# Uttarkashi

Uttarkashi, meaning Kashi of the north, is a town located in Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand, India. Uttarkashi town is headquarters of the district. Uttarkashi is also known as Saumya Kashi. Uttarkashi is a Hindu religious place for spiritual and adventurous tourism. Uttarkashi town is also called as Shivnagri. The town has number of temples and ashrams. Uttarkashi is known for its religious people, weather, education.
It is the district headquarters of Uttarkashi district. Uttarkashi is situated on the banks of river Bhagirathi at an altitude of 1158 m above sea level. Uttarkashi is generally known as a holy town close to Rishikesh. It is located in the state of Uttarakhand in India. Uttarkashi is home to a number of ashrams 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 the Ganges, lies next to a hill named Varunavat, on confluence of two rivers Varuna and Asi, has a ghat called Manikarnika Ghat and has a temple dedicated to Shiva similar to (Kashi Vishwanath Temple) in Varanasi, in the center of the town.

## Geography

Uttarkashi is located at 30°44′N 78°27′E﻿ / ﻿30.73°N 78.45°E﻿ / 30.73; 78.45. It has an average elevation of 1,165 metres (3,822 ft). Most of the terrain is hilly. There are many small and big rivers in Uttarkashi district. The Yamuna and the Ganges (Bhagirathi) are biggest and holiest (for Hindus) among them. The Yamuna originates from Yamunotri while Bhagirathi originates from Gangotri (Gomukh). Asi ganga and Jad ganga are some of the tributaries of the Ganges.

## Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Uttarkashi city had a population of 40,220. 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.
People of Uttarkashi speak Hindi, Garhwali and Mahasu Pahari.
After Varunawat Landslide in 2003, the rate of increase in population of the town was affected due to the migration of people to other towns and cities. As the time passed, the town boomed with the development and population growth. But the town was again severely affected by the disastrous floods in 2012 and 2013. This made most of the people to shift to the safer places like Dehradun, Haridwar and Rishikesh.

## Tourism
### Yoga

Since ancient times, Uttarkashi has been a meditational ground for many sages for Hindus. This has been mentioned in Skanda Purana that many sages have found solace here. Due to its serene and "perfect" location along the holy Ganges, Uttarkashi has always been the first choice for Yoga. Netala, a small scenic location around 7 km towards the source of Hinduism's holy river Ganga (i.e., Gangotri Dham) is an emerging spot for Yoga Classes.
List of Yoga Schools
* Yoga Bhawna Mission (Yoga Teacher Training School, affiliated with Yoga Alliance USA) is situated at New Gangotri Bypass road, chungi Badethi.

## Tapovan Kutir and Swami Tapovan Maharaj

Tapovan Kutir, located in Ujeli village of Uttarkashi district, has been a significant center for spiritual seekers for centuries. It is surrounded by notable temples, such as the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and the Laksheshwar Mahadev Temple. The ashram is situated near the Bhagirathi River, providing a serene and meditative atmosphere.
This ashram was the meditation abode of the revered Himalayan saint, Swami Tapovan Maharaj (1889–1957). He was a self-realized master who traversed the Himalayas in search of Truth, as described in his book Wanderings in the Himalayas. His spiritual teachings focused on Vedanta, self-discipline, and austerity. He practiced extreme tapasya (austerities) for years, never resting by leaning on his back for 26 years.
Swami Tapovan Maharaj was also a close associate of Swami Sivananda, the founder of the Divine Life Society. His most renowned disciple was Swami Chinmayananda, the founder of Chinmaya Mission, who studied under him at Tapovan Kutir.
Today, Tapovan Kutir remains an important pilgrimage site for spiritual seekers and followers of Vedantic philosophy.
References:
* The Hawk – Uttarkashi: Tapasthali of Himalayan Saint Swami Tapovan Maharaj

## Lakes of Uttarkashi

* Sat (7) Taal or Sattal : Near in Harsil Uttarkashi
* (I) Chatgiya Taal
* (II) Dabriya Taal
* (III) Mradunga Taal
* (IV) Shri Kantha Taal
* (V) Rikh Taal
* (VI) Gupta Taal
* (VII) Brahmin/Brahman Taal
* Dodi Taal/Ganesh Taal
* Nachiketa Taal
* Kana Taal
* Fachkundi Bayan Taal
* Kedar Taal/Achrao Taal
* Bhransar Taal
* Ruinsara/Rohisada Taal
* Khida Taal
* Lama Taal
* Kyorkot Taal
* Jalandh Taal
* Dev Taal
* Baradsar Taal
* Kansara
* Marinda Taal
* Saru/Bamsaru Taal
* Bamala Taal
* Barmi Taal
* Mangalchu Taal
* Rokai Taal

### Trekking

Uttarkashi is also known as a trekking hub as it is gateway to unexplored trekking destinations. Some of the area's summer and winter trekking destinations are Dodital, Dayara Bugyal, Kedarkantha, Har Ki Dun for camping and Himalayan panoramic views.
* Dodital: One of the popular fresh water lake in Uttarkashi. 21 km trek to Dodital starts from Sangamchatti also known as the birthplace of Hindu god Ganesha.
* Dayara Bugyal: Situated at 3,650 metres (11,980 ft) height, this meadow is known for its grazing pastures and aromatic wildflowers. Gujjar, the tribal population reside here for 6 month with their livestock. The place is suitable for trekking, hiking and camping in the Himalaya, during winters this meadow also attract skiers. Dayara was also cited as Track of The Year 2015 by State Govt of Uttarakhand. In June 2011, Department of science & Technology, DST with the Science communicator fellow Mr. Sanjay Kumar, P.G. College Uttarkashi have organized Hareet Pathshala (Green Classes) for the gujjar population reside with their families. Dayara is also famous for annual Butter Festival (Anduri Festival) organized by Angha Mountain organization and Hotel Association of Uttarkashi in month of August.
* Kedarkantha: It's a beautiful mountain peak in the western Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand. It stands at 12,500 feet (3,810 meters) above sea level and is part of the Govind Pashu Vihar National Park in Uttarkashi district. It should not be confused with Kedarnath Temple, a famous pilgrimage in Chamoli district, as Kedarkantha is just a mountain peak and is mainly known for trekking. Climbing to the peak falls under the moderate-level trek category and is accessible year-round, though it is temporarily closed during the monsoon. The trek route takes about 2-3 days to reach the Kedarkantha peak from Sankri base camp, covering a distance of approximately 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) for the entire route.
* Har Ki Dun

### Hill Stations

* Harsil
* Chaurangi Khal
* Sankri
* Nelong Valley : Nelong valley is an inner line area (India – China border)

## Places of interest

* Established in the year 1965, Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) is one of the premier mountaineering institutes in India. It conducts courses in Basic Mountaineering (BMC), Advance Mountaineering (AMC), Method of Instruction (MOI) and Mountain Search & Rescue (S&R) besides organizing climbing expeditions. Bachendri Pal, India's first woman to climb Mount Everest, is an alumnus of NIM.
* Nanda Devi Adventure and Outdoor Education Institute (NDI) is the first private mountaineering institute certified by the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering to conduct courses in Basic Mountaineering, Rock Climbing and Search & Rescue and by the Disaster Mitigation and Management Center (DMMC) of the Govt of Uttarakhand. NDI is located at village Kuflon, 11 kilometers upstream of Uttarkashi on the Sangamchatti road. NDI has another campus at village Lata on the periphery of Nanda Devi in the border district of Chamoli, where it is involved in the development and promotion of outdoor environmental education centric interpretative nature trail to Nanda Devi National Park
* Jamshedpur based Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) runs its Himalayan outbound training programs from its Uttarkashi base camp located at Kuflon in the Assiganga Valley in Uttarkashi. TASF is an outbound leadership institute which through its wide range of activities aims at developing able leaders for the future through identification of their limits of mental and physical endurance. It allows people from all walks of life and all ages to choose their own metaphor for self-discovery. TASF is an experiential training institute among the corporate
* Kashi Vishwanath Temple
* Kandar Devta Mandir
* Ganga Kinare (bank of the Ganges)
* 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 Dam: Located at Maneri (15 km 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
* Kuteti Devi temple: Located on a small hill across Bhagirathi River
* Gyansu and Palla Gyansu: Old suburbs of Uttarkashi town, located en route to New Tehri
* Joshiyara: A village across Bhagirathi River. Now becoming a neighborhood. It has a temple, Kaleshwar Mandir, dedicated to Lord Shiva.
* Matli: A battalion of Indo-Tibetan Border Police is located here
* Mahidanda: Another battalion of Indo-Tibetan Border Police is located here

## Uttarkashi Tunnel Rescue

On November 12, 2023, 41 construction workers at Uttarkashi Tunnel in Uttarakhand got trapped in the tunnel due to a major tunnel collapse. The rescue started the very day. For the first two days, rescuers tried to remove the debris using excavators and prevent more debris from falling using the ‘shotcrete method’. Next, rescuers resorted to the “trenchless” technique, and an auger machine was called from Dehradun to drill through the debris and insert 900 mm wide mild steel pipes through which the workers would crawl out. For next few days, the rescuers tried various drill machines and methods to get the construction workers out.
Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, a member of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), stated the rescue to be successful by November 24, 2023 evening. On 28th all workers were rescued.

## Education

This town has many schools for boys and girls and one Post Graduate college affiliated to Garhwal University. The Government Polytechnic Uttarkashi, situated in Joshiyara around 3–4 km away from main city, provides higher education in technology.
Below is a list of schools in Uttarkashi:
* Him Christian Academy (H.C.A) is a convent school affiliated to the I.C.S.E Board situated at Matli.
* Masseeh Dilasa School (M.D.S) is a convent school affiliated to the I.C.S.E Board situated at Tiloth.
* Kendriya Vidhyalaya (K.V) Uttarkashi is a higher senior secondary school affiliated to the C.B.S.E situated at Manera.
* Maharashi Vidhya Mandir (M.V.M) is a higher senior secondary school affiliated to the C.B.S.E situated at Gyansu.
* Rishiram Shikshan Sansthan (R.R.S.S) is a higher senior secondary school affiliated to the C.B.S.E situated at Manera.
* Bhagirathi Children Academy (B.C.A) affiliated to the C.B.S.E is situated at Court Road.
* Alpine Public school (A.P.S) affiliated to the CBSE Board is situated at Barahat.
* A.S.S.S is affiliated to the C.B.S.E Board situated at N.I.M Road.
* Gopal Vidya Mandir (G.V.M) is affiliated to the C.B.S.E Board situated at N.I.M Road.
* Goswami Ganesh Dutt Saraswati Vidhya Mandir Intermediate College (G.G.D.S.V.M.I.C) is affiliated to the Uttarakhand Board situated at Court Road and is known for giving toppers in Uttarakhand Board merit list.
* Adhya Shankaracharya Shikshan Sansthan Intermediate College (A.S.S.S.D.D.L.T.I.C) is affiliated to the Uttarakhand Board situated at N.I.M Road and is known for giving toppers in Uttarakhand Board merit list.
* A.S.S.S is affiliated to the Uttarakhand Board situated at N.I.M Road Joshiyara.
* B.N.K.B.A.S.S.S.I.C is affiliated to the Uttarakhand Board situated at KotBungalow.
* Gandhi School is affiliated to the Uttarakhand Board situated at Court Road
* Government Girls Inter College (G.G.I.C) is affiliated to the Uttarakhand Board situated at Court Road.
* Government kirti Inter College (G.I.C) for Boys is affiliated to the Uttarakhand Board situated at Court Road.
* Rajiv Mahasay Saraswati Shishu Mandir (R.M.S.S.M) affiliated to Uttarakhand Board situated at Tiloth.
* Saraswati Vidhya Mandir Intermediate College (S.V.M.I.C) is affiliated to the Uttarakhand Board situated at Jyothipuram Tiloth.
* Saraswati Vidhya Mandir Intermediate College (S.V.M.I.C) is affiliated to the Uttarakhand Board situated at Laksheshwar.
* Saraswati Shishu Mandir (S.S.M) is situated at Tiloth.
* Saraswati Shishu Mandir (S.S.M) situated at Joshiyara.
* Saraswati Shishu Mandir (S.S.M) situated at Gyansu.
* Azim Premji School at Matli. The school is affiliated to Uttarakhand State Board and committed to provide quality education for the students of all sections of community.