Uttarakhand is a state in North India, which was formed on 7 November 2000 as the twenty-seventh state of the Republic of India after several years of movement. From 2000 to 2006, it was known as Uttaranchal. The state's official name was changed to Uttarakhand in keeping with the sentiments of the local people in January 2007. The state borders with Tibet in the north and Nepal in the east. Himachal Pradesh in the west and Uttar Pradesh in the south are the states bordering it. Before its formation in 2000, it was a part of Uttar Pradesh. This area is mentioned as Uttarakhand in traditional Hindu texts and ancient literature. Uttarakhand means northern region or part in Hindi and Sanskrit. The state has several important pilgrimage centers of Hinduism, the holiest rivers of India and the origin of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers of India, Gangotri and Yamunotri respectively, and the Vedic culture on its banks.