Uttarakhand, (Hindi: उत्तराखण्ड, Uttarākhaṇḍ), formerly known as Uttaranchal, is a
state in the northern part of
India. It is often referred to as the Devbhumi (literally: "Land of the Gods") due to many
Hindu temples and pilgrimage centres found throughout the state. Uttarakhand is known for its natural beauty of the
Himalayas, the
Bhabhar and the
Terai. On 9 November 2000, this 27th state of the
Republic of India was created from the Himalayan and adjoining northwestern districts of
Uttar Pradesh. It borders
Tibet on the north; the
Mahakali Zone of the
Far-Western Region,
Nepal on the east; and the Indian states of
Uttar Pradesh to the south and
Himachal Pradesh to the west and north-west as well as
Haryana to its south-western corner. The state is divided into two divisions,
Garhwal and
Kumaon, with a total of
13 districts. The interim capital of Uttarakhand is
Dehradun, the largest city in the region, which is a railhead. The
High Court of the state is in
Nainital.
Archaeological evidence support the existence of humans in the region since
prehistoric times. The region formed a part of the
Kuru and the
Panchal kingdoms (
mahajanpads) during the
Vedic age of
Ancient India. Among the first major dynasties of Kumaon were the
Kunindas in the 2nd century BCE who practised an early form of
Shaivism.
Ashokan edicts at
Kalsi show the early presence of
Buddhism in this region. During the medieval period, the region was consolidated under the
Kumaon Kingdom and
Garhwal Kingdom. In 1816, most of modern Uttarakhand was ceded to the
British as part of the
Treaty of Sugauli. Although the erstwhile hill kingdoms of Garhwal and Kumaon were traditional rivals, the proximity of different neighboring ethnic groups and the inseparable and complementary nature of their geography, economy, culture, language, and traditions created strong bonds between the two regions which further strengthened during the
Uttarakhand movement for statehood in the 1990s.
The natives of the state are generally called
Uttarakhandi or more specifically either
Garhwali or
Kumaoni depending on their place of origin. According to the
2011 Census of India, Uttarakhand has a population of 10,116,752, making it the 19th
most populous state in India. A large portion of the population consists of
Rajputs and
Brahmins. About 83% of the population follow
Hinduism.
Islam is the second largest majority religion in the state, followed by a minority of the population practicing
Sikhism and a micro-minority praciticing
Jainism,
Buddhism and
Christianity.
