Uttarakhand tours are to rejoice and rejuvenate body, mind and soul; a quaint town in the lap of Mother Nature, Uttarakhand in Northern region of India is the ultimate getaway to beauty abound. Nature’s bounty brings the crowning glory to the land which is believed to be the residing place of Gods. Thus fondly known as Devbhoomi or land of gods, Uttarakhand is one gorgeous state marked by famous pilgrimage tour destinations, ideal locale for practicing extreme sport and so much more. Whilst on their tours to Uttarakhand tourists often account some sort of heavenly bliss that they get to encounter here and thus every year devout devotees, honeymooning couples and even adventure freaks make their way to incredible Uttarakhand.

For Uttarakhand tours you need to fix a plan of action first for which you need to understand the theme you are most inclined towards. Once, your head and heart come to a consensus about the theme to be picked you can easily find various destinations complementing the travel theme.

Sacred Journeys: The state is where Chota Char Dham yatra is performed. This is one of the most sacred pilgrimage routes in whole of the country for it is believed that every Hindu must perform this pilgrimage once in a lifetime to be able to achieve ultimate enlightenment and to be able to escape the circle of life and death. Four holy towns which are covered in this pilgrimage are Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. Also, Haridwar and Rishikesh situated on the banks of holy River Ganges are two renowned sacred towns in Uttarakhand which are known for their exquisite temples and backdrop of beauteous hills.

Exhilarating Adventure Sports: Another experience one must not miss whilst on Uttarakhand tours is the fun of adventure sports in the state. The region is primarily based up on hills and thus many adventure activities such as trekking, mountaineering, rappelling, river rafting, zorbing etc can be enjoyed here. The most popular adventure activities in the region are jungle safari at Rajaji National Park and Corbett National Park, camping and river rafting at Rishikesh and trekking in the hills. Famous treks in the region are Roopkund Kuari Pass Trek, Dodital Trek, Chopta Chandrashila Trek, Bedni Bugyal Trek and Valley of Flowers Trek.

Nature Walks & Cultural Trips: The best way to explore Uttarakhand’s beauty is via heading for swift nature walks in the surrounding jungles or national parks in the region. Passing through villages and jungles you can even converse with ever-so-cheerful locals of the state who can give you a good picture of the cultural set-up and lifestyle of the people living on the beauteous land of Uttarakhand.

Thus to gain a memory to be cherished and to escape mundane life at cities hundreds of travelers head for Uttarakhand tours and they all end up becoming a regular visitor of this land. So serene and spectacular is Uttarakhand that it is just too appropriate to say that the gods reside here amidst sheer beauty and tranquility.

An avid traveler and writer Surya Mishra loves exploring new vistas always. He also enjoys documenting his experiences and sharing it for the benefit of fellow travelers heading for India tours. You can find in-depth info on Uttrakhand tours precisely along with South India tours and more on his postings. Read further for information on Nainital tours and various kinds of India tour packages.

Author: Surya Prakash Mishra
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The Char Dham is also known as the Dev Bhumi; which literally means the dwelling of the gods. Hindus take the char dham yatra to Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri for tranquility of mind, body and spirit. These places provide the perfect environment where the god & the transcendent seem to coexist. The char dham yatra has been practiced since ancient times and even today around three lakh visitors take this trip during the annual pilgrim season. Such is the importance of this yatra that all Hindus try to take a char dham pilgrimage tour at least once in their lifetime. Many even believe that taking a trip to these dham sites will wash away their lifetime sins!

So how did this char dham yatra become so popular? Why are these places considered to be so sacred? Well if you want to know all about the char dham yatra, you must firstly know a little bit of Indian history.

In the 8th century there lived a great Hindu reformer named Adi Shankaracharya who in a bid to revive the Hindu religion initiated the char dham yarta. He coined the term ‘Char Dham’ (Char means four and Dham means sites) and encouraged every Hindu to take a chardham pilgrimage tour to attain salvation in life. Since then Hindus have been taking this holy trip to the four abodes of God in Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, all located in the Himalayan region of Garhwal.

Moving on, the annual pilgrim season of char dham begins in India from April and continues till October/November. Amongst the four dham sites, Badrinath is considered to be the most auspicious of the four sites because Hindus believe that it was here that great Shankaracharya attained freedom from incarnation. In case you do not want to take the entire char dham yatra at one go you may even choose to divide your trip into two parts, Badrinath Kedarnath tour and Gangotri Yamunotri tour.

However, in case you want to take the entire char dham yatra all in one go, it is better that you take the trip in the following order which was traditionally initiated by the Shankracharya.

Start your journey from Yamunotri. This is the place from where the sacred Yamuna River starts flowing and is believed to be the seat of goddess Yamuna. The temple in Yamunotri is at a distance of 6 Km from Hanuman Chatti town. This temple was recently renovated after being destroyed by the local weather conditions. There are a few small ashrams and guesthouses where you can take shelter while you are in Yamunotri. Enjoy watching the temple pujaris offer prayer to goddess Yamuna every day. The prasad offered during these prayers is made traditionally from raw rice that is cooked over hot spring.

Your next stop should be Gangotri. It is from here that the Ganga River originates. It is also the seat of Hindu goddess Ganga. You will simply love the evening aarti ceremony that is held in this temple because it is performed beside the flowing river. You may opt to stay in the guesthouses and restaurants of this region if you want to take rest or relax.

Then comes your third spot of char dham yatra i.e. Kedarnath. This place is where Hindu god Shiva is believed to reside. Apart from this, Kedarnath is also believed to be the place of Shankaracharya’s shrine, hence it is very sacred. You will find that the main temple looks extremely beautiful though it is made up of simple stone structures. The best aspect of Kedarnath is that it is surrounded by breathtaking Himalayan snowcapped peaks. Daily puja is performed around a stone lingam that lies in the inner sanctum of the Kedarnath temple.

Your last stoppage will be Badrinath which is the seat of the Hindu god Vishnu. The wall of this temple has bright and beautiful paintings of Buddhist ghompas.

So, while you are visiting India, you must surely plan a Char Dham yatra in case you want to explore the Hindu religion and its various customs and traditions. The entire trip will be a great learning experience for you and you will surely fell peace at mind.

Nestling in the haughty peaks is the Yatra to the four religious sites of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath, collectively called Chardham Yatra. Undertake the Char Dham Yatra to wash away your sins. Also get released from the cycle of birth and death. Nature in its entire splendor, the Yatra to the Chardham is an experience that will stay with you and beyond. For more visit Chardham-Pilgrimage-Tour.com

Author: Kandpal Chandra Subhash
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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A backpacker’s paradise and a photographer’s delight, the Valley of Flowers is a place you must visit before you die. If you are looking for a place where you can experience nature in its most pristine form and stay away from the so called “civilization”, the Valley of Flowers National Park offers an excellent option. A part of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the valley comes into life for a brief period of four months from June to September every year when the entire valley gets covered with flowers of varied colours and shapes. However, it is not easily accessible and needs a bit of prior planning. However, it is a must see destination in the Indian Himalayas for true nature lovers as well as photographers. Based on personal experience of the author, a few quick tips are being provided below for future travellers.

How many days does it take?

- 6-7 days from and to New Delhi to Valley of Flowers but it must be planned well.

What is the best time to visit?

- June-August

What are the modes of transport?

- From Delhi trains and buses are available to Haridwar. After that buses or rented cars are the only option. They move very slowly due to the difficult terrain and it takes time to cover small distances. But the good thing is that they are not costly at all. The usual route is, Haridwar-Rishikesh-Rudraprayag-Chamoli-Joshimath-Govindghat. At Govindghat the real trek starts. One can hire mules or horses up to Ghangaria if the trekking becomes too difficult. Ghangaria is the last place offering accommodation and food en route. After that one must trust their feet to reach the Valley of Flowers. Camping at the Valley is now allowed and the visitors must come back to Ghangaria by the evening.

What kind of Food is available?

- It is mostly vegetarian considering there are a lot of pilgrims in this route. After Govindghat, a plate of Maggi noodles is the best option at any point of time.

Budget?

- The entire route to Valley of Flowers is a backpacker’s delight. The costliest thing will be the mule ride from Govindghat to Ghagaria with costs INR 500. A single person should wrap up the entire trip to and from Delhi within INR 5000-7000.

What about accommodation?

- Budget accommodation is available till Ghangaria and it should not be a problem for anyone. But if you are looking for luxury resorts, you might be disappointed.

Should I hire a guide?

- Basically there is only one road and a normal traveller cannot possibly get lost and hence a guide is avoidable as well. Still if you are feeling insecure you can hire one at Joshimath.

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Author: Jitaditya Narzary
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Uttarakhand spiritually known as Dev Bhoomi or The land of Gods – is a Paradise for nature and adventure lovers. Garhwal lies in the North West part of Himalayas. The Himalayas foothills are just ideal for trekking and camping enthusiast in India. Garhwal is the most beautiful region in Himalayas. The hills of Garhwal offer the terrific opportunities for adventure sports lovers.

The famous treks in Garhwal are-

Chopta Chandrashila Trek- Chopta Chandrashila Trek is one of the fabulous & demanding treks in the Garhwal Himalayas. It can be undertaken round the year. You may encounter snowfall and enjoy trekking with snow. You can also have a worth exploring  view of the Himalayas from Chandrashila point.

Dodital Trek- Dodital is a beautiful lake, full of Himalayan Golden Trout in the crystal clear waters. However it can be also undertaken round the year but the glorious time for visiting dodital trek is the month of October as after the monsoon its lush green meadows and high Himalayas views are simply out of this world and beyond description.

Bedni Bugyal Trek- Bedni Bugyal Trek is one of the largest bugyals in Uttaranchal. Bedni is also a major way-station on the Nanda Raj Jaat Yatra, a ritual procession held every 12 years. You can have a view of Choukhamba, Neelkanth mountain form Bedni.

Roopkund  Kuari Pass Trek- Roopkund is a remote high-altitude frozen lake. Many trekking group visit this lake in summer months. The lake is nestled amidst panoramic mountain scenery.

Valley of Flowers Trek- Valley of flowers is the fairy land busting with the beautiful, lively and vibrant colors. It has the largest collection of wild flowers species. The park is famous for its meadows of widespread alpine flowers and wonderful natural beauty.

The Himalayas foothills are just ideal for trekking and camping enthusiast in India. Here you can easily find different tourist guides and travel agencies for making your trip more convenient. There are different Guest House at different places covering all the tourist spots and places.

Peak Adventure Tour is a prominent tour operator company from India offers the best snow trekking tours, frozen river trek tours, snow leopard trek tours, jeep safari, Expedition Tours, Mountain Biking Safari,Glacier tours in India and many more.

Author: Kandpal Subhash
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Climbing lofty mountains is a perfect way to experience adventure during the summer season. From green meadows to snow-filled peaks, climbers have the chance to capture the blessed beauty of Mother Nature. If you are an adventure enthusiast and want to satiate your desire for mountain climbing, then consider Pangarchulla peak in Uttaranchal. It measures an altitude of 4575 m above the sea level and stands as an ideal climbing destination for novices.

With the onset of summer season, countless tourists visit Pangarchulla and take opportunity of photographing the snow-clad mountains. The trip offers enough challenges to be easily experienced by the amateurs within a week. In order to start the tour program, you can consider traveling from Delhi to Haridwar via train or road transportation.

Haridwar is a popular religious place in Uttarakhand and you can capture the beauty of this place by visiting temples located on the sacred river banks of Ganges. After experiencing holy visit in the temples of Haridwar, consider driving to Joshimath (1560m), located at a driving distance of nine hours. While climbing uphill and descending down, you will be able to see the flow of Alaknanda River and the picturesque Garhwal regions.

Having explored Joshimath, you can think about driving to Auli, situated 14 km away. On reaching Auli, you will be able to see the glorious views of Nanda Devi. As you will trek through the lush greenery, you will find numbers of oak and rhododendron trees until you reach Gorson, located at an elevation of 3200m above the sea level.

This place is travel-friendly and can be considered as a destination for overnight camping. From Gorson, you can proceed on towards Tali (3310m) to discover the water bodies in this region. Further, the trails will lead to Chaukhamba range, Nilkanth (6596m) and Narayan Parbat (5965m) all situated in the northern part of Joshimath. Besides these, there are lots more nearby destinations which can be explored if the duration of your summer vacation is not running short of your pre-planned tour program.

Although Pangarchulla is a sought-after destination for amateurs, you might face challenge in terms of weather condition. Not all location experiences similar climatic pressure and might not allow climbing opportunity all round the clock. In order to experience best of climbing in Pangarchulla, you can contact some tour operators who deal with providing climbing opportunities to the tourists in Uttarakhand.

So, plan a trip to Uttarakhand and take chance to climb Pangarchulla. It’s a place to offer extra-ordinary adventure feel!

For more details on Pangarchulla Climb and Trekking tours in India please visit http://www.aquaterra.in aquaterra is dedicated in offering you information on River Rafting and Trekking Expeditions.

Author: Kap Smith
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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