As Uttarakhand is all set to celebrate two decades of statehood, it also gave its hill people the gift of a new summer capital Gairsain. The state carved out of Uttar Pradesh will now have two capitals, retaining Dehradun as the winter capital. The announcement was made by chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat in the state assembly this week.
The demand for this capital had been raging since the 1990s, when the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal asked the Congress party for Gairsain as the to-be state&rsquos capital. And to fortify their decision&mdashand pay homage to their idol&mdashthey established Vir Chandra Singh Garwali&rsquos statue there. &ldquoI dedicate the decision to hundreds of people who were martyred for (the statehood) Uttarakhand,&rdquo the chief minister told News18.
Infrastructural facilities are being gradually put in place. The duration for the functionality (number of months each year) of the capital is yet to be decided.
Once celebrated as the Kedar Kshetra in ancient literature, the town has been ruled by the Nagas, Khasas, Kiratas, Kunindas, and Tunganas. Today, the picturesque Gairsain is an emerging tourist destination, connecting the Garhwal and Kumaon regions. Gairsain&rsquos allure comes not only from its scenic offerings, but also its strategic location near the hill districts. About 280 kilometres from Dehradun, the new capital is also the source of the Ramganga River, near the Dudhatoli Parvat (mountain). The name Gairsain was derived from the Garhwali words 'gair' or 'at some depth' and 'sain', meaning 'rolling plains'. It is situated at an altitude of 1,750 metres above sea level, and at the eastern edge of the vast Dudhatoli mountain range. It is close to popular toursim spots like Ranikhet, Kasauni and Dehradun.
Gairsain is around 16 kilometres from the Almora district border along National Highway 87. The nearest railway station to Gairsain is Ramnagar, around 150 kilometres away. The nearest airport, Gauchar Airport, is approximately 54 kilometres away.