Lying on the southern slopes of outer Himalayas, Tehri Garhwal is on of the sacred hilly districts of Uttarakhand State. Before the creation of universe, Lord Brahma is said to have meditated on this sacred land. Muni-ki-Reti and Tapovan of the district are the places of penance for the ancient Rishis. Its hilly terrain and lack of easy communications have helped it to preserve its culture almost intact. Tehri and Garhwal are the two words combined for naming the district as Tehri Garhwal.
While the prefix Tehri is the corrupted form of the word `Trihari` which signifies a place that washes away all the three types of sins, namely sins born out of thought (Mansa), word (Vacha) and deed (Karmana), the other part `Garh` means country fort. In fact during olden days possession of number of forts was considered as a significant measuring rod of the prosperity and power of their rulers. Prior to 888, the whole of the Garhwal region was divided into small `garhs` ruled by separate independent kings known as Rana, Rai or Thakur. It is said that the prince Kanakpal who hailed from Malwa visited Badrinath ji (presently in Chamoli district) where he met the then mightiest king Bhanu Pratap. King Bhanu Pratap was impressed with the prince and got his only daughter married to him and also handed over his kingdom. Gradually Kanakpal and his descendents extended their empire by conquering all the garhs. Thus up to 1803 i.e. for 915 years the whole of the Garhwal region remained under their control.
A modern town and the headquarter of the Tehri-Garhwal district, New Tehri is an adventure tourism hub. Overlooking the massive Tehri Lake and dam, the well-planned town draws tourists, who come here for its natural beauty and the opportunity to enjoy innumerable water sports in the lake. The dam is the highest of its kind in India and is regarded among the world’s largest hydroelectric projects. It stands on the Bhagirathi river.
Tehri (also referred to as Old Tehri now) was a small town situated at the confluence of Bhagirathi and Bhilangna rivers in Uttarakhand. It was the capital of the erstwhile kingdom of Garhwal. This town got submerged under the lake formed during the construction of the Tehri dam. The residents were relocated to New Tehri.
New Tehri is perched high on a hill and offers the serenity of a hill-station. Surrounded by beautiful temples and dense forests, and set against soaring Himalayan peaks, New Tehri is an ideal vacation spot.
List of Districts in Uttarakhand
1.Haridwar
2.Dehradun
3.Udham Singh Nagar
4.Nainital
5.Pauri Garhwal
6.Almora
7.Tehri Garhwal
8.Pithoragarh
9.Chamoli
10.Uttarkashi
11.Bageshwar
12.Champawat
13.Rudraprayag
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