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.

Visit : www.dreammountain.net

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.

Musk deer, the endangered species.

Musk deer is the state animal of Uttarakhand. The name of this deer in Hindi is Kusturi Mirg. Musk deer belongs to the family Moschidae and is more primitive than true deer (cervids) because of the reason that they lack antlers and facial glands. These deer are found mainly in Himalayan region and have been extinct in Europe where these existed in past.

The size of musk deer varies from 80 to 100 cm long and 50 to 70 cm shoulder high. The weight is in between 7 to 17 kg. They feed upon grasses, moss, twigs, shoots, lichens etc. The body of musk deer has adapted to the mountain conditions with small and stocky built. The front legs are short whereas the hind are long. The musk gland is found only in adult males and its secretion is to attract the mates. These deer have been a lucrative commercial object for the hunters because of the scent glands. It’s a criminal offence to hunt a deer.

The deer inhabits in the dense forest of Deodar, fir trees. The altitude range may vary from 2300 to 4300 mtr. In Uttarakhand, the Kedarnath musk deer sanctuary was established to save the extinction of this species of deer. It is very unfortunate that a beautiful animal like this is on the verge of extinction. The musk deer is in the list of endangered species released in 1952. The wildlife preservation act 1972 was enacted in order to save the omission of the rare species like musk deer. The musk deer are hunted due to the gland which is very costly in the market. The hunters are still hunting this deer in order to get money even after knowing the fact that the species are only in numbers. The number of musk deer is very less may be in odd hundreds which is less than tigers.

Bhavishya Badri in Uttarakhand

The group of seven Vishnu temples in Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, India is known as Sapta Badri. The prime temple among these temples is Badrinath temple which is also called Badri Vishal. The others are 1) Adi Badri 2) Vridha Badri 3) Dhyan Badri 4) Ardha Badri 5) Bhavishya Badri and 6) Yogdhyan Badri. There is another group of five temples of Vishnu which includes all the Sapta Badri temples except  Ardha Badri and Dhyan Badri or sometimes Vridha Badri. Sometimes rarely Narsingh Badri is also added in the list of  Sapt Badri or Panch Badri.

The area starting from Nandaprayag in the Chamoli district to Satopant which is 24 km from Badrinath is known as Badri – Kshetra. All the Badri temples are located in this area. The word Badri has been driven from a type of berry. During ancient times the area was full of there berries hence the name association, due to meditation of Vishnu Bhgwan here, occurred i.e Badrinath ji. The reason for putting Badri at the end of all Sapta Badri temple as suffix also shows the name association of the area.

Among all the Sapta Badri temples, the main shrine Badrinath is well connected by road and air whereas the other remaining temples are located at remote places.

The Bavishya Badri (Alt. 2744 mtr.) is located in Niti valley. The most important town near this temple is Joshimath. From Joshimath, there is a motorable road to Saldhar (17 km) and further a trek of 6 km to  Subhain vllage where this temple is located. This road further leads to Lata – Niti villages.

According to our religious texts, Bavishya Badri shall come into existence in Kaliyug when the evil forces shall tend to overpower the world. The temple Narsingh located at Joshimath has  beautifully carved statue of Narsingh Bhgwan carrying a sword. It is said that the arm carrying that sword is getting thinner year by year, and in Kaliyug this arm will break. When this happens, the mountains of Jay and Vijay will collapse to block the route to Badrinath and make the journey inaccessible. The present world will be destroyed and a new world will begin and the Bhavishya Badri shall be worshipped.

The Himalayan Monal

The Himalayan monal belongs to pheasant family and also known as impeyan monal, impeyan pheasant. This bird habitats from eastern Afghanistan to Napal including Uttrakhand. This bird species lives in upper temperate oak – conifer forests between 2400 and 4500, commonly between 2700 mtr. to 3700 mtr. Sometimes, it may descend to 2000 mtr. in the winters.

Male : The adult has multi-coloured plumage. Notable features include a long metallic green crest, coppery feathers on the neck and back and a prominent white rump when in flight. The tail feathers are uniformly patterned getting darker towards tips. During first year, the male resembles the female.

Weight : 2380 gm Length : 70 cm

Female : The female is dull in colour. The tail side is white, barred with black and red. There is a white prominent patch on the throat and white strips on the trail.

Weight: 2150 gm Length : 70 cm
Food : roots, insects, invertebrates.

This bird is a national bird of Nepal and the state bird of Uttarakhand and Himanchal Pradesh, where it is known as monal. This bird is not an endangered species and can be found from eastern Afghanistan to Nepal.

This bird has high level of communication ability and uses different call types to express meaning. Like other birds, the male monal uses body display to attract the female by fanning the tail and bobbing the head-crest. During display, the pattern of calling changes to through out the day from only in the morning. The female lays three to five eggs and incubates for 27 days.  The young one gets completely free after six month's care.  

The species is threatened due to poaching and other anthropogenic factors. The male monal was a hunting target in Himanchal Pradesh for the feather which was used as a decorative piece on men’s hats until 1982, when the hunting got banned. Now in some areas, the population density of this bird is as high as five pairs per square mile.

Wildlife Institute of India

Wildlife Institute of India located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India has become the first United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) centre for Natural World Heritage Management and training for the Asia Pacific region last week.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has approved Rs. 18.66 crore  to the centre. As a consequence of human population explosion,  catastrophic disaster and other related human activities the natural ecosystem  is under extreme deteriorating condition. The natural heritage conservation has not been going well due the factors related to deterioration in ecosystem. In view point of these problems, the challenges can be thwarted with proper conservation and management.  All the countries in Asia – pacific do not have the capacity to address these challenges.    So, a need of Centre was felt where training for three area-site selection, inscription, management and protection could be provided for natural heritage conservation.

The ‘Request for Action’ was submitted in September 2012 to Director – General, UNESCO for the  Centre of Excellence on Natural World Heritage for Asia – Pacific region at WII. The approval by UNESCO executive board was granted on 19 November 2013 and on 5 August 2015 the Union Cabinet approved.

The WII centre shall become torchbearer for the Asia – Pacific countries.

The eight countries where UNESCO has established the centres are China, Norway, South Africa, Bahrain, Mexico, Italy, Brazil and Spain for capacity building for World Cultural Heritage Sites. But, the WII is the first centre for World Natural Heritage Sites.

There are seven natural world heritage sites in India alone which could become an asset for tourism in India. The WII centre shall help in preserving these sites and new sites could also be included. These progresses shall boost the tourism in India.

Many tourists visit these world heritage sites and make it sure that any should not left in the list. The tourism in Asia – pacific should be responsible in order to promote the same.

These sites also give the boost to local livelihood due to backward and forward linkages associated with the tourism activity

The Himalayan tragopan

The western tragopan or western horned tragopan is a Himalayan bird found from Pakisatan to eastern Himalayas including Uttarakhand. It is medium sized brightly plumed pheasant. This species of bird is classified under highly endangered species.

These birds are found within the range of 1750 m to 3600 m.

Summer : 2400 m to 3600 m (in temperate forests)

Winter : 2000 m to 2800 m (in dense coniferous and broad leaved forests)

Feeds : leaves, shoots, seeds, insects and invertebrates.

Female : The feathers are black patched with central white streaks. The upper part is pale brownish-grey which is finely vermiculated and spotted with black. Weight : 1.25 to 1.4 kg, length : 48 to 50 cm.

Male : The body is dark, black and grey with white spots in plenty. The spots are bordered with crimson and black patches on sides and at the back of the neck. The facial skin is bare and red with bare blue throat. Weight : 1.8 – 2.2 kg, length : 48 – 50 cm.

The males show inflated throated into lappets that appear purple to attract. The display of blue horns resembling to the Greek mythological god Pan earned the name tragopan. The male calls and sings during the display. The song is loud two-note ringing who-weee. This song is repeated every second for a long period. They build the nests in hollows at the lower portion of the tree. The breeding season is May – June.

In Himanchal, Kullu region this bird species is locally called jujurana which means the king of birds. The state Himanchal nominated this bird as the state bird in 2007.

This bird is one of the rarest living pheasants. These birds are very sensitive to the anthropogenic disturbances ( e.g. Hydroelectric projects). Presently, the rough population of this species is around 5000 worldwide including captive ones.

Restoring the traditional music.

Uttarakhand government has decided to keep alive the traditional music. In this direction, the government is giving traditional music instrument to the impoverished folk artistes.

The initiative is being done in order to save the traditional heritage of music from vanishing. The artistes associated with the traditional music are slowly moving to other professions. This scheme is aimed to provide livelihood opportunity to the artistes associated with the traditional art form.

Under this scheme, the artistes whose income is less than Rs. 2000/- per month shall be given one free folk musical instruments like   Dhol, damau, mashakbean, ransingha, nagada and turahi. The preference shall be given to the artistes hailing from the families practicing the music / art for generations. As of now, the scheme is open for schedule castes of the state, and soon shall be open for general and schedule tribes of the state.  The artistes between age 18 yrs. To 60 yrs. can apply to the district magistrate offices of all the districts by Oct 31, 2016. Only one member of the family shall be given the instrument . The descriptions of the musical instrument are as follows:

Dhol

Dhol : An ancient drumming instrument of the state.

Damau

Damau : A small drum hung around the neck and two sticks used to play.

Mashkbean

Mashkbean : It’s a bagpipe version.

Ransingha

Ransingha : A type of primitive trumpet, like bugle.

Nagada

Nagada : A folk drum

Please click for the video of  A traditional music and folk dance

Tiger safari in Corbett National Park

The officials of Tiger reserve are awaiting a nod from the Central Zoo Authority before preparing a detailed project report on tiger safari – cum – rescue centre in the buffer zone of the Jim Corbett national park. The chief warden of the wildlife has sent the proposal to the zoo authority in the month of August 2016. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has already given the approval for setting up the centre.

       

       The buffer zone shall be in Pakhro in the national park having an area of 200 hectare, where the centre for safari-cum-rescue centre has been proposed. The entry for this zone shall be from Kotdwara. Initially, only a part of this area shall be exposed to the tourists and remaining shall be other activities like medication and injured tigers.

       The environment for the tigers shall be made as in the wild. The old and injured tigers shall be caged for the tourists, who fail to see the tigers in the wild. The capacity of the tigers shall be 10 to 20 around. There shall be utmost effort to provide a glimpse of Royal Bengal tigers.

       Before giving it’s nod, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) will send a team to the area where this safari has been proposed. According to the NTCA, the permit for tiger safari is permissible in the buffer area of the tiger reserves. Clause 16.21 says’ “Tiger safari may be established in buffer areas of tiger reserves which experience immense tourist influx in the core / critical tiger habitat for viewing tigers.”  The core area of the Corbett national park is 821.99 km and the buffer area is 466.32 sq km.

       The tourist influx during a season is around 2 lakh (or 200,000) which generates a revenue of Rs. 7 crore (or Rs. 7 million). As per the Corbett officials, the tiger safari shall bring more revenue to the national park and help boosting the economy of the locals.  

Floating huts in Tehri lake

Tehri dam is located in Uttarakhand state. The dam has been constructed for hydroelectricity generation. The area of this lake is around 42 sq km. The lake starts from Chinyalisaur in full season. Uttarakhand government is planning to start tourism activity in Tehri lake. The planning is to start water sports in the lake. In order to promote the lake, a festival is being held during the winter in the month of November.

Soon the tourists visiting the lake shall have additional attraction of staying in ‘floating huts’ having design based on house boats in the Dal lake of Jammu and Kashmir.

The state tourism minister on Saturday (6/9/15) said that the lake has an area of 42 sq km which is nearly double the area of Dal Lake. The introduction of the floating huts shall add new dimension to the tourism activities in and around the lake spread over 42 sq km.

The number of the floating huts shall be 10 initially and gradually be increased on the response of the tourists.     

The floating huts shall be modelled based on house boats of the Dal lake. The dimension of each floating boat shall be 10x12 ft each with attached toilet and small balcony. In future, the design of the boats shall be changed to adjust larger accommodation.

The tourism in the lake shall be eco-friendly and the waste from the boats shall be deposited in separate chambers prepared for the dumping purpose. The wastes shall be disposed beyond the peripheries of the lake.

The work on building of these floating huts has already been started by a Mumbai-based company. It will take at least eight months to completion of the boat building. Each boat shall cost Rs. 40 lack. The entire project is being looked after by the Lake Development Authority.  

Tourism promotion in Uttarakhand

Shri Badri Vishal

The government of Uttarakhand is not leaving any stone unturned to promote the tourism in Uttarakhand. Recently, the tourism department announced that the state shall organise  few festivals and carnivals during winter 2015-16. The focus shall be Mussoorie, Tehri & Auli along with the winter Chardham. The two pillars for the state government have been Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) and Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN).  These two organisations have provided basic infrastructure and information regarding tourism activities in Uttarakhand.

               

Rafting in Rishikesh

In order to promote the tourism activities in Uttarakhand, the Chief Minister, Mr. Harish Rawat has assured to provide financial support to GMVN to revamp its facilities and infrastructure.  GMVN and state government tourism department have not been doing well since 2013 disaster. In a review meeting, the Chief Minister announced to give a support of Rs. 5 crore to GMVN for renovation and development of tourist rest houses. Simultaneously, he instructed to adopt a professional model to tackle the tourism promotion in the state. The CM also instructed that the Nigam should focus on generating more revenue by promoting itself. The nigam should adopt the latest business models to compete and survive in the market.

Chandrashila

The CM also instructed to co-operate with the travel professionals and agents. A total of 21 guest houses have been allocated Rs. 3 crore for modernisation and Rs. 2 crore has been allocated for renovation of tourist rest houses and resorts. The CM has also asked to keep utmost care of Dron hotel, Dehradun and Mussoorie GMVN rest house. The tenting and trekking in Badrinath and Kedarnath should be kept in mind for tourism and pilgrimage activities. The state government employees in tourism activity should be inspired for better performance and be given adequate reward. GMVN and KMVM should be jointly recognised as state’s valuable assets. The state’s products should be promoted in these rest houses. The review meeting was attended by all higher officials of Uttarakhand tourism department. 

The origin of Badrinath name.

The other name of Lord Vishnu is Sri Badrinath. The mythological story behind the choosing of this Badri valley as the abode  of Lord Vishnu and subsequently the another name of Vishnu after this valley has an interesting story behind.

The lord Vishnu was taking rest on His Sesha on the Krishsagar whilst Laxmi caressed His feet. Narad Muni on viewing this luxurious way of life expressed his displeasure.  Lord Vishnu was hurt and disappeared into Himalayas and sent Laxmi to Nagkanyas (sea maids).   The Lord Vishnu fed himself with wild berries (badri). He assumed the meditating form of yogdhyani for several years. After a long period when Laxmi returned to find Lord Vishnu meditating in the Badrivan , Laxmi addressed the lord Vishnu as Badrinath. Laxmi requested to give up the yogdhyani posture and return back to His original sringaric form. Lord Visnu accepted the requested left that sacred place to be named as Badrinath.

Lord Vishnu put three conditions to mankind to follow:

The Badrinath valley shall remain for meditation & worshipping and prohibition of worldly pleasure.

 The lord Vishnu shall be worshipped in both of the forms of yogdhyani and sringaric. The Gods shall worship Him in yogdhyanic form whereas the mortals shall worship him in sringaric form.

 The sitting position of Laxmi shall be left hand side for yogdhyani form and right for sringaric form.

In hindu tradition, the wife usually sits on the left. When Laxmi is placed on the right, the depiction of sitting posture has a meaning. Here, the lord Vishnu and Laxmi are worshipped as separate God and Goddess respectively and not as divine couple. This is the very reason why the Rawal (Main Badrinat priest) must not be married.

The three conditions laid down by the lord Vishnu have been strictly adhered to down the ages from Satyug till today. The lord Vishnu is worshipped by pilgrims during summers whereas during winters the lord Vishnu is worshipped by devas and sages.