Tehri

Tehri was the capital of the princely state of Tehri Garhwal (Garhwal Kingdom) in British India, located on the confluence of rivers Bhagirathi and Bhilangana, and covered an area of 4,180 square miles (10,800 km2) before the British rule. During this period, the King of Garhwal gave away part of his kingdom to express his gratitude towards the British for ridding his kingdom of constant attacks by the Gurkha raiders. Consequently, half of the Tehri state was given away as "Garhwal" ( including Pauri Garhwal, and today's Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts ). The district came to be known as British Garhwal until independence. The Bhagirathi river divide the district into two halves, and the Bhilangna, Alaknanda, Ganga and Yamuna rivers border it on the east and west. The construction of the Tehri Dam in the recent times has submerged the old Tehri town, and the entire population of the relocated town has been shifted to New Tehri - the present District headquarter of Tehri district.

Tehri is best known for the Tehri Lake arising due to the dam, and measuring 260 meters deep, with the potential to produce 2400 MW of electricity. Tourism holds great potential for this area as this falls within the "Yatra route" for the Gangorti Dham. Other places of interest in Tehri district are as follows :

Dhanaulti - a small hamlet in the shade of Cider and Rhododendron forests and a peaceful destination, a short distance from Mussoorie - the famed hill station is dubbed as the queen of hills!

Kanatal lake - a forgotten lake, revived after years of neglect, is fast emerging as a place of great tourist attraction - a mere 35 kms from from Tehri.

Chandrabadni - located at a great height and devoted to Sati - the consort of Lord Shiva, this temple is a major Siddhapeeth , as this was one of the four spots where Lord Shiva accidently dropped Sati's body parts!

Surkhanda Devi Temple - one of the four Siddhapeeths, it is believed that this was another place where parts from the charred body of Sati fell - marking the location of the Siddhapeeth at Surkhanda.

Sem Mukhem - Revered in both the districts of Pauri Garhwal, and Tehri, the priests (Pujaris) from this are well known around the country, for their skill in Astrology. The Sem Mukhem Temple is a Naag Raja temple devoted to the Cobra - a symbol of Lord Shiva!

Khatling Glacier - An oft visited glacier, the trek to Khatling can be graded as moderate, but on continuing onwards to Kedarnath, the trek increases in difficulty. Other natural marvels seen near the Khatling glacier are Vasuki tal, Masar Tal, and Sahsra tal lakes.