Auli skiing

Happy New Year (2016). Uttrakhand state offers you many tourist destinations during winters.  The destinations are Mussoorie, Nainital, Joshimath, Auli and the list goes on. Dream Mountain offers you several packages to fulfill your desire to explore the beauty of this hilly region of Uttarakhand. One of the most sought after destinations during last few years or say couple of decades, is Auli. Auli is famous for its meadows and skiing in winters. Recently, Yahoo published an article on Auli considering it as an alternative to a European destination for skiing. Yahoo certainly is not wrong and one should visit this place to have the experience of the journey.

Auli is located at an altitude of 2744 mtr. and 14 km from the town Joshimath. One can also reach Auli using ropeway having 3.75 km in length. Every year many ski enthusiasts visit Auli. There are many courses of skiing, starting from minimum 4 days.  The packages consist of food, lodge and skiing activity. Apart from skiing, there are many other sports activities like trekking, rock climbing, motor biking etc.

The other place near Auli is the famous town, Joshimath also known as Jyotirmath. There are many scenic and historical and religious places in and near Joshimath. The people who visit Auli, also visit the sacred and religious places in Joshimath. The Narsing temple, Adi Guru’s seat, Tapovan hotspring etc. are few examples. No doubt, Auli and Joshimath give you all the necessary elements to fulfill your desire of enjoying adventure and family holidays.

Auli can be reached within 10 hours drive from Rishikesh. The distance of Rishikesh from Delhi is around 225 km which can be covered in 6-7 hours. The distance of Auli from Joshimath is around 265 km. One does not need to go Auli directly and can make Joshimath as halting station. From Joshimath, Auli is like a picnic spot just 14 km away.

So, plan your trip to Auli with your family and friends this year with winter snow and skiing.  

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Beatles' ashram in Rajaji national park opens

Increased tourist footfall at Beatle’s Chaurasi Kutia Ashram in the Rajaji Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand may soon become a problem for the reserve animals, Uttarakhand wildlife experts said on Monday. The famous rock band stars of the 60s had visited Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram in 1968 to learn meditation. They stayed in 84 huts for three months and wrote many songs. The ashram, lying abandoned after its lease expired in 1980 when Uttarakhand was the part of Uttar Pradesh, was thrown open for public from 8^th December 2015.

Rajaji Tiger Reserve (RTR) director admitted that there has been rise in the number of visitors after the reserve has been thrown open to the public, but she denied there was any danger to the wildlife. What concerns the wildlife experts most is the tourists can drive their vehicle straight into the reserve to the ashram in their vehicles after obtaining the permit from the gate. The roads which are used by the tourists are crossed by the animals like elephant, leopard, tigers etc. to drink Ganga water. The increased traffic has become a threat to the animals.

National Tiger Conservation Authority has given the permission to renovate, maintain and use the Beatles ashram for touring purpose and a budget has also been allocated for this purpose. This has been done to promote the tourism and also to keep a focus on wildlife conservation. 

As per one expert the vehicular movement should be minimized in the area which would be hurdle to the animal to access the water. The other thing which has to be kept in mind, that the tigers can be present near ashram within 500 meters range.  The reserve is battling with the human intervention in the areas meant for the wildlife. The western part of the reserve along with Gohari range has human settlements.     

Ban on camping on Rishikesh stretch

The National Green Tribunal on Thursday (10th December 2015) decided to ban camping in Rishikesh, a major tourist hotspot in Uttarakhand. It also clamped a blanket ban on the use of plastic and regulated mines on Ganga in order to the pollution of the river. The ban would be in effect from Feb 1, 2016.

The decision came on the lines pushed forward by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’ clean Ganga project – the NGT said “No camping activity shall be carried out in the entire belt of Kaudiyala to Rishikesh and the government would abide by its statement made before the tribunal on March 31^st 2015, till the regulatory regime in terms of this judgment   comes into force and is effectively implemented.” The rafting activity can be carried out according the decision.

The panel also constituted a committee of officials representing Uttarakhand and central government to submit a report on regulatory regime within three weeks to the tribunal.

It also directed a blanket ban on the use of plastic from Gaumukh to Haridwar along the river. Besides, the tribunal ordered the mining on the river bed shall be carried out in a highly regulated manner under strict supervision.

For more please visit : www.dreammountain.net

Alkapuri glacier - Origin of Alaknanda

Ganga, Yamuna, Alaknanda and many other rivers origin from Uttarakhand. Finally all these rivers merge with Ganga at Allahabad. Like Gaumukh which is the source of the sacred river Ganga, the Alakapuri glacier is the source of Alaknanda river. Alakapuri Glacier, in district Chamoli of Uttarakhand state, is located at the base of the Balkun Peak, 6067 mtr above sea level, is 15 km from Sri Badrinath and 3 km from Laxmivan and is the abode of Kuber, the Yakshas and Gandharvas.

          The glacier spreads into two valleys that lead to Satopanth and Gaumukh.  The Narain Parvat almost divides the glacial zones of Alakapuri and Gaumukh.  The entire region between Gaumukh and Alakapuri is a glacial plateau. From the north of this plateau, emerges the Bhagirathi and from the south east the Alaknanda flowing out in different directions.  It is said in the Skand Purana that the Ganga, on descending from the coils of Shiva’s hair was caught on the Sumeru Parvat (Narain Parvat) and flowed out in seven streams—two of which are the Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda.

          The Alaknanda emerges from as many as five snouts, dotted along an ice and rubble wall, one kilometre wide, which is located between two moraines.  Inside the snouts, the stalactites resemble crystal chandeliers suspended above the blue waters.  Four of the snouts are wide cave-like openings and the fifth is just a narrow outlet.  Born of the Alakapuri Glacier, the Alaknanda after touching the feet of Lord Badrivishal, flows on to Devprayag where it merges with Bhagirathi to form the fabled Ganga.

          To the right of the glacier, the Nilkanth Peak and several unnamed peaks can be seen.  Further to the north, one can view the Chaukhamba Peak in all its majesty.  The entire setting—the fabulous glacier, the cradle born Alaknanda and the glorious snow peaks—are really exalting and blissfully beautiful.

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Uttarakhand and spiritualism

Uttarakhand boasts of wonderful and fascinating places. There are several world fame religious and spiritual places, but the most talked about are Rishikesh and Haridwar towns. Many renowned celebrities and known persons have visited these twin towns and are the regular destinations for spiritualism. Following are the few examples:

Julia Roberts ;

Julia Roberts played a character, Liz Gilbert, in the film ‘Eat, Pray, love’ who came to India for some answers. In real life too, Julia has shown interest in the spiritual practice. The shooting for this movie was done in 2009 in India and while doing shooting she said, “I can see something like that (buying a house here) happening in the future. I would love to live near Haridwar or Varanasi, since they are such holy spots for Hinduism. I've heard land prices are astronomical high here, though.” Julia Robert has converted to Hinduism which may keep you guessing the reason.

The Beatles :

The well known group Beatles had a great fascination for Rishikesh. The Beatles took a trip to Rishikesh in Feb 1968. They took a meditation training session at Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s Ashram (now known as Beatles Ashram) for seven weeks. John Lennon, Paul Mc Cartney, George Harrison and Ringo were the members.  Lennon had even composed a song called ‘The Happy Rishikesh’ to show his affection for this town.

Stallon’s son’s shraadh in Haridwar :

Sylver Stallon and his family performed shraadh for his son, Sage, in Sep- Oct 2015 in Haridwar who died in 2012 of a heart attack.

The Kate Winslet waterfall :

Kate Winslet had visited Rishikesh inMay 1998 and took a bath in the Garud Chatti locality, 7 km from Rishikesh. Local people refer that waterfall as Kate Winslet waterfall.

Prince Charles and Camilla:

Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife Camilla Parker had visited Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh two years back in 2013 to participate in Ganga Aarti. This visit took place just after Keadrnath tragedy of 2013. In the visitor’s diary, Prince Charles wrote, “I wish I could have never left Rishikesh. Fell in love with the holy aura of this city."    

There are many other places know for spiritualism in Uttarakhand. Dream Mountain also receives queries from different parts of the world for these holy towns. Some day in future, you might find a soul searching celebrity on our blog.

Birding paradise in Uttarakhand

Conservation of bird needs a lot more effort than just merely projecting them as a visual treat for the tourists. Uttarakhand government has been making planning to promote the state as ‘birding paradise’. There has not been a methodological approach towards the bird conservation as per the experts. Since, the plan to develop the state as bird watching destination for the revenue purpose so the strategy should be made accordingly.

The bird watching would be more beneficial if a proper knowledge is spread amongst the tourists about this species. Uttarakhand is blessed with natural diversity including variety of different species. There are several species of birds in the wilderness of Uttarakhand which can be a major source of income for the tourism and forest sectors.  The stress should be laid on the policy, conservation etc. for proper execution of this segment of the tourism.

Dr. Dinesh Bhatt, professor of zoology and environmental science and dean, faculty of life sciences at Gurukul Kangri University in Haridwar, is among 12 scientists selected for 27^th International Ornithological Congress to be held in Vancouver, Canada in Aug 2018. According to him the research on birds is the least concerned area of science in the state. Amateur birders go into the wild and list the bird species based on their presence but the listing should be based on ecology, breeding, global warming impacts and habitation. It is a sad situation that we do not know whether the bird species are flourishing or declining.  He said that the two species – River Lapwing and Painted Stork – need immediate attention because of the poaching threat.

Bhatt also raised the problem of lack of interest shown by the government in this area and not supporting to field scientists. The process of seeking the permission to conduct the research in the wild is so cumbersome that the experts drop the idea of doing it. So, the first priority should be to make the procedures simple to conduct the research.

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Eco-tourism and its impact

In recent times, apart from the traditional tourism, the eco-tourism has also become popular among the people. The people visit from oasis in Egypt to snorkelling sites at far flung and isolated destinations to avoid the mundane tourist crowd. However, according to the latest study it is being suggested that the interaction between the wildlife and the tourists puts the wildlife at the risk of predation due to bigger animals.

According to the researcher Daniel Blumstein of the University of California, USA, nearly 8 million people visit these kinds of protected areas in the name of eco-tourism every year. If all the humans on earth visit these protected areas, the interaction would make a big difference to the environment. The massive demand of eco-tourism and other nature based activities may add up the long list of environmental changes brought about by the humans. The report published in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution, views into the long-term effects of eco-tourism and urges the managers of all these protected areas to take these factors into account to assess the sustainability of the area. The researchers have laid stress to the fact that the objective of eco-tourism is to increase the biodiversity of the reserve, and not to diminish it.

Blumstein said that when humans and animals interact in a benign way, they might start to feel getting into comfortable zone and further feel bolder in other situations. When this boldness transfers to real predators, then they will be subject to higher mortality when they encounter real predators. The researcher also adds that the presence of humans might discourage natural predators and hence make smaller animals bold as well. This type of transfer in the system by the human puts animals at a greater risk in the presence of their natural predators and poachers.

The new study is being done on different animals to see their conditions due to the visitation by the human beings. In addition, Blumstein also wishes to see the level of exposure at which the animals start bringing the change in behaviour and bringing themselves into the danger.

Russian tourists in India

Kerala Tourism, along with Goa and Uttarakhand, are planning a formal association with the Russian Tourism and the Culture Ministry, in view of a gradual increase in tourist arrivals from that country.The decision follows the recent visit of Kerala Tourism Director to Russia where he and tourism representatives from Goa and Uttarakhand, held discussions with Russian officials.The Tourism Director said 35,010 Russian tourists visited the State in 2014, up by 10 per cent over the previous year.The first idea is to formulate a board which shall consist of the Centre, the Ministry of Tourism, the Indian Embassy in Russia and the tourism departments of Kerala, Goa and Uttarakhand. The proposal shall be put up to the Centre, a Kerala Tourism press release said here.The main areas under the intended board’s purview would include a marketing campaign to increase the flow of Russian tourists to India through many various cultural and tourism promotional programmes.

The meetings regarding the tourism were held between Olga Yarilova, the Head of Tourism and Regional Policy Department of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and Pareeth at the Ministry of Culture, Russian Federation.A team of major Russian tour operators and State tourism office representatives from Goa and Uttarakhand, India Tourism and Indian Embassy officials were also present at the meeting.The Russian official team raised the issues of reducing the visa fees and the airport fee incurred on chartered flights, which would be taken up for consideration to the concerned authorities, the release said.The Russian officials also expressed their concern about the lack of Russian guides in Kerala and may be taken a serious consideration.“Considering the concerned issues raised, we have agreed upon to publish a list of Russian guides in our Kerala Tourism’s Russian language version website,” said Pareeth.“We will also promote the cultural exchange between Kerala and Russia where art performers from Kerala will go and perform there and Russian artistes will come and perform in Kerala,” he added.

Poacher warning in Rajaji Park

High alert was sounded in the Shyampur range of Rajaji tiger reserve on Saturday following  reports of movement of suspected poachers in the area The range had recently announced presence of two male cubs and other adult tigers while the senior officers of the forest department are regularly inspecting the area since then, camera – trapping has also been installed at several spots to keep an eye on the big cats and poachers. 

According to sources in the department movement was reported to the officers on Saturday (3^rd Oct 2015) after-noon after which they declared a high alert in the range. Sources said Bawariya community members, traditionally tiger hunters, were seen entering the forest of Shyampur range. ‘’We have received information about the suspected movement in the forest range following which I told officials to declare a high alert. I also visited the forest area and have sought details from the staff about the developments every one hour,’’ said chief wildlife warden. However, he refused  to comment on whether the unidentified persons  in the range belonged to Bawariya community  or not news about the presence  suspected poachers have raised  the concern of scientists, activists and the forest department the scientists had earlier suggested translocation of tiger from Shyampur Range presently occupied by over 200 Gujjar families, to the core area of the reserve and formulation of a long term plan to avoid man animal conflict. 

However, chief conservator of forest, wildlife and intelligence said, ‘’Translocation isn‘t a simply process. It needs involvement of Notional tiger Conservation Authority followed by series of plan submission, approval and infrastructure. We are working on those lines ‘’ the tiger reserve is spread across 1075 sq km, of which 720sq km is core area and the remaining 355 sq km is a buffer zone . Shyampur range is spread over 80 sq km, there are around 13 tigers in the reserve – two in the western part and the remaining 11 in the eastern part.

Tourism flow in 2015

The Uttarakhand tourism is recovering as per the latest data announced by the tourism department. According to the department of tourism, the tourist flow has reached to 30% of the normal flow within two years of 2013 havoc. The state of Uttarakhand suffered heavy losses in June 2013 due to the catastrophe occurred on 16^th June 2013 along the Chardham route and other places which included loss of thousands of human lives.

The flow of tourists from March to September 2015 is more than 7.65 lack for Chardham and Hemkund Saheb pilgrimages. The flow of tourists in 2012 was 28 lakh, whereas in 2013 during initial two months up to  16^th June, the number reached to 13.6 lakh. The tourism department is hopeful that in 2016, the tourism flow will, in likelihood, cross 50% of 2012 figure.

With the opening of the winter Chardham and government’s focus on winter carnivals, the department officials are hopeful that the total figure for this year will improve. The government has been focussing the carnivals at different places like Auli, Mussoorie, Tehri to attract the tourists to Uttarakhand. For the different events at different places, the tourism officials have prepared the roadmap. Many existing tourist rest houses are being revamped. The tourist department is also focussing to train its staff professionally. The officials have already been given instructions to prove their efficiency or face strict disciplinary actions. The department is posting efficient personnel in the important tourist places like Mussoorie, Badrinath etc.

According to the data, the Chardham and Hemkund pilgrimages had gained a very resounding popularity in 2012 and 2013 but then the calamity in June 2013 brought everything to halt. Had this calamity not occurred, the figures in 2013 would have crossed its previous year’s figures. The growth of tourism was unusually high during 2012 and 2013.   

In the coming near future, one can hope the tourism flow as good as it was during the previous years of 2013.

Vridha Badri and Narsingh temples

Badrinath temple is one of the Char Dhams of India. There are other associated temples in different parts of Uttarakhand. The most important part of the region is Badri-Khestra, where there are numerous associated temples.

Vridha temple

Vridha temple is one of the Sapt Badri temples in the Badri-Kshetra. This temple is located in the Animath village (alt. 1380 mtr. ) seven km from the main Joshimath town along the Rishikesh – Joshimath – Badrinath highway. Lord Vishnu appeared here in the form of an old man before Narad who was performing penance here. That is the reason why the idol is in the form of an old man.

It is believed that the idol was carved by Vishwakarma and he worshipped here. At the beginning of the Kaliyug, Vishnu chose to go to other place. According to the legend, Adi Sankar worshipped Badrinath before his enshrinement at the Badrinath temple. This temple is open throughout the year and the chief priests are Brahmins from South India.

Narsingh temple

The other important temple which has the association with Badrinath is Narsingh temple. The Narsingh temple is located in Joshimath. The statue of Narsingh Bhagwan shows excellent workmanship. The statue has been carved out of a Shaligram. It is believed that one arm of the statue is getting thinner year by year and one day this arm will break which will signify the end of Kalyug. The two mountains Jaya and Vijaya will collapse down closing the route to Badrinath. This event will bring a new order in the world and lord Vishnu shall appear at a new place called Bhawishya Badri.

As per Rajatrangini, King Lalitaditya Yukta Pida established this temple of Narsingh temple during his digvijay yatra in the 8^th century AD. The age of temple and the desire of King to conquer the Himalayas indicate the possibility of the theory of origin of Narsingh temple.

langurs in Uttarakhand

Langur herds are normally found in the mountain hills of Uttarakhand. These days, the herds of this monkey species can be noted in the areas near big cities like Dehradun, Rishikesh, Haridwar etc. This species can be found up to the height of 12,000 ft. from sea level. The colour of skin is black with white furs.

The langur feeds on wild fruits and flowers and young leaves of plants and trees. During August to February, the langurs can be found in oak forests where they feed on acorns which is their chief food. Few langurs migrate from one place to another during summer and winter to avoid the extremes of seasonal change and few appear to remain in a particular region throughout the season.

Langurs fall prey to the leopard often waiting for langur to catch at the bottom of the tree. It is very interesting to note that the deer known as sambar,  chital and gural are often seen as accompanying the langurs. One reason may be the fruits which fall down to feed on due to the movement of langurs on the branches of trees. The gural does not eat fruit, so the other reason may be the protection langur provides by creating alarm about the approach of the tiger, leopard or other carnivorous animals. The friendly co-existence between langurs and deer may be seen in the forests where a langur might be seen playfully touching a deer while hanging upside down from a branch of a tree.

The langurs are not mischievous and vicious like Bengal monkeys. The langurs are very amiable and indolent, resting on a branch whole day unless they feel hungry. He is never angry with anyone or anything and can never imagine that someone could harm him. God has given different attributes to different animals to balance this ecosystem.  

Wax museum in Mussoorie

Mr. Bean

Madame Tussauds museum in London is famous for the wax models of different personnel from all corners of world. The statues include great scientists, politicians, celebrities etc. People from all over the world visit to see these wax statues which imitate the real life.

In similar fashion, a wax museum named Dev Bhoomi wax museum has been opened in Mussoorie. Mahtma Gandhi with Chakra, mother Teresa, Einstein etc. may be seen there at the museum. The wax museum is located in Company garden which is on the outskirts of Mussoorie.

At present there are three wax museums in India. These tree museums are in Kolkata, Kanyakumari and Lonavla. This museum could not attract the publicity of the media and is a secret for the tourists as a surprise. There are 26 wax statues at present. The prominent are those of the Michael Jackson, Mr. Bean, Angelina Jolie etc. Many of these statues have been transferred from Lonavla. Soon, more statues are expexted to arrive.

The man behind this project is Sanjay Sabharwal, who wants to bring the name to Uttrakhand. Sabharwal wants to observe the reactions of the people and wants a name in the world of arts. Madame Tussauds museum has closely been watched by Sabharwal.

A tourists named Anirban with his wife was in Mussoorie, when he came across the museum quite by accident. He said that the idea of the museum was a brilliant one. He also posed a selfie with Michael Jackson.

Mr. & Mrs. Gururaj were seen bending over the statues for a closer look. They were whispering about the hand of Gandhiji which looked very real to them. But Kate Winslet and Leonardo didn’t look real according to them. Einstein looked quite real to them.

According to Sabharwal, there is great demand of politicians, sports persons, Bollywood stars etc. Sooner or later the museum shall add up other statues to present ones. So, pack up and visit the new destination in Mussoorie.    

Kalsi edict in Uttarakhand

 Kalsi town in Uttarakhand is known for its Ashoka edict in history, which has Buddhists texts inscribed in Pali language. The Buddhists from this region have made an appeal to the Uttarakhand government to include this edic into the Buddhist circuit.

Buddhist teacher Ashvagosh said that this edict is an invaluable asset in the form of rock engraving of King Ashoka on Buddhism. The teacher also met to a senior government official to include this site in the Buddhist circuit, so the domestic and international tourists may get a glimpse of this place. The tourists having interest in Buddhism, pilgrims or the people having interest in the historical places will  certainly visit and acquire knowledge. The proposal has been taken into consideration.

The Archaeological Survey of India maintained and preserved the Kalsi edict, which had erected a concrete boundary around the edict and a spot from where one could view the place of edict. There has been a great demand for the declaration of the site as a UNESCO heritage site. The Buddhist teacher demands the due importance of the site and the rock, and bring it out of the obscurity.

According to the Hiroo Hito, a prominent Buddhist social worker, the Kalsi edict is the only edict in North India where the great Mauryan emperor Ashoka inscribed the set of fourteen rock edict as per the ASI notification. The edict has Pali language and Brahmi script. The edict describes the administration system, the humane approach by Ashoka and his fatherly concern for the moral and humane welfare of his subjects. The other important subjects are commitments to non-violence and abandonment to warfare. Hito believes that the preaching were based on the actual prevailing system of the administration. The whole world knows how the great Ashoka beame a symbol of peace to the world after seeing the consequences of war after Kalinga war.

Dhyan and Ardha Badri

Uttarakhand is the abode of Gods. Badrinath is the one of the Char Dhams of India and remaining three are as follows: 1) Dwarka Dwarkadish temple 2) Puri Jagannath temple 3) Rameshwaram Ramanathaswamy temple. The Char Dhams of Uttarakhand are Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri. In the series of Sapt Badri, the description of four Badris has already been posted earlier.The four Badris of  Sapt Badris are as follows: 1) Badrinath  2) Adi Badri  3) Bhavishya Badri and 4) Yogdhyan Badri. A brief description on Dhyan and Ardha Badris are as follows:

Dhyan Badri

Dhyan Badri is one of the Sapt Badri temples in Uttrakhand. Dhyan Badri is located in the Urgam valley near Kalpeshwar. All these temples fall in the Badri-kshetra i.e. Badri area. The altitude of the temple is 2135 m.

This place can be reached from Helang Chatti by a 12 km trek. The place is associated with the Urvarishi, son of the King Puranjaya, a descendant of Pandavas who meditated here and established a Vishnu temple. The temple Kalpeshwar is 2 km from here.  The idol is a four armed made of black stone in a meditative form.

Ardha Badri

Ardha Badri is also a Sapt Badri temple. The meaning of Ardha Badri is half Badri. The place is located along the Joshimath – Tapovan road. The idol is kept at a remote village where one can reach by trekking. Hera is the village where this temple is located. In comparison to other temple idols, this idol is smaller. The route to this temple goes through Subhain. The path is very difficult and steep.

Dream Mountain recommends you to take 15 days’ off from your work to visit these places and get more acquainted with these places personally. These places are located at very beautiful places which would enrich your experience.

Visit Dream Mountain for more information on Uttarakhand tourism.

Nanda Devi Sanctuary in Uttarakhand

Nanda Devi (7816 mtr.) is the highest mountain in Uttarakhand and second highest mountain in India after Kangchenjunga (8586 mtr.). It is located in the Garhwal of Uttarakhand between the Rishiganga valley on the west and the Goriganga valley on the east.  The peak is named after the Goddess Nanda Devi which means “Bliss – Giving Goddess”.  The Nanda Devi is regarded as the patron Goddess of the state.  In order to protect the fragile ecosystem of the Nanda Devi and its surroundings, the movement of human beings was closed in Nanda Devi sanctuary by the government from 1983.

The Nanda Devi range comprises of two-peaked massif, which is a 2 km long high ridge, oriented east-west. In comparison to the western summit, the eastern summit is lower and is known by the name Sunanda devi. The Sunanda Devi lies on the eastern edge of the ring of mountains touching the borders of three districts viz Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar. The main summit is surrounded by a ring of high altitude mountains, twelve of which exceed 6,400 mtr. The  main summit has a sacred value in Indian religious texts and is called as the daughter of the Himalaya. The inner portion of this ring is known as the Nanada devi sanctuary, which is protected as the National Park.

The two most important peaks may be referred to as the peaks of the Goddess Nanda Devi and Sunanda Devi peaks. The two Goddesses occur together as per the records of Bhagavat Puarana and are worshipped as twins in Garhwal and Kumaon regions of Uttarakhand.

The Nanda Devi mountain was climbed in 1936 by a British-American expedition. Before this attempt, many expeditions were attempted but failed.  The main glaciers are Dakkhini Nanda Devi glacier, Uttari Nanda Devi glacier, Dakkhini Rishi glacier, Pachu glacier, Nanda ghuti glacier, Lawan glacier, Pindari glacier.

For more please visit : www.dreammountain.net/nanda-devi-sanctuary/

Helicopter services to Kedarnath

To reach Kedarnath one either needs to trek or uses helicopter, since there is no road connection to the shrine. The road connection could not be made due to the problem in getting the forest clearance as this zone falls under sanctuary. The helicopter service is under operation for those who need fast track journey or for old pilgrims, physically weak / handicapped etc. The helicopters which take the journey from start point to the shrine fly over sanctuary. Few people suggest that this activity is harmful for flora and fauna thriving in that ecosystem. . In this connection a group of people connected with environmental protection expressed its concern over the looming threat to the wildlife species in that ecosystem to green tribunal and asked to seek the response from Environment Ministry and Uttarakhand government.

The National Green Tribunal sought clarification about the threat on the wildlife due the operations of helicopter for Kedarnath shrine.

As per the forest officials, the helicopter services are severely affecting the eco-system and wildlife of this zone. One NGO claims that a forest official has written on the adverse effect of the helicopter services on the ecosystem and the wild life of the Kedarnath sanctuary. The animals like musk deer and Himalayan tahr (wild goat) are being forced to leave their natural habitat. The forest officials say that no consent has been taken from forest department for these helicopter operations and the activity is not legally authorised. Government has been putting enormous energy to save these wild lives and also enacted laws in order to avoid the danger of the extinction of these animals.

The NGT has sought explanation from the Ministry of Environments and Forests, the state government National Board of Wild Life and others. The bench is headed by the NGT Chairperson Justice S Kumar. The date was on 2nd Sep 2015 for the hearing and the matter is still under consideration.

The NGT has sought explanation from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the state government National Board of Wild Life and others. The bench is headed by the NGT Chairperson Justice S Kumar. The date was on 2^nd Sep 2015 for the hearing and still the matter is to be resloved.

Lion safari in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand forest department has planned to start wildlife safari at Haldwani in Nainital district. The forest department has sent a detailed project report to Central Zoo Authority in New Delhi on Monday, 14^th Sep 2015.The tourists and the locals shall be able to see the lions while safari.

The financial statement was prepared and submitted in the month of June. The officials had visited to inspect the site spread over 412 hectares near Gola bridge. The estimated cost of the total project is approximately Rs. 50 crore.

The lions shall be brought over to the Haldwani site from Gujrat. There shall be maximum effort to provide the appropriate environment to the lions as their natural habitat. The other animals shall also be brought to the site for giving a touch of wildlife. The other main carnivorous animals will be like tigers and leopard.  The vehicles shall be special and covered and the tourists shall be able to see the wild animals through glass.

As per a forest department official, the Corbett national park receives more than 200,000 tourists every year. There should be more avenues like Corbett national park to boost tourism and at the same time reduce the burden on Corbett national park.

The other animals, which are herbivores, shall also be brought to the site. The animals like giraffes and zebras will also be seen during the safari ride. The other herbivores like deer, barking deer shall also be seen which are natural inhabitant.

There is also a plan to develop an area for bird watching. A separate corridor shall also be provided in the safari zone, which would lead to aviary zone. The other plan is to develop an aquarium zone where a variety of fish will be kept. A walk though forest will lead the tourists to these different zones.

Uttarakhand government has proposed a tiger safari at Kotdwara. The Central Zoo committee has asked a proposal for further action.

The tiger – cum – safari has been proposed on 200 hectares in Pakhro which is buffer zone of Corbett national park. For more please click

Yogdhyan Badri in Uttarakhand

Yogdhyan Badri is located at Pandukeshwar near Govind ghat at an altitude of 1829 metres in Chamoli, Uttarakhand.   Yogdhyan Badri is one of the Sapt Badri temples. The religious texts tell that king Pandu worshipped here to get rid him from the sin of killing of two mating deer, these two deer were ascetics in their previous lives.

The king Pandu died here and also attained salvation here. The Pandavas were also born here, so this place is very special in terms of religious point of view. The king Pandu installed here a bronze image of Vishnu in meditating posture and thus the image is called Yogdhyan Badri. This idol is life size and has been carved out of Shaligram stone.

Pandavas had fought the fight against Kauravas which is known as Mahabharat. After defeating the Kauravas, the Pandavas came to this place for penance as they had killed their cousins. From here, the Pandavas had gone further to Swargarohini. The Pandavas after defeating the Kauravas handed the Hastinapur kingdom to their grandson Parikshit and left for Himalaya.

This place has been identified as Panchal Desh as per a copper plate inscription under the rule by early Katyuri Rajas. Another historical location near is Suryakund where Kunti gave the birth to her son Karna fathered by sun god Surya. The Suryakund is a hot water spring. Kunti had got married to Pandu at Pandukeshwar.

It is said that King Arjun also did meditate here which attracted god Indra. God Indra sent Pari (angel) to distract Arjun but nothing happened and at last Indra god blessed Arjun. This is believed that the Vishnu idol which is present at the temple is the gift given by Indra to Arjun.

There are three idols installed those of Lord Vishnu, Goddess Laxmi and Madri. These three idols are installed above a shivling inside the temple.

Yogdhyan is also considered the winter seat for Badrinath Utsava-murti (festival image). Hence the pilgrimage is not complete without offering prayers at this place.

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Tigers in Uttarakhand

The national animal of India is tiger which has become an endangered species due to relentless hunting in past two centuries. In Uttarakhand, the tiger is found in tarai region to 11,000 ft. which is believed to cross the passes into Tibet.  The tigers were in not in scarce during 19^th century and before, but due to increase in the population and simultaneous encounters compelled human beings to kill these beasts.  Today at present time, the tigers are on the verge to extinct.

The hill tigers are very quarrelsome and often attack its own species if found on its domain. The hill tiger does not only confine itself to the hunted ones but also feeds upon the dead animals like buffalo, goat, sheep etc. The pairing time is during the months of December and January when male tigers make peculiar sighing – bellowing noise to attract female tigers. The female gives birth to 2 to 5 cubs and sometimes even up to 6 cubs at a time. The survival rate is very low, and generally one or two survive.

The tigers normally kill big animals like buffalos, bullocks by grabbing the throat from below, and when killing small animals like goat, sheep they usually grip from above and break the neck.

According to the latest census, the tiger population in India is 2226 which is 30% more than last census in 2010. Uttarakhand has become the second state in the country to have the highest tiger population after Karnataka. Presently, the tiger population in Uttrakhand is 340. In the last census, the population of tiger in Uttrakhand was 227. Jim Corbett national park has played a big role in the conservation of the tiger and its position has gone to very good from good in conservation assessment trajectory.   There are many steps being taken by Uttarakhand state government to increase the population of tigers. Hopefully some day we might find the tigers out of the extinction list of animals. 

Tiger Safari in Jim Corbett

Jim Corbett's rifle

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Adi Badri, Uttarakhand

Adi Badri is located in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, India. This temple is one of the Sapt badri temples located in Badri Khsetra. The Sapt badri temples are as follows:

1)  Badri Vishal or Badrinath    2) Adi Badri   3) Vridha Badri 4) Dhyan Badri  5) Ardha Badri         6) Bhavishya Badri and   7) Yogdyan Badri.

Adi Badri is located in the hill ranges 17 km from Karnaprayag, Chamoli district. The other name of this temple is Helisera as per revenue records. This temple is one of the 16 temples constructed during late Gupta period.  The builder of this temple as Adi Badri is attributed to Adi Shankar who promoted Hinduism to every part of India. In ancient times, this temple was worshipped when Badrinath temple was closed due to cold weather in Badrinath during winters.

The complex of the temple has the area of 14 mtr. x  30 mtr. The height varies from 2 mtr. to 6 mtr. The primary temple is that of Vishnu Bhagwan, which is raised on a platform.  The Vishnu idol is 1 mtr. tall black stone which is depicting Vishnu Bhagwan holding a mace, lotus and chakra. The other temples are dedicated to Shiva, Mantra Devi and a Kund (pond) located within the premises is believed to be the origin source of the Saraswati river.

It is believed that Vishnu resided in Adi Badri during Satyug, Treta and Dwapar and shifted to badrinath in Kalyug. According to prophecy it is believed that Vishnu Bhagwan will shift to Bhavishya Badri after Kalyug ends and Satyug begins. When the lord Vishnu shall shift to Bhavisya Badri, then Adi Badri shall be known as Yog Badri.

The best time to visit Adi Badri :  May – June and September –October.

The Adi Badri pilgrimage was initiated by Adi Shankar in the 8^th century AD. Every year during summers in May-June pilgrims visit Adi Abdri and on Kartika Poornima (Nov – Dec) pilgrims visit this temple to participate on the Kapal Mochan fair. The worshippers take holy dip in Kapal Mochan kund and worship the idol.

Adi Badri is an integral part of Lord Vishnu’s abodes and one must pay visit to this place once in her / his life time.