Holiday Destination: Garhwal

On the western side it borders the present state of Himachal Pradesh, on the northern side it borders Tibet, and on the eastern side it borders the area of Kumaon. Garhwal has two of the most revered rivers of the Hindus, the Ganga and the Yamuna. Both of these rivers start in Garhwal. Garhwal has some of the highest peaks in the Himalayas including, NandaDevi 7818 meters, Chaukhamba 7412 Meters and the Bandarpoonch, 7168 meters. There are three big lakes in the region of Garhwal. They are the Hemkund at 4778 meters, the Roopkund at 4670 meters, and the Kakbhusandi at 4100 meters. Historically, it has been described in the ancient text of Kedarkhand to extend from Gangadwar (modern day Hardwar) in the South to the high mountains in the North, and from the Tamsa (Tons) river in the in the West to Buddhachal (probably the Nanda Devi group of peaks between Garhwal and Kumaon) in the East. Today it is an administrative division of the raising state of Uttarakhand, comprising the districts of Chamoli, Dehradun, Pauri, Tehri and Uttarkashi. The history of Garhwal is older than that of the Ramayan and Mahabharata. It is a land of popular myths, like that of Lord Shiva appearing as Kirat, of Urvashi, Shakuntala and the Kauravas and Pandavas. Worship of Lord Shiva is pre-dominant in this region. In earliest times, Garhwal was known as Kedarkhand, or the region of Kedarnath. Scriptural texts mention a number of tribes that inhabited the region, such as the Sakas, the Nagas, Khasas, Hunas and Kiratas. The Nagas were a mysterious race whose traces are still to be found in the Hills. The hooded snake was sacred to them, hence their name. (Naga-Snake). The Khasas were the dominant race in the Garhwal and Kumaon Himalayas till the coming of the Rajputs and Brahmins from the plains. According to one version, Garhwal derives its name from the fifty two forts, garhs, that had come together to form a loose confederacy. The first recorded name of this region was Kartipur. Later on, according to another tradition, since it was surrounded on all sides by mountains - it came to be known us "Giri - avil", which, by passage of time, got trans- formed into Garhwal. Bhanupratapa was the first known king and, later on, his son-in-law, Kanakpal took over. Their kingdom was known as Chandpur Garhi. King Kanakpal came to Garhwal from Rajasthan (Gujardesh) of the region Bagarh. He brought with him the Bagerhi language, therefore Garhwali and Bagerhi language, written and spoken, are very similar to each other

Climate

Summers March to June are pleasant and warm with an average maximum temperature between 18°C and 20°C. Winters starts November to February are chilly and snow bound. The minimum temperature can go as low as 06°C with maximum temperature is 10°C.

Tourist Season

Best season to visit March to November.

Accommodation

GMVN to provide all facilities & services in Garhwal, and Hotels, Private Cotteges are available which suit all budgets.

Tourist Attraction in or Near by Garhwal

Mussoorie

Mussoorie Popular as the Queen of Hills, this charming hill station, 34 kms from Dehradun and situated at an altitude of 2003 mts in the Garhwal hills. above sea-level. Mussoorie is one the beautiful hill stations in India and the most frequently visited. .

Haridwar

Haridwar is a situated on the right side of the river of Holy Ganga. Haridwar is for the Kumbh Mela,held in its magnitude Every twelve years .

Buda Kedar Temple

Buda Kedar Temple is situated at the Bal Ganga and Dharam Ganga River.

Devprayag

Devprayag at the siyuated at Alaknanda and Bhagirathi River. Devprayag is famous of the Raghunath ji Temple. Raghunathji Temple is dedicated to Lord Rama.The Temple Receive lakhs of pilgrims every year.

Narendra Nagar

Narendra Nagar situated at the main Rishikesh, Gangotri Yamunotri route.Narendra Nagar is a fine view of the Ganga.

Chamba

Chamba is a 60 km from Mussoorie and 48 km from Narendra Nagar. Chamba is offering a splendid view of the Himalayas and the Bhagirathi Valley.

Dhanolti

Dhanaulti is a perfect holiday destination you will surely enjoy there. It’s an actual hill forest village environment with Himalayan breeze and is a delightful place to spend a day.

New Tehri

New Tehri is situated at an elevation between 1550 to 1950 mts above see level. New Tehri is a Modern and well Planned town.

Sunkanda

The Sunkanda peak of western part of tehsil Tehri Sunkanda peaks is famous for the Temple of Surkanda Devi.

Nagtibba

Those who are instreted in trekking and adventure,Nagtibba offers them all the opportunities.Nagtibba area is full of dense forests and natural beauty. Nagtibba is offering a splendid view of the Himalaya.

Accessibility

Garhwal is well connected all the major cities of India. by road.

Nearest Airport

Jolly Nearest airport for Garhwal is Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun. Taxi services are available at the airport. Regular flights to Delhi and Lucknow are available from this airport.

Nearest Railway Station

For Garhwal is at Rishikesh, It is in the main rail route and well connected by rail to other cities in North India. Taxi services are available at the railway station