Uttarakhand India Complete Guide 2026: Char Dham, Rishikesh, Jim Corbett & Mussoorie
Browse more guides: India travel | Asia destinations Uttarakhand India Complete Guide 2026: Char Dham, Rishikesh, Jim Corbett & Mussoorie TL;DR Uttarakhand is the Himalayan state Indians call Devbhoomi, meaning Land of Gods, and after three trips across both the Garhwal and Kumaon halves I think it is the single best introduction to Himalayan India. The state covers 53,483 square kilometers, holds roughly 10 million people, and keeps about 70 percent of its land under forest, which gives the region a green, quiet feel that surprises first-time visitors expecting bare snow peaks. Carved from Uttar Pradesh on November 9, 2000, Uttarakhand combines four of Hinduism's holiest temples (the Char Dham of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath) with the world yoga capital at Rishikesh, Ganga Aarti at Haridwar, India's first national park at Jim Corbett, two UNESCO World Heritage sites (Valley of Flowers National Park and Nanda Devi National Park, both inscribed 1988), the h...