Districts of Uttarakhand — All 13 Districts

The Garhwal Division is the western and northern division of Uttarakhand. It contains 7 districts:

1. Dehradun

   • State capital of Uttarakhand.
   • Home to major institutions: Indian Military Academy (IMA), Forest Research Institute (FRI), Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, ONGC headquarters.
   • Largest city: Dehradun city.

2. Haridwar

   • Located on the banks of the Ganga River.
   • One of the holiest cities in Hinduism; one of the four sites of the Kumbh Mela.
   • Har Ki Pauri is the famous ghat here.

3. Pauri Garhwal

   • Administrative headquarters: Pauri.
   • Scenic hill district in the Garhwal Himalayas.

4. Tehri Garhwal

   • Administrative headquarters: New Tehri (old Tehri was submerged by Tehri Dam reservoir).
   • Home to the Tehri Dam — the tallest dam in India (260.5 m) on the Bhagirathi River.

5. Uttarkashi

   • Administrative headquarters: Uttarkashi town.
   • Gangotri (origin of the Ganga) and Yamunotri (origin of the Yamuna) are in this district.
   • Gateway to major Himalayan treks and expeditions.

6. Chamoli

   • Administrative headquarters: Gopeshwar.
   • Contains Badrinath — one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites.
   • Nanda Devi National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site) is here.

7. Rudraprayag

   • Named after the confluence (Prayag) of the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers.
   • Gateway to Kedarnath — a Jyotirlinga and part of Char Dham.

The Kumaon Division is the eastern division of Uttarakhand. It contains 6 districts:

1. Almora

   • Administrative headquarters: Almora town.
   • Cultural heartland of Kumaon; known for Kumaoni handicrafts and the Chitai Golu Devta Temple.

2. Bageshwar

   • Administrative headquarters: Bageshwar town.
   • Located at the confluence of the Saryu and Gomti rivers.
   • Known for the Baijnath Temple.

3. Champawat

   • Administrative headquarters: Champawat town.
   • Historically the first capital of the Chand dynasty.
   • Known for the Purnagiri Temple.

4. Nainital

   • Administrative headquarters: Nainital town.
   • Famous for Naini Lake; a popular tourist hill station.
   • High Court of Uttarakhand is located in Nainital.

5. Pithoragarh

   • Administrative headquarters: Pithoragarh town.
   • Bordered by Nepal and Tibet (China); gateway to Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
   • Known as 'Little Kashmir' for its scenic beauty.

6. Udham Singh Nagar

   • Administrative headquarters: Rudrapur.
   • Most industrialised district in Uttarakhand; part of the Terai plain.
   • Named after the revolutionary martyr Udham Singh.

Key facts about Uttarakhand: • Formation: 9 November 2000 (carved out of Uttar Pradesh as the 27th state of India). • Capital: Dehradun (also the largest city). • High Court: Nainital. • Total area: 53,483 sq km. • Bordered by: Himachal Pradesh (northwest), Tibet/China (north), Nepal (east), Uttar Pradesh (south). • Nicknames: 'Land of the Gods' (Devbhoomi), 'Uttaranchal' (former name). • Major rivers: Ganga, Yamuna, Bhagirathi, Alaknanda, Saryu. • Famous sites: Char Dham (Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri), Valley of Flowers, Corbett National Park. • Jim Corbett National Park (Nainital district) is India's oldest national park (established 1936). • Uttarakhand is known as Devbhoomi (Land of Gods) because it has a very high density of Hindu temples and pilgrimage sites.

Uttarakhand is home to the Char Dham — four of Hinduism's most sacred pilgrimage sites:

1. Badrinath (Chamoli district):

   • Dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
   • Located on the banks of the Alaknanda River at 3,133 m.

2. Kedarnath (Rudraprayag district):

   • One of the 12 Jyotirlingas (sacred Shiva shrines).
   • Located at 3,583 m near the Mandakini River.
   • Severely damaged by the 2013 Kedarnath floods/cloudburst.

3. Gangotri (Uttarkashi district):

   • Temple dedicated to Goddess Ganga.
   • Gangotri Glacier, source of the Ganga (Bhagirathi River), is about 19 km away.

4. Yamunotri (Uttarkashi district):

   • Temple dedicated to Goddess Yamuna.
   • Yamunotri Glacier is the source of the Yamuna River.

The Char Dham Mahamarg (National Highway) project aims to connect all four Dham sites with all-weather roads.