Garhwal division, Administrative division in Uttarakhand, India

Garhwal is an administrative region in India's northern Himalayan areas, spanning seven districts including Dehradun, Haridwar, and Chamoli. The landscape features green mountains, river valleys, and scattered settlements where Garhwali and Hindi are spoken by residents.

This region emerged as a unified area in the 15th century when a king brought together multiple separate principalities into one territory. That consolidation became the foundation for how the region is organized today administratively.

Garhwali culture includes more than 25 forms of folk dance and song, among them the Mangal, Jagar, Chhopati, Chounphula and Jhumeila. Jagar songs are performed to invoke local deities, and the region's fairs, such as the Basant Panchami fair at Kotdwar and the Purnagiri fair at Tanakpur, maintain community ties. Wood carving survives on doors of houses built up to half a century ago and in hundreds of temples across Garhwal.

The best time to explore is during warmer months when mountain and river routes are more accessible. Visitors should prepare for varying elevations and keep in mind that weather and road conditions can change rapidly.

The name Garhwal comes from the many forts, or garh, that once dotted the region. Raja Ajai Pal, a Parmar scion, united 52 fortified principalities in the 14th century, and his domain was called Garhwala, the owner of forts. The name later passed to the whole kingdom.