Introduction to Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand (English: Uttarakhand) is a northern state of India. Uttarakhand is the 26th state of India and the 10th state of the Himalayan region (at present). Uttarakhand is also known as Devbhoomi because many temples of Hindu gods and goddesses are located here. The state of Uttarakhand is divided into two parts, Garhwal and Kumaon.

Before the Parliament of India changed the ' State of Jammu and Kashmir' to 'Jammu and Kashmir' and 'Ladakh' as ​​two union territories with effect from 31 October 2019, Uttarakhand was the 27th state in  India and the 11th state in the Himalayan region.

Formation of Uttarakhand State

The state of Uttarakhand was formed on 9 November 2000 by separating it from the state of Uttar Pradesh. The name of Uttarakhand was earlier Uttaranchal. Its name was changed to Uttarakhand on 1 January 2007. Nepal is bounded in the east by Uttarakhand, Himachal in the west, Tibet in the north, and Uttar Pradesh in the south. The capital of Uttarakhand is Dehradun (summer capital 'Gairsain'), Dehradun is the largest city in the state of Uttarakhand in terms of area.

The mention of Uttarakhand is also found in the Vedic Puranas. In Hindu scriptures, Kumaon of Uttarakhand state is shown as Manaskhand and Garhwal as Kedarkhand. On the basis of archeological evidence, it has been found that since ancient times, humans have inhabited Uttarakhand.

Geographical Structure of Uttarakhand

It is the 26th state of India, which is from 28º43' to 31º27' North Latitudes and 77º34' to 81º02' East Longitude. Its total area is 53,483 square kilometers, which is 1.69% of the total area of ​​the country and is the 18th state of India in terms of area.

Mountains are found in 86 percent of Uttarakhand and forests are found in 65 percent of the area. At the time of independence, there was only one Himalayan state 'Assam' in India. After that Jammu and Kashmir became the second state and Nagaland became the third state, similarly Uttarakhand became the 10th Himalayan state.

From an administrative point of view, there are 13 districts in Uttarakhand. The total population of Uttarakhand is 1,00,86,349 ( as per Census 2011), which is 0.83% of the total population of the country.

The official language of Uttarakhand state

Uttarakhand is the only state in India whose official language is  Sanskrit. The Hindi language is mainly spoken in the state of Uttarakhand, it is also the official language. Along with this, Kumaoni and Garhwali are also used, and many other dialects are also used. For more information read the Dialects and Languages ​​of Uttarakhand.

Origin of the name Uttarakhand

The name of the state of Uttarakhand is derived from the combination of Sanskrit words Uttar and Khand to form Uttarakhand. Uttar means north direction and Khand means land, which in full means the land of the north or the land situated towards the north direction.

Mass movements in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand is also famous for many movements such as the Chipko movement which was launched to stop the indiscriminate felling of trees. This movement was run by the women of the hills. Some other movements like Coolie Begar Movement, Dola Palki Movement, etc. have also been prominent movements.

Districts in Uttarakhand

There are a total of 13 districts in the state of Uttarakhand which are as follows –

i. Pithoragarh, ii. Almora, iii. Bageshwar, iv. Champawat , v. Nainital , vi. Uttarkashi, vii. Udham Singh Nagar, viii. Tehri Garhwal, ix. Rudraprayag , X. Pauri Garhwal , xi. Haridwar, xii. Dehradun, xiii. Chamoli

key points to note

• Establishment of Uttarakhand – November 9, 2000 (Uttaranchal before January 1, 2007)
• The nickname of Uttarakhand – Devbhoomi
• Capital of Uttarakhand – Dehradun (summer capital 'Gairsain' it is located in Chamoli district)
• Area of ​​Uttarakhand – 53,483 square kilometers
• India's total area – 1.69%
• Uttarakhand's place among all the states of India in terms of area - 18th
• Number of Districts in Uttarakhand – 13 Districts
• Total population of Uttarakhand state according to 2011 census – 1,00,86,349
• The population of Uttarakhand, India is 0.83% of the total population of the country.
• The High Court of Uttarakhand is located in – Nainital
• Uttarakhand's largest city on the basis of the area - Dehradun
• Official Language – Hindi, Sanskrit
• Sex Ratio as per 2011 Census – 963♀/1000 (Female/Male)
• Official website of Uttarakhand – www.uk.gov.in

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