Uttar Pradesh, the Largest populous state of
India, a land replete with tales of ages gone by, of tales about
Lord Rama and his kingdom of Ayodhya, of the Buddha and his
teachings, of the Mughals and their art, culture and exquisite
architecture, and of the British and the First War of Indian
Independence in 1857. The state is one of the great historical
and religious regions of India, with evocative places like Hardwar,
Agra, Meerut, Varanasi, Allahabad, and Lucknow encompassing
all aspects of life and presenting a colourful panorama of India's
ancient history.
Throughout the lengths of the Ganga and the Yamuna right from
their sources down to their majestic deltas, the land abounds
with scenic spots and pilgrim centres. While the north consists
of high mountain ranges nurturing beautiful hill resorts and
some of Hinduism's holiest shrines, the Great Gangetic Basin
or the Indo-Gangetic Plain is one of the most fertile and over-populated
areas of the world. For the tourist, Uttar Pradesh offers a
lot, so much more than just the Taj Mahal
A
SKIING ADVENTURE
The hills of Uttar Pradesh offer the adventure enthusiasts immense
opportunities - one of the important ones being skiing in winters.
There are grades and slopes for the new comer as well as for
the seasoned skier.About 16 km from Joshimath in the Garhwal
Himalayas is Auli. It offers a clean stretch of 10-20 km providing
excellent opportunities for cross country, slalom and downhill
skiing events.A major attraction here is a 3 km long stretch
ranging from 2519 mtrs to 3049 mtrs.Auli has snow beaters to
keep the slopes fit for skiing at all times and also has a 500
mtrs long ski-lift to carry skiers back to the top.
There is simple hotel accommodation at Joshimath and Auli; a
cable car from Joshimath (1906.3 mtrs) to the upper slopes of
Auli and ending at Garson (3016.6 mtrs). There is provision
of ski equipment, ski instructors, medical assistance, and efficient
communication.
In addition to Auli, you can also experience the slopes of Pithoragarh,
in the Kumaon Hills. The place has some excellent skiing slopes.
The two places here are Khalia Top in Munsiyari and the Chiplakot
Valley.
TREKKING
AROUND
The Garhwal and the Kumaon Himalayas of Uttar Pradesh offer
some very exciting and delightful treks--some of them all the
year round. So pick up your backpacks and experience the Himalayas--on
foot.
The Panchkedar Trek covers Kedarnath, Madmaheshwar, Tungnat-th,
Rudranath, and Kalpeshwar; while there is another which covers
Rishikesh, Gaurikund, Kedarnath, and Vasuki Tal.
You can also take one to Dodital, Hanuman Chatti, and Yamunotri;
a second to Gaumukh Nandan Van, and Tapovan; and another covering
Rishikesh, Joshimath, Govindaghat, Ghangharia, Hemkund Sahib,
the beautiful Valley of Flowers, Badrinath and back to Rishkesh.
Two of the hard, high altitude seasonal treks cover
(a) Uttarkashi, Sahastratal, Katling, and Vasuki Tal;
(b) Gangotri, Bhojwasa, Nandan Van, Vasuki Tal, Kalinadikhal,
Ghastoli and Badrinath.
Area: 238,566 sq. km
Population: 132 million
Capital: Lucknow
Main Language: Hindi & Urdu
Best time to visit: October to March
Uttar Pradesh Travel Reservation Form
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