New Tehri is a planned hill town built high above the reservoir, overlooking Tehri Lake and snow ranges on clear days. It serves as the district headquarters of Tehri Garhwal and has wide roads, terraced neighbourhoods, administrative offices, schools, markets and viewpoints oriented towards the lake. From town balconies and parks you can see the massive dam wall, the blue water filling former valleys and the surrounding forested hills, making New Tehri both a working administrative centre and a viewpoint city. Adventure operators use it as a base for lake activities, treks, village stays and drives to Chamba, Dhanaulti and Devprayag.
About this place
History & highlights
When the Tehri Dam was planned, the old capital town at the confluence of Bhagirathi and Bhilangna was destined to be submerged. The state therefore designed New Tehri on higher slopes as a rehabilitation and administrative town, gradually shifting government offices and residents there in the 1980s–2000s. The site choice reflected modern planning ideas – earthquake-resistant structures, water supply from the new reservoir, better road connectivity – but emotionally many residents still feel attached to the old town left underwater. Over time, New Tehri has developed its own identity: every balcony and terrace reminds people of the dual story of Tehri – a submerged past and a rising new town. Festivals, Ramlila performances and district events that once belonged to old Tehri are now held here, symbolically transferring the cultural centre from the drowned town to its successor on the hill.
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