Uttaranchal

Uttaranchal pronunciation^ⓘ (Hindi: उत्तरांचल) became the 27th state of the Republic of India on November 9, 2000. Uttaranchal borders Tibet (China) to the north and Nepal to the east, while its neighbour states are Himachal Pradesh to the west and Uttar Pradesh (of which it formed a part before 2000) in the south. The region is traditionally referred to as Uttarakhand in Hindu scriptures and old literature, a term which derives from the Sanskrit for Northern Country. In August 2006, the Union Cabinet assented to the demand of the state government and region's social movments to change the name of the state back to Uttarakhand. The provisional capital of Uttaranchal is Dehra Dun which is also a rail-head and the largest city in the region. The small hamlet of Gairsen has been mooted as the future capital owing to its geographic centrality but controversies and lack of resources have led Dehra Dun to be the provisional capital. The High Court of the state is in Nainital.

Uttaranchal is a region of outstanding natural beauty. Most of the northern parts of the state are part of Greater Himalya ranges, covered by the high Himalayan peaks and glaciers, while the lower foothills were densely forested till denuded by the British log merchants and forest contractors after independence. Recent efforts in forestation, however, have been successful in restoring the situation to some extent. The unique 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 mightiest rivers, the Ganga and the Yamuna take birth in the glaciers of Uttaranchal, and are fed by myriad lakes, glacial melts and streams in the region.

The tourism industry is a major contributor to the economy of Uttaranchal, with the Corbett National Park and Tiger Reserve and the nearby hill-stations of Nainital and Bhimtal and several other hill-stations like Mussoorie, Almora and Ranikhet being among the most frequented destinations of India. To this region, aptly called "land of the Gods" (Devbhoomi), also belong some of the holiest Hindu shrines, and for almost 2000 years now, pilgrims have been visiting the temples at Haridwar, Badrinath, Kedarnath and Jageshwar in the hope of salvation and purification from sin. Rishikesh near Haridwar has the major spiritual and yoga centers of India. Gangotri and Yamunotri, the sources of the Ganges and Yamuna also fall in this region and are revered by many. Besides these most popular pilgrim centers, the state has an abundance of temples and shrines, references to most of which can be found in Hindu scriptures and legends. 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 being the most popular for their architectural importance.

Uttaranchal is comprised of two regions, the western half known as Garhwal and the eastern region going by the name of Kumaon, the two having different chieftains in history and different lingual and cultural influences due to proximity and neighbourhood of different cultures. The inseparable and complementary nature of their geography, economy, culture, language and traditions, however, has created strong bondages between the two regions.

Recent developments in the region include initiatives by the state government to capitalise on 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 and about to reach completion.

People

The native people call themselves Garhwali/Kumaoni and more than 90% of them are Hindus, ethnically belonging to the Indo-aryan group. Many also colloquially call themselves Pahari meaning "hill person" to distinguish themselves from Desis of the rest of India. Most of them identify themselves in the upper castes. Other ethnic communities in the region include Nepali who have arrived over the past century from the neighbouring country of Nepal, and the Tibatan migrants settled called as the Jadh, Marcha and Shauka on the Indo-Tibetan frontier, collectively known as the Bhotiya, and nomadic cattle herders known as Gujjar in the southern Terai region. Many Punjabis after the partition of India, Bengalis, and Tibetans of Eastern Tibet region (KHAMPA) have also settled in the southern plains part of the state.

The Tharu and Buksha can also be found in the hilly Terai region, although these areas are now heavily populated by a mixed population from Punjab and the adjoining plains.

Kumaoni and Garhwali dialects are spoken is Kumaon and Garhwal region respectively. Jaunsari and Bhotia is also spoken in the region by some Tribal Communities. In various regions a mixture of both Kumaoni and Garhwali is also spoken. The city population however converse mostly in Hindi.

The majority of people in this state are Rajputs.

Geography

Uttaranchal lies on the south slope of the mighty Himalaya range, and the climate and vegetation vary greatly with elevation, from glaciers at the highest elevations to tropical forests at the lower elevations. The highest elevations are covered by ice and bare rock. The Western Himalayan Alpine Shrub and Meadows ecoregion lies between 3000-3500 and 5000 meters elevation; tundra and alpine meadows cover the highest elevations, transitioning to Rhododendron-dominated shrublands below. The Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests lie just below the tree line; at 3000-2600 meters elevation they transition to the Western Himalayan broadleaf forests, which lie in a belt from 2,600 to 1,500 meters elevation. Below 1500 meters elevation lies western end of the drier Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands belt, and the Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests. This belt is locally known as Bhabhar.These lowland forests have mostly been cleared for agriculture, but a few pockets remain.

Indian National Parks in Uttaranchal 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, Rajaji National Park in Haridwar District, and Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Gangotri National Park in Uttarkashi District.

Berinag and Chaukori are tiny, pristine hill stations with spectacular views of the Himalaya peaks.

Statistics

• Total Geographical area: 51,125 km²

Hill Area: 92.57%

Plain Area: 7.43%

Area Covered By Forest: 63%

• Location

Longitude 77° 34' 27" East to 81° 02' 22" E

Latitude 28° 53' 24" North to 31° 27' 50" N

• Total Population: 7,050,634 (Male : Female = 1000 : 976)

Male: % 51.91

Female: % 48.81

Rural Population: 76.90%

Urban Population: 23.10%

Other Minorities: 2.0%(approx)

• Primary ethnic group: Indo-Aryans

• Literacy Rate: 72%

• Villages: 15620

• Cities and Urban Areas: 81

• Railway Stations: Kotwara, Dehradun, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Haldwani, Lalkuan, Kathgodam, Tanakpur

• Airports: Pant Nagar, Nainisaine, Jolly Grant

• Major Peaks (height in m above sea level)

Gauri Parvat (6590), Gangotri (6614), Panch Chhuli ( 6910), Nanda Devi (7816), Nanda Kot (6861), Kamet ( 7756), Badrinath (7140), Trishul (7120), Chaukhamba (7138), Dunagiri (7066)

• Major Passes

Mana (5450), Nitipass (5070), Lipulekh ( 5122), LumpiaDhura (5650)

• Industry

Tourism, Dairy, Agriculture, Horticulture, Floriculture, Sugar and other small scale industries

• Festivals

Uttarani, Nanda Devi Mela, Holi, Diwali, Dasara, Kandali, Hilljatra, Bikhoti, Bagwal, Harela, Ghugutee

• Events

Sardotasv, Basantotsav, Nanda Devi Raj Jat, Chipla Kedar Jaat, Kedarnath Yatra, Badrinath Yatra, Kumbh Mela, Ardh Kumbh Mela, Ramleela

• Trade Centers

Haldwani, Rudrapur, Roorkee, Tanakpur, Dehradun, Haridwar, Kotdwar, Rishikesh

Districts

Districts of Uttaranchal (as of 2001)

Uttaranchal is divided into 13 districts: Almora, Bageshwar, Chamoli, Champawat, Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital, Pauri (Pauri Garhwal), Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag, Tehri (Tehri Garhwal), Udham Singh Nagar, and Uttarkashi. These districts form two divisions; Garhwal division includes Chamoli, Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, Tehri, and Uttarkashi districts, and Kumaon division includes Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh, and Udham Singh Nagar.

Economy

Uttaranchal's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $6 billion in current prices. Born out of partition of Uttar Pradesh, the new state of Uttaranchal produces about 8% of the output of the old Uttar Pradesh state. Consolidated Finvest and Holdings, a S&P CNX 500 conglomerate has its corporate office in Uttaranchal. It reported a gross income of Rs.137 million for 2005.

Education

Uttaranchal has educational institutions of major importance to India and the world. It is home to the oldest engineering college of the country, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (formerly University of Roorkee). Other universities of prime importance include the G. B. Pant University and Kumaon University. Historically, Uttaranchal is believed to be the land where the Vedas and the Shastras were composed and the great epic, the Mahabharata, was written. Today, Rishikesh (near Hardwar) is widely considered the Yoga capital of the world. The current literacy rate in Uttaranchal is 72% which is higher than the National Literacy rate.

External links

• Government of Uttaranchal Official site
• The Young Uttaranchal The Largest Community of Uttarakhandis on Web.
• Uttaranchal Online An informative site for uttaranchal
• Images from Uttaranchal Claude Renault
• Uttaranchal Roads on Google Earth
• Uttaranchal Community Largest uttarakhand online community
• [http://www.hamarauttaranchal.com A complete bi-lingual site on Uttaranchal

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