48 attractions in Garhwal (back)

Jim Corbett National Park
Jim Corbett National Park is the oldest national park in India and was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park to protect the endangered Bengal tiger. It is located in Nainital district and Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand and was named after Jim Corbett, a well known hunter and naturalist. The park was the first to come under the Project Tiger initiative.The park has sub-Himalayan belt geographical and ecological characteristics. An ecotourism destination, it contains 488 different species of plants and a diverse variety of fauna. The increase in tourist activities, among other problems, continues to present a serious challenge to the park's ecological balance.Corbett has been a haunt for tourists and wildlife lovers for a long time. Tourism activity is only allowed in selected areas of Corbett Tiger Reserve so that people get an opportunity to see its landscape and wildlife. In recent years the number of people coming here has increased dramatically. Presently, every season more than 70,000 visitors come to the park. Corbett National Park comprises 520.8 km2 (201.1 sq mi) area of hills, riverine belts, marshy depressions, grasslands and a large lake. The elevation ranges from 1,300 to 4,000 ft (400 to 1,220 m). Winter nights are cold but the days are bright and sunny. It rains from July to September. Dense moist deciduous forest mainly consists of sal, haldu, peepal, rohini and mango trees. Forest covers almost 73% of the park, 10% of the area consists of grasslands. It houses around 110 tree species, 50 species of mammals, 580 bird species and 25 reptile species.
Parmarth Niketan Ashram
Parmarth Niketan is an ashram located in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India. Parmarth Niketan is situated in the lap of the lush Himalayas, along the banks of the Ganges. The ashram was founded in 1942 by Pujya Swami Shukdevanandji Maharaj (1901–1965). Since 1986, Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji Maharaj is the President and Spiritual Head of Parmarth Niketan.As the largest ashram in Rishikesh with over 1000 rooms, Parmarth Niketan provides a clean, pure and sacred atmosphere as well as abundant, beautiful gardens to thousands of pilgrims, who come from all corners of the Earth. The daily activities at Parmarth Niketan include daily yoga specializing in Vinyasa yoga, general Hatha yoga and yoga Nidra. Daily activities also include morning universal prayers and meditation classes, daily satsang and lecture programs, kirtan, a Ganga aarti at sunset attended by hundreds of visitors each day at the shore of Ganges, as well as Nature Cure and Ayurvedic treatment and training. Parmarth Niketan is the home to a 14 feet Shiva statue on the banks of the Ganges which provides a perfect view to the ashram. The divine tree of heaven Kalpavriksha was planted at the premises of this ashram by Vijaypal Baghel of Himalaya Vahini. Additionally, there are frequently special cultural and spiritual programs given by visiting revered saints, acclaimed musicians, spiritual and social leaders, and others. There are frequent camps in which pilgrims come from across the world to take part in intensive courses on yoga, meditation, pranayama, stress management, acupressure, Reiki, Ayurveda and other ancient Indian sciences.Parmarth Niketan is also the headquarters of the Swami Shukdevanand Trust, a non-profit, religious/spiritual organization dedicated to religion, spirituality and culture, founded in 1942 by Pujya Swami Shukdevanandji Maharaj and registered in 1962 under the Societies Registration Act.Parmarth Niketan is open to all visitors, with no discrimination on the basis of race, nationality, religion, caste or creed.