Uttarkashi

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Uttarkashi
Kashi of North, Shivnagri, Somyakashi or Barahat
Town
Uttarkashi city WTK20150914-DSC 0003.jpg
Uttarkashi Town
Nickname: 
Uki
India Uttarakhand location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Uttarkashi
Location in Uttarakhand, India
India location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Uttarkashi
Uttarkashi (India)
Coordinates: 30°44′N78°27′E / 30.73°N 78.45°E / 30.73; 78.45
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
State Uttarakhand
District Uttarkashi
Government
 • TypeMunicipality
 • BodyNagar Palika Barahat
Elevation
1,158 m (3,799 ft)
Population
 (2019

population_total = 329,686

area_magnitude= km2)
 • Total40,220
Languages
 • Native S Garhwali, Parvati
 • Official Hindi, Sanskrit
Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
249193
Telephone code01374
Vehicle registration UK10
Website uttarkashi.nic.in

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 Somya 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.

Contents

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′N78°27′E / 30.73°N 78.45°E / 30.73; 78.45 . [1] 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.

Morning at Uttarkashi Town Morning at Uttarkashi Town.JPG
Morning at Uttarkashi Town

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, [2] 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

  1. Yoga Bhawna Mission (Yoga Teacher Training School, affiliated with Yoga Alliance USA) is situated at New Gangotri Bypass road, chungi Badethi.

Lakes of Uttarkashi

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.

Hill Stations

Places of interest

Yamunotri temple, one of holiest shrines of Hinduism lies in the district, as does its source Yamunotri temple and ashram.jpg
Yamunotri temple, one of holiest shrines of Hinduism lies in the district, as does its source

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. [7]

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. [8] On 28th all workers were rescued. [9]

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:

  1. Him Christian Academy (H.C.A) is a convent school affiliated to the I.C.S.E Board situated at Matli.
  3. Masseeh Dilasa School (M.D.S) is a convent school affiliated to the I.C.S.E Board situated at Tiloth.
  5. Kendriya Vidhyalaya (K.V) Uttarkashi is a higher senior secondary school affiliated to the C.B.S.E situated at Manera.
  7. Maharashi Vidhya Mandir (M.V.M) is a higher senior secondary school affiliated to the C.B.S.E situated at Gyansu.
  9. Rishiram Shikshan Sansthan (R.R.S.S) is a higher senior secondary school affiliated to the C.B.S.E situated at Manera.
  11. Bhagirathi Children Academy (B.C.A) affiliated to the C.B.S.E is situated at Court Road.
  13. Alpine Public school (A.P.S) affiliated to the CBSE Board is situated at Barahat.
  15. A.S.S.S is affiliated to the C.B.S.E Board situated at N.I.M Road.
  17. Gopal Vidya Mandir (G.V.M) is affiliated to the C.B.S.E Board situated at N.I.M Road.
  19. 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.
  21. 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.
  23. A.S.S.S is affiliated to the Uttarakhand Board situated at N.I.M Road Joshiyara.
  25. B.N.K.B.A.S.S.S.I.C is affiliated to the Uttarakhand Board situated at KotBungalow.
  27. Gandhi School is affiliated to the Uttarakhand Board situated at Court Road
  29. Government Girls Inter College (G.G.I.C) is affiliated to the Uttarakhand Board situated at Court Road.
  31. Government kirti Inter College (G.I.C) for Boys is affiliated to the Uttarakhand Board situated at Court Road.
  33. Rajiv Mahasay Saraswati Shishu Mandir (R.M.S.S.M) affiliated to Uttarakhand Board situated at Tiloth.
  35. Saraswati Vidhya Mandir Intermediate College (S.V.M.I.C) is affiliated to the Uttarakhand Board situated at Jyothipuram Tiloth.
  37. Saraswati Vidhya Mandir Intermediate College (S.V.M.I.C) is affiliated to the Uttarakhand Board situated at Laksheshwar.
  39. Saraswati Shishu Mandir (S.S.M) is situated at Tiloth.
  41. Saraswati Shishu Mandir (S.S.M) situated at Joshiyara.
  43. Saraswati Shishu Mandir (S.S.M) situated at Gyansu.
  45. 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.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Maps, Weather, and Airports for Uttarkashi, India". www.fallingrain.com.
  2. ↑ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
  3. ↑ "DAYARA BUGYAL TREK | WhiteMagic". www.whitemagicadventure.com.
  4. ↑ "दयारा बुग्याल को मिला ट्रैक ऑफ द ईयर-2015". News18 India.
  5. ↑ "SAVE BIODIVERSITY, SAVE LIFE: Hareet pathshala at DAYARA BUGYAL". 14 August 2011.
  6. ↑ "मखमली घास में खेली मक्खन की होली, प्रकृति की पूजा की". Dainik Jagran.
  7. ↑ "Uttarkashi rescue: A look back at the 11 days since the collapse first took place". The Indian Express. 23 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  8. ↑ "Uttarkashi tunnel rescue LIVE: Rescue operation likely to be successful in few hours, says NDMA". cnbctv18.com. 22 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  9. ↑ "'Today is the real Diwali for us', say workers rescued from Uttarkashi tunnel". Hindustan Times. 28 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
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