Gairsain

The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand announced that Gairsain town is to be the new summer capital of the Himalayan state.

           Location

Gairsain is a town near the centre of Uttarakhand. It is located at the eastern edge of the middle Himalayan Mountain Range called the Dudhatoli Range. It falls in the seismic zone 5, meaning it is vulnerable to earthquakes.

           Dehradun

Dehradun is currently the capital of Uttarakhand. It is located on the plains. It was chosen as the temporary capital when the state was carved out from Uttar Pradesh. The Dixit Commission recommended Dehradun as the permanent capital for its safety from natural calamity, proximity to the national capital and its centralised population.

            States with 2 Capitals

Several states in India have separate summer and winter capitals. Himachal Pradesh has its winter capital at Dharamshala while Shimla is the capital for rest of the year. Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra while its winter capital is Nagpur. The Union Territory Jammu and Kashmir has 2 capitals: Srinagar and Jammu.