TEHRI

Himalayan Odyssey

For those passionate about adventure sports, Tehri is the place to visit

Arindam Ghosh

IT WAS a torrid Delhi weekend in May last year. Two of my cousins and I decided to take a break, pack our bags and go for a short weekend trip to the hills. With only two days available to us, my uncle suggested Tehri, a comfortable distance away and an ideal getaway to explore the natural beauty of the Himalayas.
Although, the trip seemed too short, we wanted to pack in as much as we could to experience the richness and beauty of Himalayas. The trip started with plenty of excitement and enthusiasm. It took us close to four and half hours by train to reach Haridwar from New Delhi and a taxi ride of more than two hours from Haridawar took us to our destination. We did not have to look for a hotel as my uncle had already booked us into one.
Enroute, we were completely overwhelmed with the beauty of the majestic mountains. The quiet grandeur of Tehri with the chirping of birds captivated us. The natural beauty and peace of New Tehri, located amidst the backdrop of the snow covered mountains, is the perfect destination for city-worn tourists. It was time to forget pollution and breathe in the pure mountain air.
New Tehri is located at altitudes of between 1550 meters and 1950 metres . The town was built to rehabilitate people of Old Tehri, which was submerged by the waters of the Tehri Dam. Tehri is well connected by road to Dehradun, Mussoorie, Haridwar, Rishikesh and other parts of the region. Rishikesh is the nearest railway station.
Setting aside the fatigue of a long journey we set off to experience the Himalayas. After lunch at the hotel, it was time to go and see the Tehri Dam, considered as one of the tallest in Asia. The dam is spread over an area of 45 square kilometers and has a height of 855 feet.
The next day we hired a car and went to Chamba and Dhanaulti and Chamba, which offers spectacular views of the snow-capped Himalayas and the serene Bhagirathi valley. Dhanaulti located 24 kms from Chamba on the Mussoorie-Chamba route is delightful spot nestled amidst natural beauty.
As time did not permit, we could not make it to other attractions that the town offered such as the Kempty Falls and Narendra Nagar.
If you have a passion for adventure sports then Tehri is the place to visit. It offers enormous opportunities for trekking, camping, rafting and mountaineering. Kaudiyala located about 37 km from Rishikesh on the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway is known for white water rafting . 62 kilometres from Tehri is Khaling Glacier - a popular trekking destination.
Tehri gives you an entry point to some of the important pilgrimage destinations such as Kedarnath, Yamunotri , Badrinath and Gangotri. A trip to Tehri can be planned at any time of the year, as the weather remains pleasant almost always. The short trip proved a respite from the daily monotonous routine amidst nature.

NAVI GATO R



BY AIR:

Nearest airport is Dehradun

BY TRAIN:

Nearest railway station is Rishikesh

BY ROAD:

Connected well by Dehradun, Rishikesh