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India Tourism Guide >> Uttaranchal
Travel Guide >> Chamoli Tourism
Chamoli Tourism
Chamoli, the abode of Gods, reputed for its shrines and temples, birth place
of 'Chipko Movement ' with its strategic significance is one of the hill
district of Uttaranchal, India. Chamoli proved itself " the most spectacular
in its natural assets ; be it maintain scenery , valley aspects, water-edges,
floristic varieties, dramatic landform or the climatic cardinalities.in
the arms of the heavenly Himalayas lies the enchanting land of Chamoli,
which seems to be a benediction of earth. A blessed spot the place seems
to have been particularly dear to Lord Shiva. There are hundreds of shrines
dedicated to Lord shiva , the most important of all being the shrine of
Badrinath.
The other shrines of religeous importance are Hemkund Saheb, three out of
five Panch Kedar and Panch Badri, which are spread over the hills of Chamoli.
During the monsoons, thousand brilliant blooms bursts forth in the fascinating
" Valley of flowers" .
The place reverberates with spirituality and is associated with a number
of legends. It is said that Hanuman found the Sanjeevani herb here to revivie
the unconsccious laxman. It is blieved that Ved Vyas composed his immortal
epic, the Mahabharata here.
Guru Gobind singh is also believed to have meditated here. Surrounded by
Tehri Garhwal, Uttarkashi, Rudrapryag., Ptihoragarh, Almora and pauri Garhawa
districts and with Tibet lying to its north, Chamoli attracts tourists and
invites trekking inthusiasts from all over the world to discvover the fulles
potential of their body & mind. Chamoli , a hill district of U.P., has
immense geographical, historical, religious and cultural importance.
Chamoli lies in the arms of the heavenly Himalayas and is full of natural
beauty. This land has inspiered the inaginations of great poets like kalidas.
These mountain ranges, rivers and valleys are associated wit several Gods
& Goddesses.
The celebrated shrine of Badrinath, a famous pilgirmage of Hindus, the well
known " Valley of Flower" and Auli Bugyal are situated here. Today,
this snow clad peaks which are a delight for adventure loving tourists.
Gopeshwar is the district headquarter of chamoli and is situated at a height
of 1308 mts .
Places to Visit
Auli
In the summer, Auli bugyal is inviting but in the winter it is irresistible
with its hoary snow slopes and skiing facilities. Auli can be reached by
road or ropeway from Joshimath .It provides an excellent panoramic view
of the giant mountain peaks like Nanda Devi, Kamet and Dunagiri. From January
to March, the Auli slopes are usually covered with a thick carpet of snow,
about 3 mts deep. The stretch of 3 Kms. with a drop in elevation of 500
mts. is considered to be a very good skiing ground by international standard.
The background of lofty snow clad mountains heightens the sprit of the skiers.
To attract attention, skiing festivals are also conducted at Auli. These
now include the national championships staged by the Winter Games Federation
Of India. While skiing is the chief attraction at Auli, there are other
attraction like cable car rides and rope lifts, or spend the day outdoors
building snowmen, or having snowball fights.
Gopeshwar
Situated at a height of 1308 mts. amidst beautiful mountain ranges, terrace
farms and small lakes, the picturesque township of Gopeshwar is the district
headquarter of Chamoli. An ancient temple of Lord Shiva is the main attraction
of the town and thousands of pilgrims come here throughout the year to visit
the temple. Owing to its natural beauty and fresh and serene atmosphere,
Gopeshwar is becoming a major attraction for the tourists. Many well known
tourist spots and religious centres are spread around this town. According
to historians, the name Gopeshwar has associations with the name of Lord
Krishna.
Besides the ancient temple of Lord Shiva, Vaitarni Kund, a group of temples
without idols and Oak View are other places of interest.
Vasudhara
Water falls have always captivated the human imagination. 5 Kms. from Mana
village, toward the west is the Vasudhara fall with a sheer drop of 145
mtrs., set in a background of snowy peaks, glaciers and rocky heights. Violent
wind sometimes sprays out the entire volume of the water falling and it
appears that the water fall ceases for a minute or two, giving rise to a
lot of superstitious ideas to the locals.
Valley of Flowers
A profusion of wildflowers - iris, violets, roses, primulas, anemones, potentillas
- mark this valley, celebrated all over the world for its lush beauty. A
narrow river flows through the valley, now declared a national park. Reached
by an easy bridle-path from Govindghat, visitors are no longer allowed to
camp within the valley.
The valley had always been known to the local people who avoided getting
to this area for fear of fairies, who they believed, would take them away.
It was in 1931 that Frank Smythe and Holdsworth stumbled into the valley
while returning from their successful Kamet expedition and were - at once
transported from a region of solemn austerity to a fairy land of dainty
flowers, most of them dwarf but brilliant in colour. Smythe wrote
about the valley and its flowers - their carpet is a celestial one, breathing
innocence and joy to the world overburdened with sophistication and sorrow.
His writing invoked a great interest of the people in this valley, both
at home and abroad.
Legends associate this valley area with . Gandhamadan from where Hanuman
of Ramayana collected Sanjeevani herb to revive Laksmana. Hanuman had to
visit far-flung areas in his search for the life-saving herb, some named
after him. He visited Hanuman Chatti near Yamunotri, Hanuman Tibba near
Gangotri, Hanuman peak near Nandadevi, Hanuman Chatti near Badrinath and
ultimately the valley of flowers or Nanankanan as it is also known as.
The best time to visit the valley is during July and August when innumerable
varieties of flowers bloom and present a spectacular sight. The valley itself
is 10 kms. long and about 2 kms. wide in conical shape, with the river Pushpavati
flowing through it. After one gets down at Govindghat on the main Badrinath
highway, it involves a trek of 15 kms. to reach Ghangaria wherefrom a further
short trek of 5 kms. leads one to the edge of the valley. The valley ranges
between 3352 and 3658 mts. in altitude.
Satopanth Lake
This triangular lake of serene water has a perimeter of about half a kilometer.
It is about 25 Kms. from Badrinath. Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwar, the Hindu
trinity are believed to occupy one corner each, and which are named after
them. The trek is hazardous, but full of dramatic scenery. There is no place
to rest between, except caves. Cooked food, stove etc. have to be carried
from Badrinath itself.
Bedni Bugyal
Situated near Wan, Bedini Bugyal is a charming green meadow adorned with
flowers in a spell binding varieties, in full bloom. There is a small lake
situated in the midst of the meadow, where Tarpans are offered by the devotees.
Situated nearby is a small temple where the devotees pay there obeisance,
during their halt at Bedni Bugyal.
Other Facilities
Major Mountain Ranges
Nanda Devi, (7817 mts), Kamet (7756 mts.), Nanda Devi east, (7434 mts.),
Trishul (7120 mts.), Dunagiri, (7066 mts.), Dunagiri East (6489 mts.), Hanuman
Parvat, (600mts.), Devisthan II, (6490 mts.), Hathi Parvat (6727mts.), Gori
Parvat (6590 mts.), Neelkanth (6596mts.), Satopanth (7075 mts.), Nar (5831
MTS) & Narayan (5965 mts.)
Chamoli Tourism
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