Gairsain declared Uttarakhand’s Summer Capital in India on 4 Mar, 2020

Trivendra Singh Rawat, the CM of Uttarakhand announced that Gairsain is declared as the summer capital of the state of Uttarakhand. Currently, Dehradun is the capital of the state. However, locals have shown their disparity on this matter for several years. This announcement took place during the state’s budget session, on 04 March 2020. He mentioned that until the issue of a permanent capital for the state is resolved, Gairsain will serve the purpose of a capital. During 2017 election, BJP promised that Garsain will be the state’s summer capital and people gave the party, a historic win with 57 seats in assembly elections.

Gairsain Becomes Summer Capital

The official announcement took place during the budget session. CM also mentioned that this change is dedicated to the struggles of the public. This change was initiated in 1960 by Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali. Later, in 1992, Kranti Dal announced Gairsain as the capital site. It has been two decades since the state has been separated from Uttar Pradesh. Dehradun was announced as a temporary capital and it housed the MLA residences, residence of CM, and the Raj Bhavan. Now, Uttarakhand is the fifth state in the country to have two capitals. Uttarakhand has two major divisions; Garhwal and Kumaon.

An Introduction To Gairsain

The term ‘Gairsain’ comes from local vernacular, which means Gair – depth and Sain – plains. Since 2016, the Gairsain region stands as a Nagar Panchayat. Gairsain is located 280 km from the current capital, Dehradun. According to CM, Gairsain needs more development to start functioning effectively as the state’s capital. In terms of tourism, Girsain holds beauties like the Valley of Flowers and Badrinath.

Development In Gairsain

CM mentioned that Bharairisain will be the main site for major concern. This region is located 14 km from Gairsain and holds the assembly building. The main problem in this region is the water crisis. There are plans to build a lake closer to Bararisain to deal with the water deficiency in the region.

Celebrating The Announcement With Holi

According to the locals, the festival of Holi arrived a little early to the residents of Gairsain. The locals of Gairsain celebrated this news along with the Holi festival. A large crowd assembled outside the building. Women artists performed Jhumalo, the folk dance at the entrance of the assembly building. CM and other ministers took part in the celebrations.

Tourism In Gairsain

The peak tourism time in Gairsain is during the winter and early summer. The tourists prefer visiting between November and March. Nearest airport is the Pantnagar airport, which is 200 km away from this summer capital and the closest railway station is Kathgodam station, which is 173 km away. However, you can find cabs and buses to Gairsain, throughout the year.

Top tourist attractions in and closer to Gairsain are Nanda Devi national Park, Yog Dhyan Badri, Adi Badri, Vasundhara Falls, Vriddha Badri, Valley of Flowers, and others. Attractions closer to Gairsain are Dwarahat, Chaukhutiya, Kausani, Karnaprayag, and Ranikhet. Nature walk and village exploration are two main tourism activities of this region.