Garhwal has its history, was buried for a long time but the recent archeological excavation have testified to prehistory of civilization in Garhwal. Extensively buried sites & a variety of pottery & grave goods date some settlement back 800 B.C. Garhwal is one of the most beautiful lands in whole of Asia.
It is the land of snowy mountains, whose peaks glisten in the sun, boulders-stvern glaciers, gurgling streams, dense conifer clad slopes, terraced fields, deep V shaped valleys, steep gorges and a friendly hill folk.
Garhwal is also the source of the two most sacred rivers Ganga & Yamuna. In this region tourism as pilgrimage, is an old age phenomenon. It has been the destination if millions of pilgrimage, sages hermits, travelers, poets, writers, naturalist, historians and geographers since time immortally fortunately the recent trend of tourism towards nature has provided it to be a better prospect to be a perfect destination
Primitive immensity of Karakoram, the aloof domination of mt.everest, the soften Caucasian beauties of the Hindukush, nor any of the many regions of Himachal can compare with beauty of Garhwal. Mountains and valleys, forest & alps, birds & animals, butterflies and flowers. All combine to make a sum of delightful un- surpassable elsewhere.
The human interest is stronger than in any other mountain region in the world, for these ancient named peaks are written of in the earliest historical record of the Indo Aryan race.
Culture, nature & religion are almost inseparable in Garhwal. So steeped is the culture of the people of Garhwal, which derives much of its inspiration on from the nature around.
Garhwal is a paradise for mountaineers, trekkers, Rafters, wildlife viewer. It is also a home of some of the most challenging peaks e.g.. Nanda-Devi, Trishul, Shivling, Bhagirathi, Kamet, Neelkanth, Dunagiri, and banderpunch etc.
In the word of Dr. F.S.Smythe:
“There comes to me a great desire to tread the hills. I wanted to feel than beneath me, to see them around me, above me, and below me, longed to gasp them & lift myself up, I wanted to be soaked by rain & dried by sun; to sweat; shiver to toil, to rest. There was a something I had to seek. What it was I did not know. I only know I had to seek it. ”
Lord Vishnu, one of the Trinity, imprinted on Aston let into the upper wall of the Pauri, an object of special reverence. It is quite a sight to behold when hundreds of light candles are floated on the pure attars of Ganga in the Arti (Prayers) ritually, which takes place in the evening everyday, is a delightful sight.
