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.