Tehri Garhwal - Worship,relax and thrill — Tehri Garhwal – Uttarakhand – India

If your hectic and stodgy daily routine has drained out your energies and enthusiasm and you have been planning a vacation since quite some time then take my suggestion and plan a trip to Tehri Garhwal! Full of nature’s bounty, a place that can be visited at almost any time of the year will surely provide you much respite from the humdrums of tiring schedules.

An exquisite amalgamation of an ideal holiday destination and a peaceful pilgrimage, Tehri Garhwal is a captivating hill station in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand. Besides being a home to a large variety of flora and fauna, the jungles of this district are truly a repository of health since they are full of medicinal herbs and shrubs. Its offers for avenues of adventure activities such as trekking and white water rafting are ad added advantage for all the lovers of thrill.

Major Tourist Attractions

Tehri Garhwal has an array of tourist spots, most loved of them being as follows –

Chandrabadni Temple – Dignifying the Chandrabadni Mountain is the Chandrabadni Temple at a magnificent height of 2277mts. One of the holy Shaktipeeths of Hindus, the temple is immensely revered by the devotees of Goddess Sati. It is believed that torso of Devi Sati fell on this part of land while her burning body was being carried by Lord Shiva. The temple houses a Shree Yantra which is considered as the embodiment of the Goddess and is worshipped by devotees. Besides being an important shrine among pilgrims, the temple also offers some ravishing picturesque views of the lush green Himalayas.

Surkhanda Devi Temple – Another one of the 51 Shakti Peeths of Hindus, Surkhanda Devi Temple is enshrined on the very spot where head of Devi Sati had fallen.

Tehri Dam – The largest and highest of all the dams in Asia, Tehri Dam is another must visit spot of Tehri Garhwal. Built over the rivers Bhagirathi and Bhilangana, the dam is one of the biggest hydroelectric projects of the world.

Gautam Rishi’s Temple – Situated at a distance of 8km from Tehri on the Dehradun-Saharanpur road, Gautam Rishi’s temple is an important shrine of this region. It is dedicated to Rishi Gautam who was one of the Saptarishis and an avid devotee of Lord Shiva. The temple is supposedly constructed on the place where the holy soul used to live. There is also a lake close-by the temple which is considered to be as holy as river Ganga.
Kempty Falls – The favorite site of all the tourists and residents of Tehri Garhwal, Kempty Falls is one of the biggest and most scintillating waterfalls of the world. Its location in the lap of Himalayas makes it a superb place to be at.

Some popular weekend getaway destinations and tourist spots from Tehri Garhwal are Dhanolti, Badrinath, Chamba, Devprayag, Narendar Nagar, Nag Tibba, Sem Mukhem, Khatling Glacier, Devalsari Village, Ghansali, Pantwari and Kirti Nagar.

Festivals and fairs

All the prominent Indian festivals are celebrated here with a lot of pomp and gaiety. Some festivals and fairs specific to this region are:

Kunjapuri fair – Organized every year in the month of October or November during the festival of Navratri, Kunjapuri fair is an eminent fair of Narendra Nagar. People participate in this fair in large number and with a lot of devotion.
Surkhanda Devi Fair – Held every year on the day of Dussehra at the Surkhanda Devi Temple which is dedicated to Goddess Durga. This temple is an important pilgrimage for the people of Tehri. Besides the prayers offered to Devi Durga, other attractions of the fair are the exhibitions of folk music, dance and conventional handicrafts of this region.
Chandrabadni Fair – Every year in the month of April a huge fair is held at the Chandrabadni Temple and devotees participate in this fair in large numbers and with a lot of dedication for Goddess Sati.

Best time to visit

Tehri Garhwal is a destination that can be visited at any time during the whole years. The months of April, May and June is the time of summers which infact is not very hot but quite soothing and pleasant. If you wish to reprieve yourself of the scorching heat, then this is a good place to be at. The months of July, August and September is the time of monsoon. From October onwards is the onset of winters that last almost till February and in case you are planning a trip to Tehri Garhwal anytime during these months then make sure that you carry lots of woolens with yourself.

How to reach

By air – Nearest airport is the Jolly Grant airport near Dehradun. It lies at a distance of 91km from Tehri and is well connected to the latter by way of a fine road network. The airport has daily flights to and from Delhi airport which is an international airport having good connectivity with not only Indian states and cities but the entire globe.
By rail – Closest railway station is the Rishikesh railway station at about 100km. This station has a good connectivity with Haridwar and all the other prominent cities of Uttarakhand. Haridwar at 125km distance is another favorable and close-by railhead.
By Road – Tehri Garhwal is properly connected to all the towns and cities of Uttarakhand by way of a dependable road network. One can easily find taxis, state transport buses or private transport buses to reach Tehri from any part of Uttarakhand and also other major cities of northern India.