District of Pauri Garhwal

The land of Pauri Garhwal is blessed with splendid view of snow-bound peaks of Himalayas, scenic valleys & surroundings, meandering rivers, dense forests and hospitable people with a rich culture.

Diverse in topography, the district of Pauri Garhwal varies from the foothills of the 'Bhabar' areas of Kotdwara to the soul-lifting meadows of Dhudatoli, sprawling at an altitude of 3000 m., which remains snow-bound during the winter months.

Filled with places of tourist interest, most locations in Pauri Garhwal offer a breathtaking view of the snow laden Himalayan Splendour.

Pauri District is well connected with road. The Tehri- Moradbad State highway connects the major destinations of Pauri district like Kotdwar, Lansdowne, Pauri and Srinagar etc.

Accessibility conditions are very nice with Railhead at each entry points like Kotdwar, Rishikesh, Hardwar & Ramnagar.

Regular buses, taxi's, car rentals ply from these places to all parts of the districts and adjoining areas. Scheduled Roadways, GMOUL, KMOUL and other private buses ply from here. Nearest Airport is Jollygrant (Dehradun), which is around 155 km from the district, headquarter.

A newly constructed bridge at Devprayag over the confluence of river Alaknanda and Bhagirathi had cut short the accessibility of Pauri via Rishikesh by 24 km.

Pauri - Town

Pauri is situated in the northern slopes of beautiful Kandoliya Hill Ranges of middle Himalayas, at the height of 1650 meters above the sea level. Pauri became headquarter of the district Garhwal in 1840 A.D., and headquarter of the Garhwal Division in 1969 A.D.

A panoramic view of snow clad Himalayan peaks of Bander Pooch, Gangotri Group, Kedarnth, Chawkhamba, Neelkanth, Hathiparvat, Nandadevi and Trisul etc. can be seen from any point of the city.

Pauri city is well connected by roads to all the major places within & outside the district. The nearest railway terminus is at Kotdwar at a road distance of 108 km., and the nearest airport is Jollygrant, a place near to Deharadun at a distance of 155 km. via Rishikesh - Srinagar.

Area of the city is about 5 sq. km. Total populations as per 1991 census is 20,397 with 11,560 male population and 8,837 female population. The literacy percentage of the city is 84.59. Topography of the city is mountainous.

The climate of the city is pleasant in summer, very cold in winter and heavy rainfall in monsoon.

The main temples of the city are Kandoliya Devta, Laxmi Narayan, Kyunkaleshwar Mahadev and Hanuman mandir. Every year, a 'Bhandara' is organized in the premises of the Temple of the Kandoliya Devta and thousands of people from Pauri and near by villages participate in it.

The city is blessed with a number of picnic spots surrounded by 'Deodar' forests and filled with natural beauty viz. Ransi, Kandoliya, Nag Dev, Jhandi Dhar etc. The excursions from the city can be made to Khirsu, Adwani, Dewalgarh, Dhari Devi, Jwalpa Devi etc. Every year 'Sharadotsav' is celebrated in the city since 1974, in which different culture programmes and games are organized.

List of the peaks that can be sighted from Pauri is given below

Name Altitude
Banderpoonchh 6316 mts Hathi Parvat 6727 mts.

Bhagirathi I, II, III 6856, 6512, 6454 mts. Jonli 6632 mts.

Bharte Kunta 6578 mts. Kedardome 6831 mts.

Bhrigupanth 6772 mts Kedarnath 6940 mts.

Changbang 6864 mts. Kharch Kund 6612 mts.

Chaukhamba I, II, III 7138,7068 Kirti Stambh 6270 mts.

Gangotri I, II, III 6672,6590,6529 mts. Nanda Devi 7817 mts.

Gauri Parvat 6727 mts. Trishuli 7074 mts.

PLACES OF INTEREST

KHIRSU - The snow-covered mountains of Khirsu offer a panoramic view of the Central Himalayas and attract a large number of tourists. From here one can get a clear view of many named & unnamed peaks. Located 19 kms. Away from Pauri at an altitude of 1,700 mts., Khirsu is a peaceful spot, free from pollution. Only the chirping of birds breaks the tranquility of the adjoining thick Oak and Deodar forests and apple orchards. The ancient temple of Ghandiyal Devta in the vicinity is well worth a visit. Accommodation is available at the Tourist Rest House and Forest Rest House.

ADWANI - Connected by a well-maintained 17 kms long road from Pauri, Adwani is an ideal picnic spot, as it is surrounded by thick forest and devoid of the hustle & bustle of the town. There is a Forest Rest House where one can stay.

DOODHATOLI - Doodhatoli situated at an altitude of 3100 mts., is covered with dense mixed forest. Thalisain is the last bus terminus (100 kms from Pauri), from where Doodhatoli is at a distance of 24 kms by trek. One of the most picturesque places, it commands a panoramic view of the Himalayan ranges and the surrounding area. The indomitable freedom fighter of Garhwal, Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali, was enamoured by the place. As was his last wish, a memorial in his name has been erected here after his death. A humble but bold memorial in his name creates a 'never say die' atmosphere under the tall Oak trees.

TARA KUND - Situated at a height of 2,200 m, Tara Kund is a picturesque spot amidst lofty mountains in the Chariserh development area. A small lake and an ancient temple adorn the place. The Teej Festival is celebrated with great gaiety when the local people come here to worship and pay homage to God.

BHARAT NAGAR - 22 kms away from Kotdwar and at a height of 1,400 m, Bharat Nagar abounds in immense natural beauty. It is mentioned in the ancient Hindu texts that once this place was full of life giving herbs. From here one can have a beautiful view of the Balawali bridge of Ganga, Kalagarh dam and Kotdwar town.

KANVASHRAM - Situated on the bank of river Malini at a distance of 14 kms from Kotdwar, Kanva Rishi Ashram is an important place from the historical and archaelogical point of view. It is believed that Sage Vishwamitra meditated here. Indra, the king of Gods, was scared by his intense meditation, and sent a beautiful heavenly damsel named Menka to disturb him. Menka finally succeeded in diverting Vishwamitra's attention. After giving birth to a girl she went back to heaven. This girl later became Shakuntala who got married to the prince of Hastinapur and gave birth to Bharat, the prince after whom our country is called Bharat. Accommodation is available at Tourist Complex, Kanvashram.

KALAGARH - Situated at a distance of 48 kms from Kotdwar, Kalagarh is an ideal place for nature lovers. The dam across Ram Ganga River is also worth visiting. Accommodation is available at the Irrigation & Forest Rest houses.

DEVELGARH - Situated at a distance of 19 km. from the main town of Srinagar via Chamdhar, Devalgarh was established by the King of Kangra named Devel. The Laxmi Narayan temple, Gauri Devi Temple & Rajrajeshwari temple are the main attractions here. Inscription on the stones of the temples make them important from the archaeological point of view. The 'Sthanaka' (standing) Vishnu sculpture is noticed in Laxmi-Narayan Temple. On the basis of stylistic features and decorative details, the images from Develgarh can be placed in the 9th-10th century A.D.

KESHORI MATH - This temple is of great significance for its architectural beauty. The temple has been made of huge stones and the inscription on the stone of the main door reveals that around 1682 A.D., a person by the name of 'Keshorai' got this temple constructed.

SHANKAR MATH - This temple is at a distance of 3 km. from the main town of Srinagar and is believed to have been constructed by Adi Guru Shankaracharya. The temple has a unique architectural beauty. The 'Garbhagriha' (Sanctum) of the temple has the stone images of God Vishnu & Godess Laxmi. It is associated with 17th century on the basis of its stylistic features.

BINSAR MAHADEV - Binsar Mahadev temple is situated at an altitude of 2480 mtrs. It is at a distance of 22 km. from Thalisain. The temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, is of archaeological significance. The 'Garbhagriha' (Sanctum) of the temple is beautifully adorned by the idols of Ganesh, Har Gauri and Maheshmardini. The image of Maheshmardini is engraved with inscriptions in 'Nagri lipi', which indicates its association with 9th century.

KANDA - The Kanda temples are situated at a height of 1 km. from Delchauri village, which at a distance of 44 km. from district headquarter Pauri, on the route of Srinagar-Delchauri road. This is a pleasant place. Images of Laxmi-Narayan (12th century), Uma-Mahesh (11th-12thcentury) , Surya (10th- 11tt century) and Vishnu (12th - 13th century) are seated in the 'Garbhagriha' (Sanctum) of 'Bhagwati' temple. Besides these, there are a number of stone images of different Gods, which are very significant from archeological point of view.

DEVEL - At a distance of 14 km. from district Pauri, there is Deval group of temples, also named as 'Vashnav Temples' situated in Sitansu Patti of Pauri tehsil. This group consists of twelve temples, which can be divided in two groups according to time period. The first group belongs to 18th - 19th century which contains 'Lakshman & Shiv' temples. The rest of the temples belong to 11th to 15th century, older than the first group.

LALDHANG - This place is situated in the Kotdwar tehsil of district Pauri at the distance of 27 km. from Kotdwar in the route of Kotdwar-Haridwar road. There is a Shiv Temple in main market. In the 'Garbhagriha' (Sanctum) of this Shiv temple, a marvelous image of 'Panchyatan Shivlig', which was brought from Panduwala, is consecrated. The images of Bramha, Vishnu, Surya and Uma-Mahesh are engraved around this 'Panchyatan Shivlig'. This image belongs to the 9th century. The Panduwala , at a distance of two km. from Laldhang, is a famous archaeological place for the proof of ruins of temples & ponds and remains of earthenware of pre and post medieval period.

Breakfast can help prevent strokes, heart attack and sudden death

Importance of having Breakfast

Breakfast can help prevent strokes, heart attack and sudden death. Advice on not to skip breakfast!

Healthy living
For those who always skip breakfast, you should stop that habit now! You've heard many times that "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Now, recent research confirms that one of the worst practices you can develop may be avoiding breakfast.

Why?
Because the frequency of heart attack, sudden death, and stroke peaks between 6:00a.m. and noon, with the highest incidence being between 8: 00a.m. and 10:00a.m.What mechanism within the body could account for this significant jump in sudden death in the early morning hours?

We may have an Answer.


Platelet, tiny elements in the blood that keep us from bleeding to Death if we get a cut, can clump together inside our arteries due to cholesterol or plaque build up in the artery lining. It is in the morning hours that platelets become the most activated and tend to form these internal blood clots at the greatest frequency.

However, eating even a very light breakfast prevents the morning platelet activation that is associated with heart attacks and strokes. Studies performed at Memorial University in St.Johns, Newfoundland found that eating a light, very low-fat breakfast was critical in modifying the morning platelet activation. Subjects in the study consumed either low-fat or fat-free yogurt, orange juice, fruit, and a source of protein coming from yogurt or fat-free milk. So if you skip breakfast, it's important that you change this practice immediately in light of this research. Develop a simple plan to eat cereal, such as oatmeal or Bran Flakes, along with six ounces of grape juice or orange juice, and perhaps a piece of fruit. This simple plan will keep your platelets from sticking together, keep blood clots from forming, and perhaps head off a potential Heart Attack or stroke. So never ever skip breakfast


Hope after reading this, you will not skip BREAK FASTJ!!!

Nauchhammi Narena, or “Naughty Narayan”

I really don’t know how you might be able to do so, but I would strongly recommend you give the song Nauchhammi Narena, or “Naughty Narayan”, a listen. It isn’t going to be an easy song to locate, I reckon, if the chase I had to give is any indicator. In fact, now might be the time to thank my driver, Suresh Kumar, for having found and bought the track for me for a meagre Rs54 (including taxes) at a store in New Delhi that stocks music from Uttarakhand.
Backstory: The song is about a corrupt politician
Backstory: The song is about a corrupt politician
For those who are willing to take up a challenge, look for Nauchhammi Narena on a VCD called Uttaranchali Chitrageet, produced by Rama Cassettes and titled, what else, Nauchhammi Narena! And, oh yes, “Nauchhammi” is to be pronounced as you would nau or nine in Hindi, and chhammi to rhyme with Shammi. Sung by the hugely popular Uttarakhand singer Narendra Singh Negi, the album features eight Garhwali music videos, with an additional ninth track that contains the making of Nauchhammi Narena. Hailed in January as the Dylan of the hills by a Telegraph correspondent, Negi, also called the Mohammad Rafi of Uttarakhand, does what many an artiste would baulk at—he takes on the establishment in his title track with a blistering, scarcely veiled attack on the former chief minister of Uttarakhand, Narayan Dutt Tiwari.
Depicting him as a corrupt, flirtatious politician who neglects his duties as he whiles away his time in nefarious activities, the music video stars an actor with a striking resemblance to Tiwari. While Negi’s target is undoubtedly the Congress, he doesn’t have too many kind words for the Bharatiya Janata Party either. What’s more, he isn’t apologetic, even though the music video (now available on YouTube) starts with the declaration that all characters are imaginary and that resemblance to any individual is purely accidental. In an interview posted on a website, (younguttaranchal.com/uttarakhand-cinema/narendra-singh-negi-a-legend.html), Negi replies thus when asked whether his song upset Tiwari: “Whenever the truth is revealed, it is apparent that those affected by it would show their anguish. What I have communicated through the song are the feelings of the people of Uttaranchal, which they were otherwise unable to express openly. By doing so, I don’t feel like I have done anything wrong, and it is only the truth which I have communicated through this song.”
There is much that can be admired in Negi’s work. For instance, he uses the traditional devotional song form of jagar for his best-selling track and refuses to abandon folk instruments, such as the thali and damua, even while including the synthesizer that seems to have become part and parcel of Indian music from virtually any and every part of the country. Even his chorus looks like regular hill folk singing as they always would.
No makeovers, no wriggling, writhing cleavage-baring dancers in this music video, and that’s saying a lot these days. And there’s more that we can all learn from—he even takes care to acknowledge his team, including cameraman Ravi Bhatt, all the participating artistes, editor Kunal Vivek, and a music arranger with the most extraordinary name: H. Soni “Pum Pum”!
It has been a while since Nauchhami Narena was first launched and became a big hit. And I am relieved to see that Narendra Singh Negi hasn’t had to withdraw any offensive line from the song or edit any objectionable scene from the video. So what if the once feisty Taslima Nasreen has bowed to political pressure and promised to be a good girl and behave in favour of safe passage to Kolkata.

150 employees in Uttarakhand have been asked to go on leave

Around 150 employees in Uttarakhand have been asked to go on leave without pay by Reliance Retail due to the delay in the opening of the stores in the state, report agency sources.



The protest from local traders and farmers is believed to be causing the delay in the opening of the stores. In the state of Uttar Pradesh, a directive from the government made the company close all its Reliance Fresh stores, which sold farm produce. This resulted in the company sacking around 1,000 employees and terminating lease agreements of commercial properties, earlier this year.



The company is likely to mull over the issue of whether to open the stores at all, by the end of January.

Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve (Uttarakhand),

Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve (Uttarakhand), Jan 2: Forest officials have started a special vigil in the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve to protect animals from being poached during the festival season at Uttarakhand.

A red alert has been sounded as poachers tend to take advantage due to heightened tourist activity.

"On New Year, lots of people come here and it becomes imperative to keep a strict watch over suspicious characters as well who might enter the park in the guise of tourists. Security is hence beefed up in the park," said Parag Madhukar, Deputy Director, Corbett Tiger Reserve.

The forest official are leaving no stone unturned and they have increased vigilance and patrolling in the area. They are checking every vehicle that passes through the forest area and patrolling is going on round the clock.

"The three-four days before and after the new year are taken as high alert days. We maintain a strict vigil on the sensitive spots in the park. We are getting a lot of cooperation from the villagers and with their help we will take care to prevent any untoward incident," said Parag.

Wildlife experts say an estimated 1,500 tigers have been poached in India in the past decade. In the last year alone, there have been around 100 cases of tiger poaching.

A century ago, there were some 40,000 tigers in India. Now, officials estimate put the number of tigers at 3,700, but some environment groups put the number at less than 2,000.

There was uproar in India after reports in March 2005 that the entire tiger population in the Sariska forest sanctuary had been wiped out by poachers, with fears that the situation might be mirrored in other reserves across the country.

Trade in tiger skin and products are illegal but poachers still operate with impunity because a single animal can fetch up to 50,000 dollar in the international market.

Organs, teeth, bones and penises fetch high prices in China and south East Asian nations, where they are used in ancient medicines.
(ANI)

South Africa (SSA), is set to start its new facility in Uttarakhand

Sahara Computers and Electronics Ltd (SCEL), an associate of Sahara Computers Ltd, South Africa (SSA), is set to start its new facility in Uttarakhand by next year. The company also has big plans for Uttar Pradesh.

The new plant, spread across 300,000 square metres, will be located in Roorkee. “The new facility is expected to have a capacity about 3,000 units a day. This will help us to cater the increasing demand of our products in the country,” said George Van Der Merwe, chief operating officer, SCEL.

The company has a manufacturing unit of in Noida.

“Viewing the trend of computer and IT companies moving towards south, we at SCEL have made north our focus area,” he added.

Elaborating on it further, Merwe said the public in the north are becoming more and more computer literate. “In addition, the improved number of education institutions present here directly implies to an increased supply chain for computers.”

Of late, the company has inclined its focus towards smaller cities of the country. It lays emphasis on building a strong dealer network. Wide range demonstrations, physical usage of PCs and distributing sales kit is the vehicle that the company undertakes to make a way into smaller cities.

“The computers today are no longer treated as those being a niche product; instead they have now acquired a status of being one like a FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) product. It’s a product used by many at present and will be used by all in coming years,” he said, adding that their major focus now was on the laptop segment as it was the product of tomorrow.

“In fact few years down the line it will be a notebook market all together.”

Sahara Computers entered India about one-and-a-half year back and it has managed to acquire 4.8 per cent share in the personal computer (PC) market. According to the latest IDC report, SCEL has acquired the second position in local brands segment.

Uttarakhand needs 15.5 million units of power daily

Amid claims that small hydel projects will be the main focus of the new revised power policy, the Uttarakhand government is working to finalise the process of bidding from the private and government sectors for the construction of 30-40 big hydel projects, which can attract investments of Rs 30,000-40,000 crore to the state.

“We are finalising the bid proposals for 30-40 big hydel projects,” a top government official said. But the official made it clear that all these projects would be “subject to verification.”

The projects include 485-Mw Tapovan Chunar and 225-Mw Khal Tavaghat in Pithoragarh district.

Besides this, 190-Mw Neelong on the river Jat Ganga in Uttarkashi district can also go for bidding.

The total capacity of these projects would be 5,000-6000 Mw and the bidding process is expected to start early next year, the officials said.

The bidding of the new projects comes close on the heels of the revision of the power policy, which is also expected to be released in two to three months.

In the new allotments, the bidding process will be to ensure that the government gets the maximum premium.

Under the new policy, the government is claiming that it would focus on small hydel projects and try to safeguard the interests of local people by offering them some stakes or full shares in the new ventures. To start with, at least 5 per cent equity in the project is being proposed in small projects. In some ventures, the government can offer know-how to the village communities who can themselves build dams by raising equity through loans.

As scores of industries have set up new units in the state to get tax benefits, the government would also encourage them to go for captive power generation.

Currently, Uttarakhand needs 15.5 million units of power daily whereas the power production in the state stands only at 5 million units.

To meet the gap, Uttarakhand is taking 6.5 million units of power from the central pool. Besides, 2 million units are being overdrawn. Apart from this, the state is also taking back one million unit which it had banked in Punjab and Haryana. But in spite of all this, there is still a deficiency of 2-3 million units of power, officials said.

Uttarakhand has identified 20,000 Mw of hydel power. Nearly 400 projects in this regard have already been proposed.

Till now, Uttarakhand is generating only 2,819 Mw of power. At present, different projects with the capacity of generating 11,480 Mw of power are at various stages of construction.