The holy land houses some of the most revered religious destinations of India. The Himalaya range in Garhwal are said to be the home of the gods. This land is very sacred for the Hindus as well as the Sikhs. Garhwal has always been associated with spirituality, temples, pilgrimage, holy shrines and mountain tourism. Garhwal is one of the state in India which has some of the most important pilgrima
ge shrines. The whole land of garhwal is always alive and vibrates with the music of chiming bells, bathing people at various Ghats, chanting of Hymns, song of local folks during festivals and fairs. Most of the temples in Garhwal are associated with some Puranic or Mahabharata story. There is no specific pattern to the construction of these temples and most of them are devoted to Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Goddess Kali and Nanda Devi along with the temples of local gods and goddesses. The main temples in Garhwal are the temples of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Panch Prayag, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Hemkund Saheb, Sirkanda Devi, Haridwar and Rishikesh. The famous Chardham trip is in this state which include a visit to four of most revered Hindu temples, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. Haridwar, meaning Gateway to God, holds an important place in Hindu religion. It is one of the most visited pilgrimages in India. Rishikesh, situated 24 Km from Haridwar also very important pilgrimage site for the Hindus. Rishikesh is also known as the Yoga Capital of the World. Hemkund Sahib, an important pilgrim is associated with the Sikhs as well as Hindus. The place is associated with Guru Govind Singh Ji, 10th guru of Sikhs. Meetha-Reetha Sahib and Piran Kaliyar are the other major holy places for Sikhs.
