Ever Green Nature

Auli
Auli is one of the less explore hill stations in India. Auli, located in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, is a new contestant in the tourist map of India. Located in the cradle of snow-capped mountains, Auli is one of the very few places in India where skiing is a major pastime. Gradually Auli is growing like other hill stations in India. The bitter cold winds, the vast snow-covered landscape, the sylvan mountains, all add up to make Auli a skier's paradise. Representing man's constant endeavor to triumph over nature, Auli proves to be an ideal locale for the daring.
The area offers fine trekking routes to exploit lovers. A ropeway from Joshimath to Auli is one of the longest in India, extending to 4.15 kilometers. Auli is also the venue for the National Winter games in the months of February and March. Among the other interesting aspects of Auli is the grazing land stretch over 6 kilomteres, known as Byugal in the local language. A large number of colorful flowers blossom during the monsoon.

The population of Auli in Uttarakhand is composed of Tibetans belonging to the Bhotiya ethnic group. Hinduism is the chief religion practiced here.There are many picturesque and interesting spots around Auli. Joshimath, also called Jyotirmath is the site of one of the four religious centers established by the Hindu religious saint Adi Shankara. Badrinath, and Hemkunda sahib are among the famous religious centers located close to Auli. The valley of flowers is known for the colorful flowers that blossom there.

History
In the 8th century AD, the great Guru Adi Shankaracharya is said to have tread on these fields. The temple built by him at Joshimath still exists. For hundreds of years, the colorful semi-nomadic tribes of the Bhotiyas, of the Mongolian stock, traversed the trails at Auli, locally called Thatauli. Before Auli was developed as a ski resort, its slopes were the training ground for men of valor and courage-the ski-equipped men of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force. Among the awesome, legendary peaks ranged round Auli, the 23,490-feet-high Trishul (literal meaning, the strident of Lord Shiva) was the scene of a unique expedition in 1958. The mountaineers took four days to climb the peak and only 90 minutes to ski down to the base camp.



How to reach
By air - The nearest airport is Dehradun, about 298 km away. Rishikesh, about 235 km away, is the nearest railhead.
By road - Regular road services are available from Delhi, Dehradun, Rishikesh and Hardwar to Joshimath, 16 km away. From Joshimath one can hire jeeps to Auli. One can also trek the five kilometer between Joshimath and Auli. For further information, contact the GMVN office at Rajpur Road, Dehradun or the UP tourism offices located all over the country.
Tourism-of-India.com provides complete information about tourism in Auli. Tourism-of-India.com offers various tour packages to make your visit comfortable. You can pick the one that suits you most.
Where to stay:
At Auli, there is only Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam tourist bungalow with deluxe huts, and a regular vegetarian fare for menu. Charges are upward Rs 700 per night. If the occupancy is full, one can travel down to Joshimath before sunset, where private accommodation is easily available.