Uttarkashi
Encyclopedia
Uttarkashi meaning Kashi of the north, is a holy town in Uttarakhand
, India
. It is the district headquarter of Uttarkashi district. Uttarkashi is situated on the banks of river Bhagirathi
at an altitude of 1352 m above sea level. Uttarkashi is home to a number of ashram
s and temples and also to the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering
. The name of the town reflects its similarity to and location (as north of) the city of Kashi (Varanasi
). Similar to Varanasi, town of Uttarkashi is situated on Ganges, lies next to a hill named Varun Parvat, on confluence of two rivers Varuna and Asi, has a ghat called Manikarnika Ghat
and has a temple dedicated to Shiva (Kashi Vishwanath Temple)in the center of the town.
most of the terrain is hilly.
RIVERS- there are many small and big rivers in Uttarkashi district. Yamuna and Ganges(Bhagirathi) are biggest and holiest among them, their origin is Yamunotri and Gangotri(Gomukh) respectively.
Asi ganga , jad ganga are some of the tributeries of Ganges
, Uttarkashi had a population of 16,220. Males constitute 57% of the population and females 43%. Uttarkashi has an average literacy rate of 78%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 83%, and female literacy is 71%. In Uttarkashi, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. Most citizens of Uttarkashi are Garhwali
, with large numbers of Punjabi
, Kumaoni
and people from other parts of Northern India. It also has a significant population of the Bhotiya
Jadh people.
Adventure sports white water river rafting, Uttarkashi is known for its excellent trekking tracks and mountaineering.
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is the district headquarter of Uttarkashi district. Uttarkashi is situated on the banks of river Bhagirathi
Bhagirathi River
The Bhāgīrathī is a turbulent Himalayan river in the state of Uttarakhand, India, that is the source stream of the Ganges—the major river of the Gangetic plain of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism.-Etymology:...
at an altitude of 1352 m above sea level. Uttarkashi is home to a number of ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
s and temples and also to the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering
Nehru Institute of Mountaineering
The Nehru Institute of Mountaineering is rated as one of the best mountaineering institutes in India and also considered a prestigious mountaineering institute in Asia.-History:...
. The name of the town reflects its similarity to and location (as north of) the city of Kashi (Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
). Similar to Varanasi, town of Uttarkashi is situated on Ganges, lies next to a hill named Varun Parvat, on confluence of two rivers Varuna and Asi, has a ghat called Manikarnika Ghat
Manikarnika Ghat
Manikarnika Ghat is one of the ghats in Varanasi and is most known for being a place of Hindu cremation.-History:It is one of the oldest ghats in Varanasi.-Significance:...
and has a temple dedicated to Shiva (Kashi Vishwanath Temple)in the center of the town.
Geography
Uttarkashi is located at 30.73°N 78.45°E. It has an average elevation of 1,165 metres (4,436 feet).most of the terrain is hilly.
RIVERS- there are many small and big rivers in Uttarkashi district. Yamuna and Ganges(Bhagirathi) are biggest and holiest among them, their origin is Yamunotri and Gangotri(Gomukh) respectively.
Asi ganga , jad ganga are some of the tributeries of Ganges
Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Uttarkashi had a population of 16,220. Males constitute 57% of the population and females 43%. Uttarkashi has an average literacy rate of 78%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 83%, and female literacy is 71%. In Uttarkashi, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. Most citizens of Uttarkashi are Garhwali
Garhwali
The Garhwali language is a Central Pahari language belonging to the Northern Zone of Indo-Aryan languages. It is primarily spoken by the Garhwali people who are from the north-western Garhwal Division of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand in the Indian Himalayas.The Central Pahari...
, with large numbers of Punjabi
Punjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
, Kumaoni
Kumaoni
For the people of Kumaon see Kumauni PeopleThe Kumaoni are a people of the Kumaon Division of Uttarakhand, a region in the Indian Himalayas...
and people from other parts of Northern India. It also has a significant population of the Bhotiya
Bhotiya
The Bhotiya are groups of ethno-linguistically Tibetan people living in the trans-Himalayan region that divides India from the People's Republic of China, and were originally a hill tribe. Their name, Bhotiya, derives from the word Bod , which is the Classical Tibetan name for Tibet...
Jadh people.
Places of interest
- Nehru Institute of MountaineeringNehru Institute of MountaineeringThe Nehru Institute of Mountaineering is rated as one of the best mountaineering institutes in India and also considered a prestigious mountaineering institute in Asia.-History:...
(NIM): NIM is one of the few mountaineering institutes in India. It conducts various mountaineering and climbing training courses and besides organising climbing expeditions. Bachendri PalBachendri Pal-Early life:Bachendri Pal was born into a family of very moderate means, in 1954, in a village named Nakuri in kashi District of Garhwal Hari k govind hill at NIM, she climbed Gangotri I and Rudugaria...
, India's first woman to climb Mount EverestMount EverestMount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
, is an alumnus of NIM. - Kandar Devta Mandir
- Vishwanath Temple
- Ganga Kinare (Bank of river Ganga)
- Ujeli (constellation of sages): Ujeli is a neighborhood on the north of the town, where many ashrams are located.
- Tiloth Power Plant: Located in Tiloth village at the fringe of Uttarkashi town; Stage 1 of Maneri Bhali hydroelectric project
- Maneri DamManeri DamThe Maneri Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Bhagirathi River located at Maneri, east of Uttarkashi in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, India...
: Located at Maneri (15km from Uttarkashi town); Stage 1 of Maneri Bhali hydroelectric project - Bhali Dam: Located in Joshiyara village at the lower fringe of the town. Stage 2 of Maneri Bhali hydroelectric project
- Nachiketa Tal
- Kuteti Devi temple: Located on a small hill across Bhagirathi RiverBhagirathi RiverThe Bhāgīrathī is a turbulent Himalayan river in the state of Uttarakhand, India, that is the source stream of the Ganges—the major river of the Gangetic plain of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism.-Etymology:...
- Gyansoo and Palla Gyansoo: Old suburbs of Uttarkashi town, located en route to New Tehri
- Joshiyara: A village across Bhagirathi RiverBhagirathi RiverThe Bhāgīrathī is a turbulent Himalayan river in the state of Uttarakhand, India, that is the source stream of the Ganges—the major river of the Gangetic plain of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism.-Etymology:...
. Now becoming a neighborhood. It has a famous temple, Kaleshwar Mandir, dedicated to Lord ShivaShivaShiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
. - Matli: A battalion of Indo-Tibetan Border PoliceIndo-Tibetan Border PoliceThe Indo-Tibetan Border Police is an Indian force conceived on October 24, 1962 for security along the India's border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, border covering 2115 kilometres...
is located here - Mahidanda: Another battalion of Indo-Tibetan Border PoliceIndo-Tibetan Border PoliceThe Indo-Tibetan Border Police is an Indian force conceived on October 24, 1962 for security along the India's border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, border covering 2115 kilometres...
is located here
Adventure sports white water river rafting, Uttarkashi is known for its excellent trekking tracks and mountaineering.