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Business
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 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.
To Uttarakhand, long 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. Gangotri and Yamunotri, the
sources of both the Ganges and Yamuna fall in the upper reaches of
the state and together with Badrinath (dedicated to Vishnu) and
Kedarnath (dedicated to Shiva) form the Chardham of Uttarakhand, one
of Hinduism most spiritually auspicious pilgrimage circuits.
Rishikesh near Haridwar is known as the preeminent yoga centre of
India while the spectacular view from Hemkund is of special
significance to Sikhs. In addition, the state has an abundance of
temples and shrines, many dedicated to local deities or
manifestations of Shiva and Durga, references to many 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.
Tibetan Buddhism has also made itself felt with the recent
reconstruction of Mindroling Monastery and its Buddha Stupa, touted
as the world's highest, southwest of Dehradun.
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