I wrote an article titled “Hello Uttaranchal!,” published in The Statesman on 22 December 2000.
In this travel account, I describe a week in the newly created state of Uttaranchal, traveling through Jim Corbett Park, Ranikhet, Joshimath, Badrinath, and the surrounding towns. Along the way, I reflect on bureaucracy, political patronage, environmental damage, religious tourism, and the gap between the promise of a new state and the realities on the ground.