UTTARKASHI IS a town in the state of Uttarakhand, located on the banks of the river Bhagirathi (one of the source of the Ganges) at an altitude of 1352 metres above sea level.
Uttarkashi is a small town but it hums with local life and culture. Uttarkashi is cold during winters and pleasant during summers. The main languages spoken there are Garhwali, Hindi and English.
On October 20, 1991, an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale hit this region killing thousands of people and caused extensive damage to property. This occurred within the main thrust system of the Himalayas.
The people did not lose hope and rebuilt the town again leaving behind their sorrows. Uttarkashi is slowly becoming a tourist destination. People in the town are warm and welcome their tourists whole-heartedly with a lot of enthusiasm.
Life in Uttarkashi is quite simple. There are small houses on the top of small hills and cliffs. The stairs, which lead to the houses are usually the metamorphic rocks which are placed one on top of the other.
There are various places to see in Uttarkashi. It is a home to a number of ashrams and temples and also the most interesting place in the town, the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM). Kandar Devta mandir, Vishwanath mandir and Ganga Kinare are some of the famous places of visit.
There are temples which are situated on the banks of the river Ganges. One can go and enjoy the flow of the river. Stay anywhere in Uttarkashi you can hear the sound made by the flowing river.
Uttarkashi has a rich array of flora and fauna. Since, it is a mountainous region, Uttarkashi has its own share of Touch-me-Not plants. There are several kinds of ferns too.
To reach Uttarkashi one needs to take either a shared taxi or a personal car from Rishikesh, it is a 6 hours journey. Indeed, a wonderful one.
Uttarkashi leaves a sense of being closer to the Mother nature. It is a peaceful, evergreen and a fresh town.
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