District Tehri Garhwal stretches from the snow clad Himalayan peaks of Thalaiya Sagar, Jonli and the Gangotri group all the way to the foothills near Rishikesh. The gushing Bhagirathi which runs through seems to divide the district into two, while the Bhilangna, Alaknanda, Ganga and Yamuna rivers border it on the east and west. Tehri Garhwal is surrounded by Uttarkashi district in the north, Pauri Garhwal district in the south, Rudraprayag district in the east, and Dehradun district in the west.
Lying on the southern slopes of mid Himalayas, Tehri Garhwal is on of the sacred hilly districts of Uttarakhand State. Before the creation of universe, Lord Brahma is said to have meditated on this sacred land. Muni-ki-Reti and Tapovan of the district are the places of penance for the ancient Rishis. Its hilly terrain and lack of easy communications have helped it to preserve its culture almost intact. Tehri and Garhwal are the two words combined for naming the district as Tehri Garhwal.