 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Garhwal (Uttarakhand, India) | |
| Languages | |
| Garhwali | |
| Religion | |
 Hinduism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Kumaoni people, Khas people |
The Garhwali people are an Indian ethnolinguistic group native to the Garhwal, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, who speak Garhwali, an Indo-Aryan language. [1]
In modern usage, "Garhwali" is used to refer to anyone whose linguistic, cultural, and ancestral or genetic origins is from the Garhwal Himalayas. Their ethnonym is derived from the word 'Garhwal' or 'Gadwal'.
The earliest reference to this region is in the Skanda Purana which called it Kedar Khand and Himvat. It describes the area that contained Gangadwar (Haridwar and Kankhala), Badrinath, Gandhamardan, and Kailash. [2]
The Kingdom of Garhwal was founded by Parmars. The area comprises 52 principalities called garhs (fortresses). These were small and had their own chiefs who were responsible for the welfare of the garhs. The Parmar dynasty ruled the Kingdom until 1803 before the "Gurkhas" invaded Kumaon and Garhwal, driving the Garhwal chief into the plains. For 12 years the Gurkhas ruled the country with an iron rod, until a series of encroachments by them on British territory led to the Anglo–Nepalese War in 1814. [3]
At the termination of the campaign, Garhwal and Kumaon were converted into British districts, while the Tehri principality was restored to a son of the former chief (that is King Pradymun), King Sudarshan Shah. A part of this kingdom was taken by the British, and later, it became known as the British Garhwal which spread over the area of 5,629 mi2 (14,580 km2). After the British rule, Garhwal made rapid development. Two battalions of the Indian army (the 39th Garhwal Rifles) were deployed in the area, stationed at the military cantonment of Lansdowne. Grain was one of the major corps of this area. Apart from this, cloth, while salt, borax, livestock, and wool were imported from Tibet. The administrative headquarters of the area were established at Pauri. Srinagar (Garhwal) was the largest city and served as an important trade center along with the town of Kotdwara which is situated at Oudh and Rohilkhand railway tracks. Later, it became a part of the Punjab Hill States Agency of British India. Most of the Uttarkashi district acceded to the Union of India in 1949.
Garhwali are known for their courage because they were preferred by the British as an army. Garhwali Kingdom was one of the few kingdoms that never came under the Muslim rule influence.
The history of Garhwal is older than that of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Worshipping Lord Shiva is attributing reverent honour and homage to him. According to the great Mahabharata, Garhwal is believed to be the land where the Vedas and the Shastras were made. [4]
The Garhwali language (गढ़वळि भाख/भासा) is primarily spoken by the Garhwali people of the north-western Garhwal Division from the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand in the Indian Himalayas. The Garhwali language is classified as a Central Pahari language belonging to the Northern Zone of Indo-Aryan languages. Garhwali is one of the 325 recognised languages of India [5] which is spoken by over 2,267,314 people [6] such as Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Dehradun, Haridwar and Rudraprayag districts of Uttarakhand. [7]
The language has many regional dialects including: [8] Srinagari, Tehri (Gangapariya), Badhani, Dessaulya, Lohbya, Majh-Kumaiya, Bhattiani, Nagpuriya, Rathi, Salani (Pauri), Ravai, Parvati, Jaunpuri, Gangadi (Uttarkashi), Chandpuri. Srinagari dialect is the literary standard, while Pauri is generally regarded as the prominent one.
However, for a number of reasons, Garhwali is a rapidly shrinking language. The UNESCO Atlas of the World's Endangered Languages book authored by "Theo Baumann" has described Garhwali language one of the moribund languages that needs to be protected. [9]
Chandrabadni Devi Temple is located in Tehri Garhwal. The temple can be reached either from 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) long rout Kandikhal to Srinagar-Tehri or 9 kilometres (5.6 mi)) long Jamnikhal en route Dev Prayag-Tehri via a link road of Jurana. It can also be reached via (1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi)) long bridle path.
The temple administration body organises several annual events including cultural and religious seminars. [10]
| Rudraprayag | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Umra Narayan | Koteshwar Mahadev |
 |  |
| Dhari Devi | Kalimath |
Umra Narayan is situated between the mystic and peaceful hills of Rudraprayag where "Devine" temple of Lord Umra Narayan (Isth Dev of gram sann) is located. According to mythology, this temple was built during the time of Adi Shankracharya, and is believed that it was constructed by Adi Shankracharya when he was on his way to Lord Badrinath's temple. The temple has been now renovated and is 5–7 kilometres (3.1–4.3 mi) away from the central city of Rudraprayag.
It is also believed that most of the "Isth Devas" in the Garhwal region are the incarnation of "Lord Vishnu" (Narsingh Dev Ji), and sometimes even the incarnation of "Vishnu" itself.
Koteshwar Mahadev is located about three kilometres inside the 'heart' of Rudraprayag, Koteshwar Mahadev temple. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This place is presumed to be the same spot where Lord Shiva was stopped for meditation where he was on his way to Kedarnath. According to local mythology, this temple has its presence since the time of Bhasmasur (the Deadly Asur/demon), who received a boon from "Shiva" that turned a head into Bhasma or ashes whenever he touched with boon to anyone's head. Lord Shiva accompanied by another one reached to a cave which was the home of Lord Shiva, and finally lord "Vishnu" helped him by killing the demon. The temple is filled with fantastic energy/aura, and one can feel it. Few drops of water are continually running through the hill.
Dhari Devi temple of "Dhari Devi" is situated on the banks of the river Alaknanda. One has to travel 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Srinagar (Pauri Garhwal) on Srinagar-Badrinath highway to Kaliya Saur, and then turn down where one has to travel half of a kilometre towards Alaknanda river. The upper part of Goddess "Kali" is worshipped here. According to the local people, the face of the idol changes as a girl, a woman, and an old lady according to the passage of time. This idol is located in an open area. Many times, villagers and some philanthropists tried to build a roof for Goddess, but their efforts returned empty handed as the roof gets dismantle every time. As per "Srimad Devi Bhagwat", there are 108 Shakti Peeth as in India, and this is one of them.
Kalimath , also known as "Kaviltha", is a village which is regarded as a divine place and Shakti Peeth. It lies at an altitude of around 6,000 feet (1,800 m) (1,800 m) on the river Saraswati in the Himalayas, surrounded by the peaks of Kedarnath in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. Kalimath is situated close to Ukhimath and Guptakashi. It is one of the "Siddha Peeths" of the region and is regarded a respectful place with religious importance. The temple of the goddess Kali is located in this village and is visited by many devotees throughout the year, especially during the "Navratras". There are 108 Shakti Peethas in India, and this is one of them as described in the "Srimad Devi Bhagwat". The upper part of goddess Kali is worshipped in "Dhari Devi". Goddess Kali killed the demon "Raktavija" here in this area. After killing the demon, they went under the earth.
 | This section needs additional citations for verification .(May 2019) |
Garhwal is one of the two administrative divisions of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Lying in the Himalayas, it is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Kumaon, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the northwest by Himachal Pradesh state. It includes the districts of Chamoli, Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal, and Uttarkashi. The people of Garhwal are known as Garhwali and speak the Garhwali language. The administrative center for Garhwal division is the town of Pauri. The Divisional Commissioner is the administrative head of the Division, and is a senior Indian Administrative Service officer. As the administrative head of the division, the Commissioner is overall incharge of the 7 districts in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, and is aided in his duties by an additional commissioner and the district magistrates. Sushil Kumar is the divisional commissioner of the Garhwal Division since December 2021.
New Tehri is a city and a municipal board in Tehri Garhwal District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of Tehri Garhwal District. This urban municipality area has 11 wards, from Vidhi Vihar to Vishwakarma Puram.
Uttarakhand, formerly known as Uttaranchal, is a state in northern India. The state is divided into two divisions, Garhwal and Kumaon, with a total of 13 districts. The winter capital and largest city of the state is Dehradun, which is also a railhead. On 5 March 2020, Bhararisain, a town in the Gairsain Tehsil of the Chamoli district, was declared as the summer capital of Uttarakhand. The High Court of the state is located in Nainital, but is to be moved to Haldwani in future.
Garhwali is an Indo-Aryan language of the Central Pahari subgroup. It is primarily spoken by over 2.5 million Garhwali people in the Garhwal region of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand in the Indian Himalayas.
Pauri Garhwal is a district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Its headquarters is in the town of Pauri. It is sometimes referred to simply as Garhwal district, though it should not be confused with the larger Garhwal region of which it is only a part of.
Narendra Singh Negi, also referred as 'Garh Ratan' and 'Bob Dylan of the hills' is one of the most prominent folk singers, composer and a poet of the Garhwal and Uttarakhand who prominently sings in Garhwali language. Reportedly, he has sung more than 1000 songs. His unparalleled work in the field of folk music of Uttarakhand is an inspiration for all the upcoming singers of Uttarakhand.
Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna was an Indian National Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh; he later joined Bharatiya Lok Dal and worked with Charan Singh.
Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University (HNBGU) (formerly known as Garhwal University) is a Central University, established in 1973, located in Srinagar in the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand in Northern India. The university is named after Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. The university is residential cum affiliating with jurisdiction over Garhwal region. It is on the banks of the river Alaknanda in the mid-Himalayas. University intake is through examination including Joint Entrance Examination – Main (JEE Main) for School of Engineering & Technology, CAT and MAT. The university is A Graded with CGPA of 3.11 by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
Vijay Bahuguna is an Indian politician who served as the 6th Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. He is the eldest son of Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, an independence activist and politician, and also a former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Vijay Bahuguna was a member of the 14th and 15th Lok Sabhas of India. He represented the Tehri Garhwal constituency of Uttarakhand and is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Dr. Harak Singh Rawat is a prominent political leader of the Uttarakhand state in India. He is a member of Indian National Congress after being expelled from the BJP in 2022. After joining Congress he negotiated an MLA ticket for his daughter in law, Anukriti Gusain, from Congress party and worked as a star campaigner in 2022 Uttarakhand General Elections. He became the youngest Minister of Uttar Pradesh State in the year 1991 and also won assembly election from Pauri. He has also won as an MLA from Rudraprayag, Lansdowne and Kotdwar and is one of the few leaders in the state with a wide appeal in a large area. He was the candidate of Indian National Congress from Garhwal in 2014 Indian general election. He was expelled from BJP and the Cabinet led by Pushkar Singh Dhami stating that he has indulged in anti-party activities and he is demanding ticket for his daughter in law (Anukriti) as well for the Uttarakhand Assembly Elections 2022. He later joined Congress in the presence of former Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat.
Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah is a political and social worker, Member of Parliament elected from the Tehri Garhwal constituency in the Indian state of Uttarakhand being a Bhartiya Janata Party Leader and titular queen of erstwhile Tehri Garhwal kingdom which merged to India.
Jeet Singh Negi was a music composer, singer, lyricist, writer and director from the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, India. He is considered to be the father of modern Garhwali folk music.
Negi is a caste of Pahadi Rajput origin found in the Indian states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu.
The 2004 Indian general election in Uttarakhand, occurred for 5 seats in the state. 3 seats were won by the Bharatiya Janata Party, 1 seat by Indian National Congress and 1 seat by Samajwadi Party.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Uttarakhand:
Tirath Singh Rawat is an Indian politician, a sitting Member of Parliament and former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. He was elected to the 17th Lok Sabha from the Garhwal constituency in the 2019 Indian general election as member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was the party chief of Bharatiya Janata Party Uttarakhand from 9 February 2013 to 31 December 2015 and former member of Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly from Chaubattakhal constituency from 2012 to 2017. He was also the first Education Minister of Uttarakhand.
Dhan Singh Negi is an Indian politician who was a member of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly from 2017 to 2022 representing the Tehri constituency in Tehri Garhwal district. Previously affiliated to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he switched to the Indian National Congress party (INC) in early 2022. In the 2017 state assembly elections, he defeated Dinesh Dhanai, then Cabinet Minister by a large margin.
Trepan Singh Negi was an Indian politician. He was a member of the 6th and 7th Lok Sabha. He represented the Tehri Garhwal Lok Sabha Constituency and was a member of the Congress political party. He was elected to the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Uttar Pradesh Assembly from Tehri Assembly Constituency.
