"The Land of God " Uttarakhand

Land of untouched natural beauty and spirituality ,Uttarakhand is a Himalayan state of North India, famously known as Devbhumi (or the land of the Gods).Uttarakhand 's name is derived from the sanskrit word uttara meaning 'north' ,and khand meaning 'land', altogether  simply meaning 'Northern Land ' Uttarakhand formerly know as Uttaranchal is a state in the Northern  part of India .It is often referred o as the "devabhumi"(literally"land of the Gods")due to numerous Hindu temples and pilgrimage centers found throughout the state. Uttarakhand is known for the natural environment of the himalayas, the bhabar and the terai regions. Uttarakhand covers a total area of 53,483 km (20,650 sq mi) The state is divided into two divisions, Garhwal and Kumaon, with a total of 13 districts. The winter capital of Uttarakhand is Dehradun, the largest city of the state which is railhead. on 4 March 2020, Gairsain, a town in Chamoli District, was declared the summer capital of the state.

Culture

Uttarakhand is a beautiful place which can be sub divided into two regions majorly known as Garhwal and Kumaon. The culture identify its people uniquely and gives them a meaning. The various traditions, religions,fairs,folk dances, music are what distinctly separate them from the rest of crowd. The residents of Uttarakhand are proud of the culture that they follow.

                               

Garhwali Culture

Garhwal is a beautiful place marked by the tall mountains, cold weather and green valleys. People from all over the country visit the place to mediate and attain peace in a life full of so much chaos. The very ancient wood carving can be seen even today on some of the doors as well temples of Garhwal All the places such as Ransi temple, Srinagar temple,Chandpur fort architectural remain even today. Garhwali is the main language spoken here. 

  

Kumaoni culture

Kumaon has been an interesting region since the last two decades due to the rock paintings which have been discovered in the are. Lakhu Udiyar and lwethaap are the most famous one amongst them. Kumaon is said to be the point of origin of pahari kalam hich is yet another style of painting well-known across the world. The most popular art form of Kumaon, however, is known as Apian or Alpana. In this art from, pieces of cloth, walls and papers are all decorated with geometric figures, which belong to god, goddesses and the other natural objects of nature.

Folk Dance and Music of uttarakhand

The lives of the people of Uttarakhand are filled with a lot of music and dance. Dancing is considered to form a major part of their traditions. The people here believe that dance is not only a form of entertainment but an art through which one can please Gods it is believed that this is ritual of dancing can be dedicated to the young maidens called 'Ancheris' dancing on the sow-dwelling mountains. Any form of dance is incomplete without costumes. Thereby,people dress up in some special designs and get collected to dance and worship. Some of the folk dances include Barada Nati which is the popular dance of Jaunsar Bhawar area in Dehradun district, Langvir Nritya which is an acrobatic dance from performed by the men, Pandav Nritya which is the narrationof Mahabharatha in the form of music and dance and Dhurang and Dhuring which are popular folk dances of the bhotiya tribals.

Food of Uttarakhand 

Yummy recipes being followed from generations.Some of the most delicious mouth-watering specialities of uttarakhand include- Urad Ki Dal Ke Pakode which are usually spicy pakoras prepared from different pulses.Phanu which too is made from dals, Jhangore ki kheer which is a sweet dish prepared with Jhangora. Chalinsoo which is made from black gram dal.Bhang ki chutney which is sour tasting prepared from roasted bhang and cuming seeds mixed with lemon juice.

Traditional Dresses Of Uttarakhand 

The dresses worn by people residing in an area depicts the culture and traditions followed by them and a fair idea about the kind of communities residing there. Uttarakhand is home to a variety of communities including Punjabis, Bengalis,Tibetan and Nepalis.Residents of Garhwali hills have their own pattern of wearing clothes due to the cold weather of the place as a result of which wool obtained from sheep or goat is used to prepare woollen clothes.

Temples

Chardam the serene heights of the great himalays are four pilgrim-destinations namely Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath, collectively known as Char Dham.Traditonally,the pilgrimage ;begins from the westand the west and ends in the East. Thus,the Char Dham Yatra commences from Yamunatri, then proceeding to Gangotri and finally to Kedarnath and Badrinath.    

Yamunatri is dedicated to the goddess Yamuna who goes along the pilgrims to the high altitudes of the picture sques Rawai Valley. It is believed that a bath in the waters of the yamuna protects the devotee from untimely death .Gangotri is deicated to the goddess Ganga. The shrine overlooks the river Badrinathi, another name of ganga -the name having been derived from the myth of the ancient king Badrinath's penance that succeededing bringing her upon the earth from the heaven. 

Nature

One of the most important  things that Uttarakhand is known for  its diverse and conserved natural environment . Away from the busy cities and commotion ,it offers a pollution free environment where one can actually experience the serene beauty of what we call Nature . Having a diverse flora and fauna,it comes out to be healthy ,balanced bio -diverse land and thus  maintains a nutritious ecology consisting of heritage sites, rivers and lakes ,mountains along with glaciers and conservation  Parks, Uttarakhand  is a land full of pro environment people and culture . The rivers of Uttarakhand are no exception in the wholesome bounty they  bestow as they flow down mountainous slopes ,into narrow gorges and widening into the plains .Born in the deep glacial chambers of  the magnificent Himalayas ,the mighty rivers of Uttarakhand have brought people together  and nurtured their  way of life .

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