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wanderlust555 · 6 years ago

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Uttarakhand formerly known as Uttaranchal is a northern state in India often referred to as Devabhumi (Land of Gods). This region is known for the natural environment habituating the Majestic Himalayas where the mountains mark the northern border of this state, accompanied by the Bhabhar which is the alluvial apron of sediments washed down by the rivers along the Himalayan and Shivalik hills. The lower lying land called the Terai with the lush green ground and small grassy hills. These all are the Wikipedia data about Devabhoomi, but the place looks like a heaven with the human-created litter all around.

This land blends with culture the maximum tourist from all around the world come here to seek salvation and to wash away their sins in Ganga. Ganga is said to be the purest river, it is considered that a dip in this holy water can wash away your lifetime sins. These all might be myths, but the stubborn fact behind it is Ganga at its origin i.e. at the Gangotri Glacier and Satopanth Glacier is crystal clear water which flows down as Alaknanda and Bhagirathi together conjoined at Devprayag. This river flows 2525km before meeting the Bay of Bengal. It flows 250km through the mighty Himalayas at Rishikesh then debouches at Haridwar the pilgrimage town of India to join the Gangetic plains. The heavy pollution of the river has not only threatened the humans but also more than 140 fish species and 90 amphibian species along with the endangered Ganges Dolphins are affected. Yes, it’s true, these freshwater river Dolphins are quite rare and are found in South Asian rivers Ganga and Indus.

Trekking in Uttarakhand is one of the famous adventure sports awaiting the trekking enthusiast in Uttarakhand. In the vast amphitheatre of the Uttarakhand Himalayas and Karakorams, there are limitless possibilities for Trekking Tours, Mountaineering, Skiing, and River Rafting tours. Within this alluring arena, the Garhwal and Kumaon regions, occupy the central place, with special points of interest for the trekker. The picturesque Garhwali region in the Himalaya offers many wonderful trekking opportunities. The Tungnath temple, Chopta in the above picture marks a wonderful base camp for several treks. The winter treks even get more exciting with the winter sports activities at Auli, Chamoli District. Auli has everything that an ideal tourist dreams of, it is considered as a perfect European village in Asia, with the snow-covered peaks, skiing slopes and those wooden huts which are at an altitude of 2500m and above with a magnificent view of the crescent Himalayas marks glory to the whole trekking experience. Even the summer treks are more exciting at Valley of Flowers National Park it is at 3352 to 3658 meters above sea level, 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.

Religion or faith can be defined as a belief in a supernatural power that protects us, punishes us and provides us with whatever we need. It sometimes has a face and sometimes it doesn’t but the faith prompts people to worship this power. Uttarakhand has a major chunk of the population believing in Hinduism but it still is a multi-faith society with other religions like Sikhism, Islam, Christianity and nature worshippers. Religion is big business in Uttarakhand, not just because it’s one of the important attractions for domestic tourists, but also because it’s a vital part of daily life for the people of these hills.

A large segment of the people in Uttarakhand, especially in the upper reaches, are heterodox Buddhists and Hindus. This is the area which has been known as `Dev Bhoomi’- the land of the gods. Many of Hinduism’s most important shrines lie within Uttarakhand, tucked away in the mountains and along the rivers of the state. Amongst these, the most sacred is the `Char Dham’- the four shrines of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath, a pilgrimage of which is supposed to ensure instant salvation.

The people in Uttarakhand are very warm and welcoming in nature the way how the land is diversified similarly their eating habits are also very weird. There you might find people who vegan, vegetarian, eggetarian and non-vegetarian. Some people don’t even consume cow milk whereas some are completely meat consuming people and even there are some tribes whom we call agoras those who eat dead human bodies and drink their own urine waste. They are completely away from human societies and are more away from all the worldly pleasures, they consider themselves to have attained moksha (salvation).

These people are more seen during a big festival called Khumb Mela. It’s a mass Hindu pilgrimage of faith where Hindus gather to bathe in the holy river. Traditionally, four fairs are widely recognized as the Kumbh Melas: the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela, Haridwar Kumbh Mela, the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha, and Ujjain Simhastha. These four fairs are held periodically at one of the following places by rotation and are held every 12years i.e. 3years gap between every four places. These places are basically located at the banks of river Ganga.

Uttarakhand is also famous for its variety of foods and desserts, the Kullad tea at Mussoorie is quite famous during winters, and Raita after a heavy spicy lunch is a must. Lemon rice with a spicy masala paneer lababdaar or even maharaja’s chicken would make your day.

The most essential part of any travel journey is the food you consume, and Uttarakhand is famous for its mouth-watering delicious food. The explicit thalli’s blended with a variety of salads and curries are more satisfactory than the modern day MacDonald’s and KFC’s.

These all mark a beautiful phase of Uttarakhand but the darker side need to get exposed the young generation should have an idea of how to act and how to handle the upcoming crises which the country has yet to face.

The river Ganga is being heavily polluted by the heavy rush of tourism as well as the spiritual activities. There is a common saying in Devabhumi that when a human being is born it starts walking in the world with four legs and later he leaves the world in four shoulders. Human bodies are illegally cremated near the Ganga Ghats and their residues are thrown away in the water making it further polluted.

The mindset of the people haven’t changed a bit even in the 21st century they still consider in order to get heaven they should be burned near Ganga Ghats. The ashes and the skeletal remains are left in the Ghats where thousands of tourist visit daily, the government has taken many serious laws to avoid these actions but all in vain. This country has been spiritually blinded by the humans around. How much ever education is provided by the end of the day they spoil the Mother Nature which they worship blindly. But nature has always a different way to respond back to the atrocity it phases.

To be continued…..

DEVABHUMI Uttarakhand formerly known as Uttaranchal is a northern state in India often referred to as Devabhumi (Land of Gods).

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