Uttaranchal is known as Devbhoomi, meaning
the Land of Gods. The holy land houses some of the most revered religious
destinations of India. The Himalaya range in Uttaranchal are said to be the
home of the gods. This land is very sacred for the Hindus as well as the
Sikhs. Uttaranchal has always been associated with spirituality, temples,
pilgrimage, holy shrines and mountain tourism. Uttaranchal is one of the
state in India which has some of the most important pilgrimage shrines.
Temples are scattered all across the state and the holy river of Ganges
sanctifies their presence. It is suggested by the historians that the land
and culture of Uttaranchal was once under the influence Buddhism, until Adi
Shankaracharya revived Hinduism here in 8th century AD. The idol of
Badrinath is said to be derived from the Narad Kund by Adi Shankaracharya.
The whole land of Uttaranchal is always alive and vibrates with the music
of chiming bells, bathing people at various Ghats, chanting of Hymns, song
of local folks during festivals and fairs. Most of the temples in
Uttaranchal are associated with some Puranic or Mahabharata story. There is
no specific pattern to the construction of these temples and most of them
are devoted to Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Goddess Kali and Nanda Devi along
with the temples of local gods and goddesses. The main temples in
Uttaranchal are the temples of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Panch Prayag, Gangotri,
Yamunotri, Hemkund Saheb, Sirkanda Devi, Haridwar and Rishikesh. The famous
Chardham trip is in this state which include a visit to four of most revered
Hindu temples, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. The Char Dham
tour is very significant for Hindus. Haridwar, meaning Gateway to God, holds
an important place in Hindu religion. It is one of the most visited
pilgrimages in India. Rishikesh, situated 24 Km from Haridwar also very
important pilgrimage site for the Hindus. Rishikesh is also known as the
Yoga Capital of the World. Hemkund Sahib, an important pilgrim is associated
with the Sikhs as well as Hindus. The place is associated with Guru Govind
Singh Ji, 10th guru of Sikhs. Meetha-Reetha Sahib and Piran Kaliyar are the
other major holy places for Sikhs. The famous Amarnath Yatra, is also
conducted from Uttaranchal. Kailash Mansarovar and Tholingmath, now in
Chinese occupied Tibet, are amongst the most difficult to be reached temples
for Hindus, but every year many thousand people visit this place.
The sense of Uttaranchal gets completed by visiting the holy places and
getting oneself involved with the chastity of the temples here. The godlike
mountains, spiritual ambience, melodious streams, mystic valleys, luxuriant
forests, magnificent fauna, perennial rivers, ageless pilgrimages, all
together makes Uttaranchal justly the Land of Gods.
