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.

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