Harsil (हरसिल) is a village on the banks of Bhagirathi River, on the way to Hindu pilgrimage, Gangotri. It is situated in the Uttarkashi district of Indian state of Uttarakhand). Situated at a height of 7,860 ft (2,620 mtrs.) from sea level, Harsil lies 73 km. from Uttarkashi, and 30 km away from Harsil, lies the Gangotri National Park, spread over 1,553 square km.
Located in the mountain district of Uttarkashi is the sylvan hamlet , known for scenic landscapes and delicious apples. Sat Tal or seven lakes, nearby ( 2 km ) are a not-to-be-missed attraction. The sleepy valley of Harsil is still an unexplored and less known destination.
History
Harsil was popular for the legend of ‘Pahari’ Wilson, or Raja Wilson. Frederick E. Wilson, an adventurer, deserted the British Army just after the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. He escaped into Garhwal and met the Raja of Tehri seeking refuge. But the Raja was faithful to the British and refused to accommodate Wilson. Wilson moved into the mountains to escape detection. Fate landed him in Harsil, a remote beautiful village on the banks of the Bhagirathi river, with dense deodar slopes on either side. Wilson married a very beautiful pahari girl by the name of Gulabi. Then Wilson entered into a contract with a London-based company and built a fortune out of the export of skins, fur and musk. This was the time the British were building the Railways in India and there was great demand for quality wooden sleepers for the rails. Wilson cashed in on this and sent huge cut deodar trees floating down the river to the plains.
According to journalists Hugh & Colleen Gantzer, Wilson built a double-storeyed mansion in the village of Harsil on a deodar trunk frame filled with roughly dressed stones. But the ghost part of Wilson, comes with his building a swing bridge across the Bhagirathi. Wilson’s bridge has long since collapsed, but traces of it still remain. It was never rebuilt and today pilgrims walk down and cross a small footbridge on their way to Gangotri. But according to the locals, on moonlit nights one can still see the courageous Raja Wilson galloping down the area, where the bridge had been, in order to make the unwilling pilgrims have faith in his (alas) long vanished creation. Today a 410-feet iron bridge spans the river Jadganga.
Geography
Delhi-Hardwar-Harsil Ridge (DHHR), the basement ridge is a northerly extension of the Aravalli Mountain Belt, which also trends in a NNE-SSW direction and stretches from Amba Mata-Deri (Gujarat-Rajasthan) to Delhi via Ajmer and Jaipur .
Demographic
Over the years, a small number of Jadhs, an ethinic group of the Bhotiyas, have settled here, and speak a language closely resembling Tibetan.
Pilgrimage
The idol of the Hindu River Goddess Ganga (Ganges) is brought down from the shrine at Gangotri in the upper Himalayas after Diwali and kept at ‘Mukhba’ village near Harsil. It remains there throughout the winter when Gangotri is snowbound and inaccessible.
Buy
Ancient coins and wollens
Eat
Only local eating places (dhabas) are available. Non-vegetarian food and alcoholic drinks are prohibited in Gangotri.
Drink
No Alcohol permitted here. Instead, drink plenty of natural mineral water full of medicinal values.
awesome pics…n gud info 🙂
Only God could create such beauty.
Just Awesome
nice pics… really refreshing..
India’s real beauty.
Marvelous! Really India is so rich! Mind blowing.
This is really beautiful
Nature is best doctor for physical and mental problems is true like sun.
Hi how to reach there and where to stay…A guide on the same would be really helpful.
it is great.
when we see it we feel peace
this places make earth in balance
I think many BREEZE LOVERS will use this information.
perfect creatio ,,,, this is life,,,,,,,,
very good nature photo.
vary -2 good wow its natural source of beauty
life & weather is neat & clean
Most astoundng beauty of natyre. One believes these montains to be the very abode of LORD SHIVA’
BADRINATH GADICHARLA
it realy beautiful
Most beutiful place on the earth but what about accomodation ?
beauty is a joy to eyes. you made us witness and experience joy.
beauty is a treat to eyes. i witnessed this treat few moments back
ITANA SARA PANI (WEST) JA RAHA HAI ,PARANTU KISI INDIAN AUTHORITY KI NAZAR ME YE BAT KYO NAHI AATI. KI YAHA PAR KOI BADASA DAM BANDHE AUR SARE HINDUSTAN KI KHETI HARI BHARI HO JAYE. KOI BHI BHARTIY BHUKHE PET SE NA SOYE . HAMARA HINDUSTAN KITNA AAGE JAYEGA JO DUNIYA KA KOI BHI COUNTY HAMARE AAGE NIKAL NAHI SAKTA . KISI BHI HINDUSTANI NETA KE BHEJE ME YEH BAT KYU NAHI AATI.
JAY BHARAT!!
BHIMRAO SARDAR
most beautyful shot.best of one
Wow , I’ve been to Harsil but it never fails to impress, it IS Dev
Bhumi!
Any One can enjoy the natures beauty here
MOTI MANOT
Natures beauty invite every body to enjoy
SUMAN MANOT
wow wat a beautiful place
so beautifull…..nice place..poure…
Wow amazing Uttarkhand is all about great Tourism and the only place of Gods
Wonderful, exhilarating to enjoy nature’s bounty.
This is very nice. After seeing all just wanted to visit these place. Thanks.
It’s really a nice one and it is as good as a Paradise.
Its Amazing!!!
very selective pics… they are lovely
Its very nice pic…
feel like a haven in the earth
BLISS, u can not express more than a letter. thank you for the unforgettable and unimaginable ride. i doubt i could see in my rest of the life such wonderful nature.
raj
Thanks for the information.
i guess one lifetime is not enough see our country.
it’s amazing this is called nature……..i feeling to visit d place………guide me how to reach there?????????
I am certain that we live in heaven. Good collection. Thanks a lot. Will make a desk top background now. Hope in lifetime should visit these spots at the least once. Should thank the communication system to have these glorious views.
So Beautiful
Bahot Achcha
really stunning…these all r gods creation…amazing………..
gr88888888888 pic
Proud of my country…..
It amazing place which u feel u r top of the heaven nothing else. I truly speaking everybody who feel the nature my humble requste is atleast one time u should visit this heaven. It is varies person to person but as far as my experience is concern i enjoyed a lot and feel the beauty of the place it’s gives u power in your body.
amazing pictures
i’m ready to start
Its nice place to visit . I don’t know before .
Thanks for posting such useful info.
beautiful..awesome..amazing
Real beauty of himalaya……heaven on earth
Alas I missed Harsil. During my college days i.e. in 1971 to 1975 in this period I visited Uttarkashi twice but missed off this beautiful place. I had been trekking to Gangotri, Gaumukh, Vasuki Tal and there onwards to Friendship peak (Only till the base camp). But regret missing this wonderfulplace. If my age and health permits I would think of visiting. Thanks for the beautiful information and photographs.
A second contribution for my friends and readers. Please educate and keep your children informed about the unending beauty of our Mother land. It is better we explore these places than go to western countries to see. Really fantastic.
THIS PLACE IS UNBELIEVABLE,HAS AN AWESOME BEAUTY,ONE MUST VISIT HARSIL
🙂 AT LEAST ONCE IN A LIFETIME’,IT’S HEAVEN ON EARTH
amazing wish i could live here the rest of my life.
Though i have already visited this place..always plan to visit again…this is real heaven….jai uttrakhand
Yeap, It’s a aussme place, I visited there, It’s unforgetable in my life.
BEAUTIFUL… WE CANOT IMAGINE THE CREATIVITY OF GOD… THANK GOD.
Wow!!!! I really got to visit place.
It is really wonderfull and every indian should visit to this place in one time in life. Govt. of Uttarakhand should be proper maintanace of road and local area road should be like a chiks of not Hemamalni it should like chicks of Aishwarya Rai.
It’s real beauty, very beautiful places………
it is amazing one should enjoy this beauty at least once in a life time
It looks like heaven on earth.A beautiful himalyan pilgrimage
Vary good. beautiful.
jai uttrakhand dev bhumi
its fine………………..i love it
REALLY EXCELLENT !!!! VERY NEAR TO HEAVEN……!!!!! THANKS
awesome pictures…..
v.good..
BEAUTIFUL AND VERY SCENIC.PLEASE GUIDE ME HOW TO REACH
thnx darling
Cannot effort to travel here. Thanks for the post at least see the photos
amazing! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lovely n love to visit
thank for all
really fantastic place
REALLY SUPER.
AMAZING PICTURE. VERY NICE AND FANTASTIC PHOTO.
nice pics… really refreshing..
one number
harsil ki sunderta mane net me apke sojanya se dekha bolliwood k logo ko ye sunderta kyo nahi dikhai deti mai to dhanya ho gai ise
dekhker
thanks a lot
this is very nice ofter seeing
morvles so beutiful
Though i have already visited this place..always plan to visit again…this is real heaven….jai uttrakhand
Yeap, It’s a aussme place, I visited there, It’s unforgetable in my life
it is really indian Beauty i cant belive thank for showing me indian Beauty
Its fantastic
really beautiful place
hey awsome pics… unbelievable… india has such a beauty lying inside it and people roam around the foreign countries to search beauty..
very very beautiful,in this nature
thanku frind
i love nature,
Very nice they look better than the actual place
Exellant photographs and very nice guiding
really beautiful place
Hi,
Excellent & Very good
Thanx
From.
Baban
VERY NICE PICTURE
very beatiful thank u
beautiful place in nearest gangotri
I leaves for 11 times.
i have seen the pics of this beautiful place, it is ethereal, it seems it is not for corporal beings. May be Gods used to live here. this celestial place is worth to visit. this Shangri-la will definitely give you feeling of celestial abode.
I am going to visit this place definitely.
after seen these picture I feel relax……………………………..
I will go there this beautiful place
Mera Bharat has many many very beautiful and peaceful places.
Things looking beautiful are hard to find in close. And, to get close to this we need to fight against the oddities of the nature. However, present revolution/progress of science has brought this close to us to enjoy from our eyes, at least. Thanks to the person who made it possible.
If Indian govt develop this kind of hill station and restrict commercialization of the place then Indian tourist doesn’t need to go Europe, Australia and New Zealand. we have everything in india.Infact we can attract foreign tourist also… i hope our govt will understand one day…
really beautiful awesome amazing
THANKS for nice pictures and interesting in formation. It is lovely to get to know that God has created such nice places and human beings try their best to maintain them without liquor and non vegetarian food.
Really, its wonderful Pictures.
great view n natural beauty is an absolute bliss!!!
thank you for this treat to eyes!
god gift
THANKS
We are coming!!!
Bachpan Bachao Andolan.
I have visited the place, really worth seeing. One has to cross this place during journey to Gangotri
Its magnificent makes you feel like a spec .Makes you feel humble and gets you to your feet as if you are no one in front of this majesty. EGOS ARE ALL NULLIFIED HERE.THATS WHY ITS HEAVENLY AND PURE >
Belas paisagens!!
Aranha
Minas Gerais
explore with me….on bike…..then feel wonder valley….
seems to be an awesome place
Thanks for Information
But Mai Harsil Ghum chuka hu I love nature beauty