001). "Round One to the Lobbyists, Politicians and Bureaucrats." Indian Express, 2 January.
- ^ UNI. (2006). "Uttaranchal becomes Uttarakhand." Tribune (India), 12 October.
- ^ Negi, S. S. (1991). Himalayan rivers, lakes, and glaciers. New Delhi: Indus Pub. Co.
- ^ Negi, S. S. (1995). Uttarakhand: land and people. New Delhi: MD Pub.
- ^ "Census Population" (PDF). Census of India. Ministry of Finance India. http://indiabudget.nic.in/es2006-07/chapt2007/tab97.pdf. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
- ^ [1] Outlook India.
- ^ "Various State Symbols of Uttarakhand". gmvnl-Garhwal mandal vikas nigam limited. http://www.gmvnl.com/newgmvn/facts/. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
- ^ Dilwali, A., & Pant, P. (1987). The Garhwal Himalayas, ramparts of heaven. New Delhi: Lustre Press.
- ^ PTI. (2002). "Dalai Lama Inaugurates World's Highest Stupa." 28 October.
Further reading[link]
- Rivett-Carnac, J. H. (1879). Archaeological notes on ancient sculpturings on rocks in Kumaon, India. Calcutta : G.H. Rouse. http://www.archive.org/stream/archaeologicalno00rive#page/n7/mode/2up.
- Upreti, Ganga Dutt (1894). Proverbs & folklore of Kumaun and Garhwal. Lodiana Mission Press. http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924089930774#page/n7/mode/2up.
- Oakley, E Sherman (1905). Holy Himalaya; the religion, traditions, and scenery of Himalayan province (Kumaon and Garwhal). Oliphant Anderson & Ferrier, London. http://www.archive.org/stream/holyhimalayareli00oaklrich#page/n7/mode/2up.
- of Kumaon, Raja Rudradeva; (Ed. with English tr. Haraprasada Shastri) (1910). Syanika sastra: or A Book on Hawking. Asiatic Society, Calcutta. http://www.archive.org/stream/syanikasatraorbo00rudruoft#page/n3/mode/2up.
- Umachand Handa (2002). History of Uttaranchal. Indus Publishing. ISBN 81-7387-134-5. Excerpts
- Husain, Z. (1995). Uttarakhand movement: the politics of identity and frustration, a psycho-analytical study of the separate state movement, 1815-1995. Bareilly: Prakash Book Depot. ISBN 81-85897-17-4
- Śarmā, D. (1989). Tibeto-Himalayan languages of Uttarakhand. Studies in Tibeto-Himalayan languages, 3. New Delhi, India: Mittal Publications. ISBN 81-7099-171-4
- Fonia, K. S. (1987). Uttarakhand, the land of jungles, temples, and snows. New Delhi, India: Lancer Books.
- Mukhopadhyay, R. (1987). Uttarakhand movement a sociological analysis. Centre for Himalayan Studies special lecture, 8. Raja Rammohunpur, Dt. Darjeeling: University of North Bengal.
- Uma Prasad Thapliyal (2005). Uttaranchal: Historical and cultural perspectives. B.R. Pub. Corp.,. ISBN 81-7646-463-5.
- Nationalistic part of Greater Nepal Region
- Vijaypal Singh Negi, Jawahernagar, Post -Agastyamuni,Dist.- Rudraprayag, The Great HimalaysPublication Date- 1998,
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| Gurdas Maan ਗੁਰਦਾਸ ਮਾਨ |
|
|---|---|
 Gurdas Mann at Divya Dutta's mom Nalini's book launch |
|
| Background information | |
| Born | (1957-01-04) 4 January 1957 (age 55) Giddarbaha, Sri Muktsar Sahib, East Punjab (India) |
| Genres | Folk Bhangra |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter Actor Musician |
| Years active | 1980 – present |
| Website | http://www.gurdasmaan.com |
Gurdas Maan (Punjabi: ਗੁਰਦਾਸ ਮਾਨ) is an Punjabi singer, songwriter, choreographer, and actor. He is considered one of the most notable figures in the world of Punjabi music. He was born in Giddarbaha village of Indian Punjab and gained national attention in 1980 with the song "Dil Da Mamla Hai." Since then, he has gone on to record over 34 albums and has written over 300 songs.
Contents |
Early life[link]
Maan was formally educated in D.A.V College Malout Punjab.[citation needed] After completing his education there, his parents enrolled him in a further education institute in Patiala.[citation needed] As a keen sports enthusiast Maan was fascinated by the National Institute of Sports in the city; this prompted him to join the N.I.S. and gain a Masters degree in physical education.[citation needed]
He took part in youth festivals organized by universities and won several awards for his singing and acting, always supported by his friends. He competed in many athletic events and won medals including a bronze at the National Championship as well as achieving a black belt in judo.[1]
Career[link]
1980s[link]
In one of his stage plays, he performed a song he had written called "Dil Da Mamla Hai." The play was seen by a producer for Doordarshan Kendra Jalandhar, the producer who thought the song to have potential approached Maan with a proposition for a TV performance of the song to which Maan agreed. When the song was aired on 31 December 1980 it gained national attention and Gurdas Maan became a national figure. The success of the song attracted the attention of HMV who wanted to record and release it. With HMV Maan eventually released his debut album a year later in 1981. When Maan began his career as a solo performer in India, the music industry was dominated by duet artists and he reportedly declined many offers to become part of a duet as he wished to perform and become a successful solo artist. The film that Gurdas Mann starred in "Mamla Garbar Hai" was directed by Hari Dutt.
During his early career he also wrote and directed TV programs such as POP Time for the Doordarshan Network in Delhi.
1990s and 2000s[link]
Gurdas Maan is often credited with raising Punjabi folk music from a regional level mostly in the Punjab to gain international recognition. His album Apna Punjab won Best Album at the 1998 Asian Pop and Media Awards held in Birmingham. Maan won Best Song for the title track and Best International Artist the same year. In addition to these awards, Maan more recently won three music awards of Best Lyrics ("Kudiye")Best Song ("Heer"), as well as Best Singer of the Year at the ETC Channel Punjabi Music Awards on 6 March 2005.(Ravinder)
Awards and honours[link]
Gurdas Maan received an honorary degree of Doctor of Music from the University of Wolverhampton on 7 Sept 2010.[2] Maan performed at the Royal Albert Hall for two nights in April 2011 as part of his UK tour. This was the first time Maan performed at the Royal Albert Hall, an opportunity that very few artists come across.
On other fronts, Maan has starred in blockbuster Bollywood films and has received numerous awards, including the Jury’s Award, presented to him by the president of India in 2005.
In 2009 he won "Best International Album" at the UK Asian Music Awards for Boot Polishan.[3]
In 2007 he won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for his song titled "Couplets of Heer" for the movie Waris Shah: Ishq Daa Waaris.
In 2011 PTC Punjabi Film Awards, He won Critics Award for Best Actor in a Movie - Sukhmani.[4] In 2012 he was honored by a special prize Kohinoor of Punjab by PTC network.
Film[link]
Gurdas Maan is best known as an actor for his performances in two films: Waris Shah-Ishq Da Waaris (2006), which was nominated as India's selection for the Academy Awards, and Shaheed-E-Mohabbat (1999), the film which tells the real-life story of Boota Singh.
Gurdas appeared in the hit film Shaheed Udham Singh (2000), in which he played the role of Bhagat Singh, a revolutionary, with no prejudices based on religion, caste or creed. As a singer Maan has worked with music directors such as Laxmikant Pyarelal, Bappi Lahiri, Anu Malik, Nadeem Sharvan, Amar Haidipur, Charanjeet Ahuja, and Jaswant Bhanyra.
He starred alongside Juhi Chawla in the epic Des Hoyaa Pardes (2004), an emotional film illustrating the tragedies faced by the people of Punjab in the 1980s. He adopted the role of a son of a well-respected Jatt (bilingual separatist) Gurdev Singh Somal. He falls in love with a high-ranking police officer’s daughter. Before the wedding, the father is murdered by separatists. This tale soon twists in to the inevitable demise of Gurshaan (Gurdas Maan). This movie was based on actual events.
Aside from singing in Punjabi, he is fluent in Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Haryanvi and Rajasthani. As an actor he has performed in Punjabi, Hindi and Tamil movies, but he is best known for his starring role in Waris Shah-Ishq Da Waaris, a depiction of the Punjabi poet Waris Shah during the creation of his epic poem Heer Ranjha, again co-starring Juhi Chawla and Divya Dutta.Waris Shah-Ishq Da Waaris was also the first Punjabi movie which was nominated for OSCAR Awards 2006. He made a special appearance in Veer-Zaara with Shahrukh Khan and Preity Zinta.
He has appeared in Ucha Dar Babe Nanak Da (1982), Mamla Garbar Hai (1984), Long Da Lishkara (1986), Qurbani Jatt Di (1990), Pratigya (1990), Roohani Taaqat (1991), Saali Adhi Ghar Waali (1992), Wanted: Gurdas Maan Dead or Alive (1994), Kachehri (1994), and Zindagi Khoobsoorat Hai (2002).
Personal life[link]
Maan is married to Manjit and has one son Gurikk who has done his schooling at Yadavindra Public School and Mayo College. He also studied at Eton College. His brothers name is Paramjit Bahia[1]
In Kundli, Sonepat, Haryana, India on 20 January 2007 Maan was involved in a car accident in which his Range Rover was hit and severely damaged by a truck. Maan escaped with minor injuries on his face, hands and chest. His driver Ganesh was injured seriously but recovered soon after.
This was the second car accident of two that Gurdas Maan was involved in. The first accident was a head-on collision between Maan's vehicle and a truck on 9 January 2001 at a village near Rupnagar, Punjab. In this accident Maan's driver Tejpal was killed. Maan later admitted that his driver asked him to wear his seat belt minutes before the accident. Maan believes that if it had not been for his driver's advice, he would have been dead as well. Later he wrote and performed a song "Baithi sade naal savari utter gayi" dedicated to his driver, who was also his good friend.
During a radio interview Maan revealed to the host, Gagan Grewal, that he is an avid supporter of Liverpool football club.[5]
Gurdas Maan Started his career as a Employee of Punjab State Electricity Board.
Discography[link]
- 2011: Jogiya (Sai Productions/T-Series/UK BOX OFFICE)
- 2008: Boot Polishan (Sai Creations/UK BOX OFFICE)
- 2005: Vilayatan (T-Series/MovieBox)
- 2004: Heer (T-Series)
- 2003: Punjeeri (T-Series/MovieBox/Music Waves)
- 2001: Pyar Kar Lai (Tips)
- 1999: Jaadugarian (Venus)
- 1998: Dil Hona Chahida Jawaan (Venus)
- 1997: Yaar Mera Pyar (T-Series)
- 1996: Chaklo Chaklo (T-Series)
- 1995: Ishq Na Dekhe Zaat
- 1994: Aaja Sajna
- 1994: Ishq Da Giddha (Tips)
- 1993: Ghar Bhulgi Morh Te Ake
- 1993: Than Than Gopal (RMI)
- 1993: Aakarh Aa Hi Jaandi-E'(Music Bank)
- 1992: Larh Geya Pecha
- 1991: Dil Da Badshah
- 1990: Mohabbat Zindabad
- 1989: Akhiyaan Udeek Dian
- 1988* Raat Suhani'
- 1988: Chugliyaan
- 1988: Wah Ni Jawaniye
- 1987: Geetan Bhari Patari
- 1986: Nacho Babeyo
- 1985: Kurian Ne Judo Sikh Lai
- 1984: Chakkar'
- 1984: Peer Tere Jaan Di
- 1983: Masti
- 1982: Dil Saaf Hona Chahida
- 1982: Disco Vichari
- 1981: Dil Da Mamla Hai
Filmography[link]
- 2013: Punjabiye Zubaney
- 2012: Mitro - Mitro
- 2010: Jaat Haryana ka, Chak Jawana
- 2010: Sukhmani Hope for life (Best Actor - Critic Award PTC Punjabi film Awards 2011.[4])
- 2009: Mini Punjab (Speed OXL Films)
- 2008: Yaariyan (Universal)
- 2007: Mummy-Ji (special appearance) (Universal)
- 2006: Waris Shah-Ishq Da Waaris (MovieBox)
- 2004: Des Hoyaa Pardes (Universal)
- 2004: Veer Zaara (special appearance)(Yash Raj Films)
- 2002: Zindagi Khoobsoorat Hai
- 2000: Shaheed Udham Singh (MovieBox) ...Shaheed Bhagat Singh
- 1999: Shaheed-E-Mohabbat ...Boota Singh
- 1999 Sirf Tum (special appearance)
- 1995: Subedaar
- 1995: Bagawat ...Gurjeet
- 1994: Kachehri..Gurdas/Ajit
- 1994: Wanted: Gurdas Maan Dead or Alive
- 1992: Saali Adhi Ghar Waali
- 1991: Roohani Taaqat
- 1990: Pratigya ...Billa
- 1990: Qurbani Jatt Di ...Karma
- 1990: Dushmani Di Aag
- 1988: Baghavaat
- 1987: Chhora Haryana Da
- 1986: Ki Banu Duniyan Da
- 1986: Gabhroo Punjab Da ...Shera
- 1986: Laung Da Lashkara
- 1985: Patthar Dil
- 1985: Ucha Dar Babe Nanak Da
- 1984: Mamla Garbar Hai
References[link]
- ^ a b "Gurdas Maan". Screen. 6 March 2006. http://www.screenindia.com/old/mar06/music5.htm. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
- ^ "Honorary award for global star". September 7, 2009. http://www.wlv.ac.uk/default.aspx?page=24698. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ "2009 UK AMA Award Winners - on desihits.com". March 6, 2009. http://www.desihits.com/news/view/uk-ama-award-winners-20090306. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
- ^ a b "PTC Punjabi Film Awards 2011". CinemaPunjabi.com. http://www.cinemapunjabi.com/awards/ptc-punjabi-awards-list-2011. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
- ^ Gagan Grewal (5 February 2010). [His favourite color is black. http://www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork/gagan_grewal/ "Gurdas Maan Interview"]. Punjabi Programme. BBC Asian Network. His favourite color is black. http://www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork/gagan_grewal/. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Maan, Gurdas |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | |
| Date of birth | 4 January 1957 |
| Place of birth | Giddarbaha, Muktsar, Punjab, India |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
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This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurdas_Maan
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
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Uttarakhand[needs IPA] (Sanskrit: उत्तराखण्डम्, Uttarākhanḍam ?, Hindi: उत्तराखण्ड, Uttarākhanḍ ?), formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods (Hindi: देव भूमि, Dēv bhūmi ?) due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship. Known for its natural beauty and wealth of the Himalayas, the Bhabhar and the Terai, the state was carved out of the Himalayan and adjoining north-western districts of Uttar Pradesh on 9 November 2000, becoming the 27th state of the Republic of India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region on the north, the Mahakali Zone of Far-Western Region, Nepal on the east and the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh to the south and Himachal Pradesh to the north west.
The region is traditionally referred to as Uttarakhand in Hindu scriptures and old literature, a term which derives from Sanskrit uttara (उत्तर) meaning north, and khaṇḍ (खण्ड्) meaning country or part of a country. It has an area of 20,682 sq mi (53,566 km²).
