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Uttarakhand Foundation Day: Uttarakhand is famous as the “Land of the Gods” or “Dev Bhumi”. During the time of its foundation, it was named Uttaranchal. It is situated in Northern India and is a great pilgrimage center. Let us have a look at Uttarakhand foundation day, history, population, climate, and festivals with some interesting facts.
Uttarakhand was formed on 9 November 2000 by joining several districts from the Northwestern part of Uttar Pradesh and a portion of the Himalayan Mountain range. This year 23rd Uttarakhand Foundation Day is going to be celebrated. In 2007, the name of the state was formally altered from Uttaranchal to Uttarakhand.
Uttarakhand is rich in natural resources including glaciers, rivers, dense forests, and snow-clad mountain peaks. The four most sacred and revered Hindu temples of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri also known as Char-dams are situated in Uttarakhand and so, are known as the ‘Land of the Gods‘. The capital of the state is Dehradun and the High Court is situated in the Nainital.
Uttarakhand Foundation Day: Celebrations
Beginning on November 3, the “State Foundation Week” is a unique celebration of Uttarakhand Foundation Day that typically lasts for a full week. The event culminates on November 9 with the “Bharat Bharti” celebration, which comes after several activities, including “Mera Sainik.” The chief minister of Uttarakhand also discusses various concepts, including plans for the development of the state, and special arrangements are made.
Uttarakhand Foundation Day: History
Uttarakhand’s history is long and consists of the glorious past of the territory. It highlights the great emperors including the Kushanas, Kudinas, Kanishka, Samudragupta, Kataria, Palas, Chandras, and Pawaras. In various Hindu scriptures, reference to Uttarakhand also exists. Through the history of Garhwal and Kumaon, the history of Uttarakhand can be better understood. The state is the amalgamation of culture, ethnicity, and religion.
Uttarakhand is separated from Uttar Pradesh on 9 November 2000 as the 27th state of India. At that time it was known as Uttaranchal. The bordering states of Uttarakhand are Tibet, Nepal, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. The meaning of Uttarakhand has been extracted from the Sanskrit dialect which means ‘northern city. In 2007, officially, it was renamed Uttarakhand from Uttaranchal.
Climate of Uttarakhand:
Uttarakhand climate is temperate which is marked by seasonal variations in temperature. It is also affected by tropical monsoons. The coldest month is January and July is the hottest month in the north. In the southeast, May is the warmest month. In the lower stretch of valleys, floods and landslides are major problems during the rainy season. Snowfall is common in the northern part of the state between December and March.
Population composition of Uttarakhand:
The state consists of a multiethnic population spread across two recognized geo-cultural regions: the Garhwal and the Kumaon. A large portion of the population of Uttarakhand consists of Rajputs, Garhwali, Gujjar, and Kumauni. Mostly, the people of Uttarakhand speak Indo-Aryan languages. The official language of the state is Hindi. Other languages include Gharwali, Kumauni, Punjabi and Nepali.
Festivals of Uttarakhand:
According to the Hindu calendar, Dussehra, Diwali, Shivratri, Holi, etc. are celebrated in the Uttarakhand. According to the lunar calendar, Muslims observe Muharram, Ramadan, Id-al-Fitr, and Id-al-Adha which signals the completion of the hajj and is celebrated worldwide. With the tradition of Buddhism, Buddha Purnima is a major festival. Jain celebrates, Mahavir Jayanti which honours the birthday of Mahavira. The Guru Nanak Jayanti is also observed by the Sikh population. Christians celebrate Christmas in Uttarakhand state. Various small fairs and festivals are also held across the state.
