Chamoli is a district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Situated amidst snow-capped mountains, this place is quite beautiful. Chamoli is located on the Badrinath road near the Alaknanda River. Chamoli has an area of 3,525 square miles. Chamoli is situated in the middle of the central Himalayas. It is one of the major religious places. every year a large number of tourists come here from all over India. The natural beauty of Chamoli attracts tourists towards it. There are many temples in the entire Chamoli district that attracts thousands of devotees. Chamoli has many such big and small temples and there are many places that provide accommodation facilities.
History
Chamoli is a beautiful district of "Garhwal". It is believed that the first script of Lord Ganesha Vedas in the Vaiyas cave located in Mana which is considered as the last village towards China border and it is just 4 km from Badrinath. According to the Rig Veda, the Sapta-rishis saved their lives in the same village Mana. Apart from this, the roots of Vedic literature seem to derive from Garhwal because there are many Sanskrit words that exist in pure form in the Garhwali language. The workplaces of the Vedic sages are the major pilgrimage centers in Chamoli, Garhwal such as the Atri Muni Ashram in Anusuiya, about 25 km from the town of Chamoli, and Kashyapa sage's karmabhoomi on the Gandhamadana mountain near Badrinath. According to the Adi-Purana, Ved Vyasa wrote the story of the Mahabharata in the Vyasa cave near Badrinath. Pandukeshwar, Rishikesh is a small village on the Badrinath highway from where Badrinath is just 25 km away and is considered to be the penance of King Pandu. In Kedar-Khand Purana this land is considered to be the land of Lord Shiva.
Culture
The houses in the district have not been constructed according to any town planning scheme, but have been built randomly on the banks of the river in the valley or in the level plains at those places along the river. The houses are made of stone and are usually two stories, some have three to five stories, with very few rooms on the ground floor, usually 1.8 meters high, which are used for housing cattle. The main grains eaten by the people of the district are wheat, rice, labyrinth, mandua and jhanjra, the last three coarse grains are usually eaten by the poor classes. The pulses eaten are urad, ghat, bhatt, dry ginger, arhar, lopia and lentils. The Hindus in the district are mostly vegetarian by habit and choice, and although Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs are generally non-vegetarian, they are unable to eat meat daily due to funds or local unavailability, often resulting in a vegetarian diet. The people of the district are able to preserve their culture, folklore, folk songs, and folk dances, the last being a distinctive feature of the district, being seasonal, traditional and religious.
Main attractions
1. Badrinath: Badrinath is one of the major religious places in the country. It is one of the four Dhams. Sri Badrinath Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It was founded by Adi Shankara. After this, it was built by the Garhwal kings two centuries ago. Badrinath is divided into three parts - Garbha Griha, Darshan Mandap and Sabha Mandap.
2. Hemkund sahib: Hemkund is also known as Snow Lake. It is situated at an altitude of 4329 meters above sea level. There are seven snow-covered mountains, known as Hemkund Mountains. Apart from this, the gurdwara in the shape of wire which is adjacent to this lake is one of the major religious places of Sikhism. Hindu and Sikh devotees come here from all parts of the world to visit in large numbers. It is believed that Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, did penance here. The best time to visit Hemkund sahib is from July to October.
3. Panch Prayag: Panch Prayag has a confluence of five major rivers originating from the Garhwal Himalayas. These five rivers are Vishnu Prayag, Nanda Prayag, Karna Prayag, Rudra Prayag, and Dev Prayag.
4. DevPrayag: The two major rivers Alaknanda and Bhagirathi merge here. Apart from this, there are many famous temples and river ghats here. It is believed that Lord Vishnu asked for three steps of land from King Bali in DevPrayag. The fair is organized here on the occasion of Ramnavami, Dussehra and Basant Panchami.
5. Valley of Flowers: For nature lovers, this place is like heaven. Frank Smith and RL discovered this place. Holdworth did in 1930. The highest number of wildflower varieties can be seen in this valley. According to the legend, Hanuman came from here to take Sanjeevani Booti to protect Laxman Ji's life. There are 521 varieties of plants in this valley. The place was declared as a national park in 1982. Apart from this, you will get to see many animals like, black bear, deer, brown bear, leopard, cheetah etc.
6. Auli: Auli is a very beautiful place. If you want to enjoy snow-clad mountains and ski then Auli is the perfect place. You can reach Auli by way of Joshimath. Which is located at a distance of about 16 kilometers. Many competitors are held in winter. This event is organized by Garhwal Mandal Vikas Sadan. Apart from this, you can also see the views of Nandadevi, Kamet Oud and Dunagiri mountains from here. Auli remains completely covered with a sheet of snow since January at the time of March. The snow here is nearly three feet deep. Ski programs in Auli attract tourists here.
