UTTARAKHAND

KNOW YOUR STATE

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Basic Facts about Uttarakhand

● Status of State: 9 November 2000

● Capital: Dehradun

● Number of District : 13

● Chief Minister: Trivendra Singh Rawat

● Governor: Baby Rani Maurya

● High court: Nainital

● Chief Justice: Ramesh Ranganathan

● Members of the Legislative Assembly: 71

● Lok Sabha Seats : 5

● Rajya Sabha Seats : 3

Boundaries

● It borders Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north; the

Sudurpashchim Pradesh of Nepal to the east; the Indian states of Uttar

Pradesh to the south and Himachal Pradesh to the west and north-west.

● The state is divided into two divisions, Garhwal and Kumaon

Image Source: Maps of India

State Symbols

● State Animal: Alpine Musk Deer

● State Bird: Himalayan Monal

● State Flower: Brahma Kamal

● State Tree: Burans

National Parks

There are 6 national parks in Uttarakhand

● Jim Corbett National Park

● Gangotri National Park

● Govind National Park

● Nanda Devi National Park

● Rajaji National Park

● Valley of Flowers National Park

History of Uttarakhand

● Uttarakhand was formed by the Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000 with

the bifurcation of erstwhile Uttar Pradesh on 9 November 2000. Uttarakhand

became the 27th state of the Republic of India.

● Nityanand Swami was the first chief minister of the Indian state of

Uttarakhand, named Uttaranchal during his administration serving from 9

November 2000 to 29 October 2001.

Geography

● Uttarakhand has a total area of 53,483 km2 (20,650 sq mi), of which 86% is

mountainous and 65% is covered by forest.

● Two of the most important rivers in Hinduism originate in the glaciers of

Uttarakhand, the Ganges at Gangotri and the Yamuna at Yamunotri.

Following the 2017 Legislative Assembly election, on 18 March 2017 Trivendra

Singh Rawat sworn as the 8th Chief Minister of Uttarakhand for the 4th

Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly (2017–22).

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Major Dams and Reservoirs

● Tehri Dam : Tehri Dam is the highest dam in India and one of the highest in

the world. It is a multi-purpose rock and earth-fill embankment dam on the

Bhagirathi River near Tehri in Uttarakhand, India.

● Ichari Dam : The Ichari Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Tons River 13

km (8 mi) north of Dakpathar in Uttarakhand, India.

● Dhauliganga Dam: The Dhauliganga Dam is a concrete face rock and earth-

fill embankment dam on the Dhauliganga River near Dharchula.

● Ramganga Dam: The Ramganga Dam, also known as the Kalagarh Dam, is

an embankment dam on the Ramganga River upstream of Kalagarh in Pauri

Garhwal district, Uttarakhand, India. It is located within the Jim Corbett

National Park.

General Facts

● Uttarakhand is often referred to as the "Devabhumi" (literally "Land of the

Gods") due to numerous Hindu temples and pilgrimage centres found

throughout the state.

● According to the 2011 Census of India, Uttarakhand has a population of

10,086,292, making it the 20th most populous state in India.

● The state hosts the Bengal tiger in Jim Corbett National Park, the oldest

national park of the Indian subcontinent.

● Kumaon Division: Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh,

Udham Singh Nagar

● Garhwal Division: Chamoli, Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal (commonly

known as Pauri), Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal (commonly known as Tehri),

Uttarkashi

● The following Indian Forest Act of 1878 put Indian forestry on a solid scientific

basis. A direct consequence was the founding of the Imperial Forest School

at Dehradun by Dietrich Brandis in 1878. Renamed the 'Imperial Forest

Research Institute' in 1906, it is now known as the Forest Research

Institute.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks : 1939 and 1982

GI Tags of Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand Tejpat

Festivals & Fairs of Uttarakhand

Kumbh Mela: Haridwar Bhaitauli/ Harela

Festivals of Uttarakhand

Hilljatra: The Hilljatra, which is

being celebrated in some parts of

Pithoragarh district.

Bissu Mela: The Bissu Mela is

celebrated by the Jaunsari tribe of

Chakrata Tehsil to pay gratitude

for a good harvest season.

Chipko movement

● The Chipko movement was a forest conservation movement in India.

● It began in 1970s in Uttarakhand, then a part of Uttar Pradesh(at the foothills of Himalayas)

and went on to become a rallying point for many future environmental movements all over the

world.

● Gaura Devi was the main activist who started this movement other participants were Chandi

Prasad Bhatt, Sunderlal Bahuguna, and Ghanshyam Raturi, the popular Chipko poet.

Chota Char Dham

● The Chota Char Dham is an important Hindu pilgrimage circuit.

● Located in the Garhwal region of the state of Uttarakhand (formerly the

northwestern section of Uttar Pradesh), the circuit consists of four sites—

Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath.

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