Uttarakhand didn’t get the nickname “Devbhoomi” — Land of the Gods — by accident. Almost every valley here hides a temple, and almost every temple hides a story that’s older than most written history. From the ice-bound sanctum of Kedarnath to a roadside ashram that changed Steve Jobs’ life, the temples in Uttarakhand aren’t just […]
About 8 km from Almora town, on a pine-covered ridge with the Kumaon Himalaya spread out in front of you, sits a temple that has pulled in spiritual seekers for well over a century. Swami Vivekananda meditated here in the 1890s. Sixty years later, an American psychologist fired from Harvard for his LSD research showed […]
Triyuginarayan sits in Rudraprayag district at 1,980 metres, a short trek off the main Kedarnath route. According to Hindu tradition, this is where Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati were married, and the fire in front of the temple — the Akhand Dhuni — is traditionally believed to be connected to that wedding. Pilgrims have offered […]
The Hindu temple of Kedarnath is one of the holiest and most sacred shrines in India. Situated high among the Garhwal Himalayan range at a height of 3,583 metres above sea level, the temple site offers its visitors some of the most panoramic and scenic views of the surrounding landscape. This temple is dedicated to […]
Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary sits across Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts in the Garhwal Himalayas, and most people who walk through it don’t realise they’re inside a protected area at all. It was notified in 1972 to protect the Himalayan musk deer, and at 975.2 sq km, it’s one of the largest protected areas in the Western […]
Yoga and Ayurveda both trace back to the Indian subcontinent, refined over thousands of years and still taught by people working within that lineage. That’s different from learning a version adapted for a studio abroad. If a wellness trip is on your mind, here’s what actually matters when picking where to go in India, and […]
“Flowers are sweet. They have short, beatific lives…” (Mary Oliver) The Brahma Kamal is far more than just a beautiful flower. It is Uttarakhand’s state flower, one of the rarest Himalayan blooms, and a deeply sacred offering at the shrines of Kedarnath and Badrinath. Understanding this flower means understanding something essential about the Garhwal Himalayas […]
One of our guests, Miss Anupama, 45, who traveled with us on the Char Dham Yatra, has agreed to share her diary. Read on for her entries and beautiful descriptions. Her journey reflects not only the spiritual essence of the yatra but also the serene beauty of the Himalayas. Through her words, you will experience […]
Hinduism is full of rituals for all occasions in life and death. Pind Daan is a ritual to venerate ancestors and facilitate the journey of their souls towards salvation. It is believed that Lord Brahma started this practice. The ceremony is believed to liberate the soul of the departed from suffering and give survivors peace […]
Uttarakhand has fifteen hill stations worth planning a trip around, and they don’t offer the same experience. Nainital is a lake town that gets loud in peak season. Binsar is a wildlife sanctuary where you might not see another car for an hour. Auli has actual ski slopes. This guide runs through all fifteen — […]
