Uttarakhand (
Hindi: उत्तराखंड), known as Uttaranchal from 2000 to 2006, became
the 27th
state of the Republic of
India on
November 9,
2000. Uttarakhand borders
Tibet (
China) to the north and
Nepal to the east, while its neighbour states are
Himachal Pradesh to the west and
Uttar Pradesh (of which it formed a part before 2000) in the south. The region is traditionally referred to as Uttarakhand in Hindu scriptures and old literature, a term which derives from the Sanskrit for Northern Country or Section. In January 2007, the name of the state was officially changed from Uttaranchal, its interim name, to Uttarakhand, according to the wishes of a large section of its people. The provisional capital of Uttarakhand is
Dehra Dun which is also a rail-head and the largest city in the region. The small hamlet of
Gairsen has been mooted as the future capital owing to its geographic centrality but controversies and lack of resources have led Dehra Dun to be the provisional capital. The High Court of the state is in
Nainital. Recent developments in the region include initiatives by the state government to capitalise on the burgeoning tourist trade as well as tax incentives to lure high-tech industry to the state. The state also has big-dam projects, controversial and often criticised in India, such as the very large
Tehri dam on the Bhagirathi-Bhilangana rivers, conceived in 1953 and about to reach completion.
Labels: 17N Gole Market, Laxmibai Nagar, Najafgarh, Pankaj Negi, Raja Bazar, Uttarakhand, Uttaranchal