Leisure,
adventure, and religious tourism play a prominent role in Uttarakhand's
economy, with the Corbett National Park and Tiger
Reserve and the nearby hill-stations of Nainital, Mussoorie,
Almora, Kausani,
Bhimtal and Ranikhet
being amongst the most frequented destinations of India. The state also
contains numerous peaks of interest to mountaineers, although Nanda
Devi, the highest and best-known of these, has been
off-limits since 1982. Other national wonders include the Valley
of Flowers, which along with Nanda Devi National Park,
form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Uttarakhand, also called "abode of
the gods" (Devbhumi), belong some of the holiest Hindu shrines, and for
more than a thousand years, pilgrims have been visiting the region in
the hopes of salvation and purification from sin.
The state has always been a destination for mountaineering, Hiking
and Rock Climbing in India. A recent development in adventure
tourism in the region has been white
water rafting and other adventures sports. Eco
tourism, agritourism and rural tourism have also found new
grounds in many villages of the state. |
