Tourist place

Uttarakhand , उत्तराखण्ड, Uttarākhaṇḍ), formerly known as Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Devbhumi (literally: "Land of the Gods") due to many Hindutemples and pilgrimage centres found throughout the state. Uttarakhand is known for its natural beauty of theHimalayas, the Bhabhar and the Terai. On 9 November 2000, this 27th state of the Republic of India was created from the Himalayan and adjoining northwestern districts of Uttar Pradesh.^[4] It borders the Tibet on the north; theMahakali Zone of the Far-Western Region, Nepal on the east; and the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh to the south and Himachal Pradesh to the west and north-west as well as Haryana to its south-western corner. The state is divided into two divisions, Garhwal and Kumaon, with a total of 13 districts. The interim capital of Uttarakhand isDehradun, the largest city in the region, which is a railhead. The High Court of the state is in Nainital.

Archaeological evidence support the existence of humans in the region since prehistoric times. The region formed a part of the Kuru and the Panchal kingdoms (mahajanpads) during the Vedic age of Ancient India. Among the first major dynasties of Kumaon were the Kunindas in the 2nd century BCE who practised an early form of Shaivism.Ashokan edicts at Kalsi show the early presence of Buddhism in this region. During the medieval period, the region was consolidated under the Kumaon Kingdom and Garhwal Kingdom. In 1816, most of modern Uttarakhand was ceded to the British as part of the Treaty of Sugauli. Although the erstwhile hill kingdoms of Garhwal and Kumaon were traditional rivals, the proximity of different neighboring ethnic groups and the inseparable and complementary nature of their geography, economy, culture, language, and traditions created strong bonds between the two regions which further strengthened during the Uttarakhand movement for statehood in the 1990s.

The natives of the state are generally called Uttarakhandi or more specifically either Garhwali or Kumaonidepending on their place of origin. According to the 2011 Census of India, Uttarakhand has a population of 10,116,752, making it the 19th most populous state in India. A large portion of the population consists of Rajputsand Brahmins. About 83% of the population follow Hinduism. Islam is the second largest majority religion in the state, followed by a minority of the population practicing Sikhism and a micro-minority praciticing Jainism, Buddhismand Christianity. Garhwali and Kumaoni along with other hilly dialects and sub-dialects are the main regional languages, whereas Hindi is the most widely spoken language. Uttarakhand is the only state in India with Sanskritas one of its official languages.

1.  VALLEY  OF FLOWER CHAMOLI

Valley of Flowers National Park is an Indian National Park located in West Himalaya , in the state of Uttarakhand and is known for its meadows of endime  alpine flowers and the variety of flora. This richly diverse area is also home to rare and endangered animals, including the Asiatic black bear ,snow leopard, musk deer, brown beer, red fox, and blue sheep. Birds found in the park include Himalayan monal pheasant and other high altitude birds. At 3352 to 3658 meters above sea level, the gentle landscape of the Valley of Flowers National Park complements the rugged mountain wilderness of Nanda Devi National Park to the east. Together, they encompass a unique transition zone between the mountain ranges of the Zanskar and Great Himalaya. The park stretches over an expanse of 87.50 km and it is about 8 km long and 2 km wide. Both parks are encompassed in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (223,674 ha) which is further surrounded by a buffer zone (5,148.57 km²).This Reserve is in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2004.