Haldwani
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| ?Haldwani Uttarakhand • India |
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| Coordinates: | |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| District(s) | Nainital |
| Population | 129,140 (2001) |
| Website: 210.212.78.56/haldwani/en/?subid=99&id=50 | |
Haldwani (Hindi: हल्द्वानी) is a city, which along with its twin township of Kathgodam forms the Haldwani-Kathgodam (हल्द्वानी-काठगोदाम) municipal board in Nainital District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.
It is one of the most populous towns in Uttarakhand, and is known as the "Gateway of Kumaon". In Kumaoni, the local dialect, the place is called "Halduvani", after the tree named "Haldu" (Haldina cordifolia), which was found in abundance prior to deforestation for agriculture and settlement.
In 1816, after the British defeated Gorkhas, Gardner was appointed the Commissioner of Kumaon. Later George William Trail took over as Commissioner and renamed Halduvani as Haldwani in 1834 [1]. Though British records suggest that the place was established in 1834, as mart for hill people who visited the Bhabhar (Himalayan foothills) region, during the cold season [2].
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[edit] History
Mughal historians mention that in 14th century, a local ruler, Gyan Chand of Chand Dynasty, visited Delhi Sultanate and received the regions of Bhabhar- Terai up to the Ganga as a grant from then Sultan. Later, the Mughals tried to take over the hills, but their attempts received set back due to the difficult terrain [3].
In 1856, Sir Henry Ramsay took over as the Commissioner of Kumaon. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, it was briefly seized by the rebels of Rohilkhand, soon martial law was declared in the region by Sir Henry Ramsay, and by 1858, the region was cleared of the rebels [3].
Later, Ramsay connected Nainital with Kathgodam by road in 1882. In 1883-84, the railway track was laid between Bareilly and Kathgodam. The first train arrived at Haldwani from Lucknow on April 24, 1884 [4]. Later, the railway line was extended to Kathgodam.
In 1901, with a population of 6,624, Haldwani was the headquarters of the Bhabhar region of Nainital District, in the United Province, and it also used to become the winter headquarters of the officers of the Kumaun Division and of Nainital District [2] The Arya Samaj Bhavan was built in 1901 and Sanatan Dharm Sabha in 1902. The Tehsil office was opened here in 1899, when it became the tehsil headquarters of the Bhabhar, one of four division of Nainital district [3], and included 4 towns and 511 villages; and had a combined population of 93,445 (1901), spread over 1,279 sq. miles [5]. Though before the formation of Nainital district in 1891, it was part of the Kumaon District, which was later called Almora district [6].
In 1904, it was consitituted as a 'notified area' [2] and in 1907 Haldwani got the status of town area [7].
Gora Padao, 4 km south of Haldwani was named after a British camp/post at that location in the mid 1800s, Gora being a slang for the British.
Haldwani-Kathgodam Municipal Council was established on September 21, 1942. Currently it is the second largest Municipal Council in the state of Uttarakhand after Haridwar.
[edit] Geography
Geologically, Haldwani is settled on a piedmont grade (called Bhabhar) where the mountain rivers go underground to re-emerge in the Indo-Gangetic plain. It has historically been a trading post and then a hub between the hilly regions of Kumaon and the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
[edit] Profile
Eight kilometers north of Haldwani at Ranibagh is Chitrashila Ghat, the venerable Hindu cremation ground. A fair called Uttarayani (also called Ghughutiya in Kumaoni) is held here on Makar Sankranti (on 13-14 of January) every year. To the south of Haldwani lies Pantnagar famous for its Pantnagar University. The Gaula river runs to the east, and to the west is the fertile agricultural region of Lamachaur and Kaladhungi merging into the world-renowned Corbett National Park. Long in the shadow of its famous hill cousins, the Haldwani area has a lot to offer by the way of quaint villages, rolling deciduous forests and open spaces outside the urban sprawl.
Famous Personalities like G.B. Pant,Manmohan Singh ,Satyajit Das,Narayan Dutt Tewari etc. have some links with haldwani.
[edit] Demographics
Population of Haldwani, 2001 Census : : 1,59,020
[edit] Culture & lifestyle
Haldwani houses people of nearly all the religions and regions. One can find variety in all aspects from dishes to clothings and from dialect to architecture. it was a small town till about 2 decades ago. Rapid urbanization due to a number of factors has contributed to its rise as a regional hub trading in modern amenities and a better infrastructure (roads, shopping centres and hospitals).
[edit] Places to visit
[edit] Tourist Spots
- Hedakhan Ashram (Kathgodam)
- The Corbett Falls (Kaladhungi)
- Corbett Canal (Kaladhungi)
- Chhoti Haldwani (Kaladhungi)
- Bhimtal - 23 km
- Sattal - 34 km
- Gaula Beraj ( Kathgodam )
- Kalichaud Temple
- Naukuchiyatal [8]
[edit] Local Spots
- Gaoun and Do Gaoun
- J.C.'s Restaurent
- One of the oldest landmarks in Haldwani are the Lotus Rose Building near new mandi
- Kalu Sayyad Temple
- Gharjiya temple
- Sheetala Devi Temple
- Kalichuad Temple
- Surya Temple (established when the area was still under dense forest cover)
- Shama Restaurant
[edit] Education
Haldwani is home to the schools which provide an exceptionally high standard of pre-college education, without the elitism and expenses associated with the residential hill schools of Uttarakhand. Few of the good local schools are Naini Valley School, Kendriya Vidhyalaya,Nirmala Convent Sr. Sec. School, Queens Public school, St. Theresa Sr. Sec. School, St. Paul's Sr. Sec. School, aryaman vikram birla institute of learning ,Beersheba Sr. Secondary School,Amrapali Institute - Lamachaur, D.A.V. Centenary Public School, The Heritage School which is one of the finest school in the town, Birla Vidya Mandir,Dikshant International Pre-School,GIC, GGIC,Mahata Gandhi Inter collage, M.B. Inter College and H.N. Inter College. Having One College Moti Ram Babu Ram Post Graduate College. It has a premier university of agriculture and technology nearby namely Pantnagar University, and a medical college (Sushila Tiwari Memorial (Uttarakhand Forest Hospital Trust - UFHT) Medical College). It also has a number of short-term job oriented training institutes for youth like Easygyan, IIJT, Veta, etc.
[edit] Trade & Commerce
Well connected with the Indo-Gangetic plain by road (to New Delhi, Dehradun and Lucknow) and rail (New Delhi, Lucknow and Agra), Haldwani is an important commercial hub. It is home to one of the largest vegetable, fruit and foodgrain markets in Northern India. Its a base for trades going towards Kumaun regoin.The Gaula river is exploited for a large quantity of boulders, sand and gravels every year. It forms an important revenue source for both the government and local business.it has got Asia's 3 largest mandi including imp. firms .
[edit] Famous delicacies(Pahari Dishes)
- Bal Mithai ("Chocolate" Mithai)
- Bhatt ka joula
- Gaderi ki sabji
- Gauhat ki daal
- Ras Bhat
- Jholi Bhat
- Bathue ka Paratha
- Madwe ki roti
- Bhatt ki churkani
- Bari bhat
- Bhang ki chatnee
- Kaapa Bhaat
- Churkani
- Dhai ka Jaula
- Papad Ki Sabji
- Peenalu Ki Sabji
- malta(fruit)
- Allu Gutuk
- Pinalu Gutuk
- Tinari
- Lai ka saag
[edit] Future Plans
There are various developmental plans for the city owing to its importance in the state of Uttarakhand. These include building of additional infrastructure like stadium, flyover, bus terminus and industrial complex. All this has come at a cost - the last 20 years have seen an explosion in the demographics leading to a creaking infrastructure. The city is struggling to live up to its sobriquet of "Green City".
[edit] References
- ^ History Official website.
- ^ a b c Halwani The Imperial Gazetteer of India 1909, v. 13, p. 10.
- ^ a b c History of Nainital District The Imperial Gazetteer of India 1909, v. 18, p. 324-325.
- ^ Haldwani www.uttaranchalonline.info.
- ^ Nainital District The Imperial Gazetteer of India 1909, v. 18, p. 326.
- ^ 1891 The Imperial Gazetteer of India 1909, v. 18, p. 330.
- ^ History
- ^ Local Excursion
