November 9: Uttarakhand Day

Every year on November 9, the Uttarakhand Day is celebrated. It is also called as Uttarakhand Divas or Uttarakhand State Foundation Day.

Key Highlights

In 2020, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Rawat is to inaugurate hot air balloon festival in Mussorie. Apart from the hot air balloon celebrations, the state is also organizing Majestic Uttarakhand photo exhibitions and ‘Heal with Wheels’.

Background

The first demand for a separate state of Uttarakhand arose in 1897. In 1994, the demand for a separate state took full form that led to a mass movement resulting in the formation of the Uttarakhand state in 2000.

About Uttarakhand

It is known as the “Land of Gods” or “Dev Bhumi”. It was named ‘Uttaranchal’ during its foundation. Later, it was renamed to Uttarakhand in 2007. The capital of the state is Dehradun. The high court of the state is located in Nainital.

The State hosts Bengal Tiger in the Jim Corbett National Park. The Nanda Devi region is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The region is known for its rarity of flowers. The native people of Uttarakhand are Uttarakhandi, Kumaoni and Garhwali. Uttarakhand has the highest number of general category caste (upper caste) of any other state in India.

The ethnic tribes of Uttarakhand are Jausari, Tharu, Bhotiya, Buksa, Jad, Raji and Banrawat.

National Parks and Sanctuaries in Uttarakhand

The major national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the State of Uttarakhand are as follows

• Nanda Devi Biosphere
• Govind National Park
• Corbett National Park
• Rajaji National Park
• Gangotri National Park
• Govind Wild Life Sanctuary
• Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary
• Asan Wildlife Sanctuary
• Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary

Rivers in Uttarakhand

Ganga, Kali, Yamuna and Tons are the famous rivers in the state.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2020