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Uttarakhand

Tehri Garhwal

The district of Tehri Garhwal stretches from the snow clad Himalaya peaks of Thalaiya Sagar, Jonli and the Gangotri group all the way to the foothills near Rishikesh. The Bhagirathi which runs through the district seems to divide the district into two, while the Bhilangna, Alaknanda, Ganga and Yamuna rivers border it on the east and west. Its neighbouring districts are Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Pauri, Rudraprayag and Dehradun.

Lying on the southern slopes of outer Himalayas, Tehri Garhwal is one of the sacred hilly districts of  Uttarakhand State. Before the creation of the 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 (Karma), 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.

During 1794-95 Garhwal was under the grip of severe famine and again in 1883, the country was terribly shaken by an earthquake. Gorkhas had by then started invading this territory and heralded their influence  over the region. The people of the region being already affected by natural calamities were in the deplorable condition and therefore could not resist Gorkhas invasion. On the other hand, Gorkhas whose several attempts for capturing the fort Langoor Garhi had earlier failed, were now in powerful position. In 1803, therefore, they again invaded Garhwal region when King Pradumn Shah was the ruler. King Pradumn Shah was killed in the battle in Dehra Dun but his only son (Sudarshan Shah was minor at that time) was cleverly saved by the trusted courtiers. With the victory of Gorkhas in this battle their dominion was established in Garhwal region. Later on their kingdom extended up to Kangara and they ruled over this region continuously for 12 years before they were thrown away from Kangara by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. On the other hand Sudarshan Shah could manage help from East India Company and got his kingdom freed from Gorkha rulers. The East India Company merged Kumaon, Dehradunn and east Garhwal in the British Empire and the west Garhwal was given to Sudarshan Shah which was then known as Tehri Riyasat.

King Sudarshan Shah established his capital at Tehri town and afterwards his successors Pratap Shah, Kirti Shah and Narendra Shah established their capital at Pratap Nagar, Kirti Nagar and Narendra Nagar respectively. Their dynasty ruled over this region from 1815 to 1949. During the Quit India Movement people of this region actively participated for the independence of the country. Ultimately when the country was declared independent in 1947, the inhabitants of Tehri Riyasat started their movement for getting themselves freed from the clutches of Maharaja. Due to the movement the situation became out of his control and was difficult for him to rule over the region. Consequently the 60th king of Pawar Vansh Manvendra Shah accepted the sovereignty of Indian Government. Thus in 1949 Tehri Riyasat was merged in Uttar Pradesh and was given the status of a new district. Being a scattered region it posed numerous  problems for expediting development. Resultantly on 24th February 1960 the U.P. Government separated its one tehsil which was given status of a separate district named as Uttarkashi.

Old Tehri

Tehri town situated at an elevation of 770 m, and 84 km from Rishikesh. Tehri is situated at the holy confluence of Bhagirathi and Bhilangna rivers and is the important halting station enroute to the Panch Kedar at Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath.

New Tehri

The newly established township is the district headquater of Tehri Garhwal. It is situated at an elevation between 1550 to 1950 m. A modern and well planned town, only 11 mm from Chamba and 24 km from Old Tehri, it overlooks a massive artificial lake and a Dam. It will soon become an important centre of attraction on the completion of the dam.

Environment

The flora of the district includes the vast range found in the Himalayas, varying from the sub-tropical species which grow in the outer ranges of low hills to the rich Alpine flowers in the north. Still, it can reasonably be termed to consist of mostly such trees as grow in its forests because large tracts of the land-surface in the district constitute forests. The chir, the oaks, the conifers, the sal, the deodar, the haldlu. the yew, the cypress, the rhododendron, the birch, the horse chestnut, the cycamore the willow, the alder and various types of fruit trees like the cornel, the figs, the Kaiphal, the mulberry, the kingora, the raspberry, the blackberry, currants, medlars, gooseberries, hazelnuts, apples, pears, cherries, apricots, plums, peaches, oranges, limes, bananas, pomegranates and walnuts are found in the district besides a variety of herbal plants bushes, scrubs and grass.

The flora of the district may be divided into six main botanical divisions : (1) the tropical dry deciduous forests, (2) the sal forests (3) the chir forests, (4) the oak forests, (4) the deodar, fir and spruce forests, and (5) the Alpine pastures.

Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests

These forests occur mostly near the confluence 0f the Yamuna and the Aglar and on foothills and extend up to the altitudes 0f 1,200 m. The predominant species are kuri, kemela, jhingan, and mandar. The chief undergrowths are the dhaula, binda, basingha and the gandela.

Sal Forests

These forests exist up to the altitude 0f 1,066 m., their best growths being found in the valley 0f the Chandan Rao in tahsil Devaprayag and in the valley 0f the Bandal in tahsil Tehri. Small tracts 0f the sal forests may also be seen in the neighbourhood 0f Muni ki Reti and Shivpuri in tahsil Devaprayag. Sal is highly gregarious. The upper limit of Sal is regulated to a great extent by frost. In excessively dry localities, it gives way to more xerophytic species. It does not extend beyond the outer ranges 0f the Himalayas even though the main river valleys in the northern part of the district are much below the maximum elavation at which this species may grow. It is commonly found up to the altitude of 762 m. on the southern aspects and 1,066 m. on the northern. The other chief trees found in these forests are sain, bakli, jhingan, haldu, kanju, sandhan, rohini and amaltas. The bakli is utilised for preparing charcoal. The wood of the sandhan is used for making agricultural implements. The khair trees are also met with in these forests.

Grass abounds in sal forests, wherever sufficient light reaches the ground. In most sal forests, sal comprises 80 to 90 percent of the dominant tree species and tends to form a dense treecanopy, The sal forests had originally contained a much higher percentage of miscellaneous species.

Chir Forests

These forests ordinarily extend on the southern aspects from 1,000 m. to 2,150 m. and on the northern aspects from 900 m. to 2,000 m. throughout the district, growing best in the valleys of the Bhillangana and its tributaries, the Alaknanda and the Mandakini. Chir is found On almost all geological formations though, On certain southern slopes with a limestone subsoil, it is unable to exist on account or the dryness of the soil coupled with relatively high temperatures. Nevertheless, chir forests can establish themselves on dry southern aspects where owing to xerophytic conditions and the prevalence of fires, few other trees or shrub species survive. In all chir forests, the pine is the dominant tree species present though, on the northern aspects where, there is more moisture in the soil and fires are less destructive, scattered trees of there species also occur. Chir forests are seldom very dense. The ground is covered with grass, sometimes dense, whatever the aspect of density or overhead canopy, and there is also a discontinuous undergrowth 0f shrubs, often so widely scattered that even from a short distance their presence is scarcely noticeable. The open nature of these forests, the absence of other tree species and the poverty of the undergrowth are attributable to fires which have in the past swept annually throughout their length and breadth, to the xerophytic conditions under which they grow and to the fact that the chir is often located near tracts under cultivation which leads to its heavy lopping and felling. Towards its lower limit, chir gets mixed up with trees of miscellaneous species and, less frequently, with sal forests. Towards its upper limits and in moist and shady ravines, it gradually gives place to banj. The chir is tapped for resin and its wood is used for building purposes. The seed also yields oil and, when baked, it becomes edible. The dry leaves are- utilised for manuring.

Deodar Forests

These forests occur in the northern part of the district in tahsil Pratapnagar in a small area, associated with blue pine and cypress between the altitudes 0f 1,520 m, and 2,150 m. above sea level. The forests are open and the trees do not attain great height. The timber of deodar is the most highly prized of all the conifers for house. building, granaries, boat-building and railway sleepers.

Fir and Spruce Forest

These forests occur in the northern part of the district between the altitudes of 2,150 m. and 3,050 m. Wherever silver fir occurs, it is the dominant species excepting when it occurs mixed with spruce even where, it is equally important. Parts of such forests are covered with kharsu or moru.

Oak Forests

The three principal oaks are banj, moru and kharsu, each occupying more or less a distinct altitudipal zone in the district.

Banj forests

are ordinarily found between the heights 0f 1,800 m., and 2,150 m., above sea-Ievel but they also occupy moist ravines running down into the chir zone where they reach levels as low as 1,050 m. A notable feature of the banj is its capacity to establish itself on the most unfavourable southern aspects. Those on the northern aspects are comparatively more dense. On southern aspects, the ground is almost invariably clothed with dense grass, while on northern aspects the incidence 0f grass is much less. The banj  has a large number of shrubs associated with it.

Moru forests

are found at between 1,980 m. and 2,750 m. above sea-level and occupy an intermediate zone between banj and kharsu, which form extensive forests on the southern aspects, where the moru occurs sporadically. It attains its maximum development at elevations between 2,125 m. and 2,450 m. on moist soils and especially where the subsoil is limestone. On account 0f the density 0f growth and prevailing moist conditions, fires only penetrate into such forests rarely. Some other species compete with morn for dominance, the commonest being the deodar and the kharu.  

Kharsu forests

occupy very extensive tracts at heights between 2,350 m. and 3,500 m. in the northern part of talsil Pratapnagar (except in the north-east) and in the north-eastern part 0f tahsil Devaprayag. It is found equally on the northern and southern aspects and has few successful competitors, excepting silver fir and moru. The fir, however, occurs only on a small fraction 0f the area occupied by kharsu. Moru can complete with success only on northern aspects. As its lower limit, kharsu often passes into banj forests though, on some northern aspects, it frequently gives place to moru, spruce or silver fir. At its upper limit, it passes into forests of birch and silver  though, on southern slopes, it more frequently passes directly into pastureland without any gradual transition. Typical khasru forests are dense, the most common associate being burans ,which is almost as aboundant in the kharsu forests as it is in the banj forests. Shrubs occur in great variety, the commonest being titmela.

Alpine Pastures

These are found in the north eastern part of the district in tahsils Pratapnagar and Devaprayag between heights 0f 3,500 m. and 5,000 m. above sea-Ievel. The land in these parts is covered with snow from October to May but, from June to September, varieties of grasses, herbs, shrubs and flowers grow in the area in abundance. The area provides beautiful and extensive pasture lands for the cattle. On the northern aspects, the birch is also met with and its stems give the famous Bhurjpatra or Bhoj-paper on which books were written before the advent of paper.

Banks

Tehri Garhwal Stats

Population 604,608 (2001 census), a 16.15% increase over the previous decade.

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