Uttaranchal
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 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 remain provisional capital. The High Court of the state is in Nainital.
History
Uttarakhand is both the new and traditional name of the state that was formed from the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh, India. Uttarakhand is also the ancient Puranic term for the central stretch of the Indian Himalayas containing some of Hinduism's most sacred pilgrimage spots. Literally North Country or Section in Sanskrit, its peaks and valleys were well known in ancient times as the abode of gods and source of the Ganges River.
The region was dominated by the Garhwal Kingdom in the west and the Kumaon Kingdom in the east during the medieval period. In 1791, the expanding Gurkha Empire overran Almora, the seat of the Kumaon Kingdom. In 1803, the Garhwal Kingdom also fell to the Gurkhas. With the conclusion of the Anglo-Nepalese War in 1816, the Garhwal Kingdom was reestablished from Tehri, and eastern British Garhwal and Kumaon ceded to the British as part of the Treaty of Sugauli.
Tourism 
The tourism industry is a major contributor to the economy of Uttarakhand, with the Corbett National Park and Tiger Reserve and the nearby hill-stations of Nainital, Mussoorie, Almora and Ranikhet being among the most frequented destinations of India. To this region, long called "abode of the gods" (Devbhoomi), also belong some of the holiest Hindu shrines, and for more than a thousand years, pilgrims have been visiting the temples at Haridwar, Badrinath, Kedarnath and Jageshwar in the hope of salvation and purification from sin. Rishikesh near Haridwar has the major spiritual and yoga centers of India. Gangotri and Yamunotri, the sources of both the Ganges and Yamuna also fall in this region and are revered by many. Besides these most popular pilgrim centres, the state has an abundance of temples and shrines, references to most of which can be found in Hindu scriptures and legends. The architecture of most of these temples is typical of the region and slightly different from other parts of India, the ancient temples at Jageshwar being the most prominent for their distinct architectural features.
Uttaranchal Reservation Form
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