Haldwani

Haldwani Haldwani
Population  (2001)
• Total	129,140

Haldwani (Hindi: हल्द्वानी ) or Haldwani-Kathgodam is a city and a 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" which was found in abundance prior to deforestation for agriculture and settlement. Kathgodam is a satellite town of Haldwani. In 1815, after the British defeated Gorkhas, Gardner was appointed the Commissioner of Kumaon. Later Gerorge William Trail took over as Commissioner and renamed Halduvani as Haldwani in 1834.

Profile

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. 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. One of the best ..... in the field of Software development.Famous Personalities like G.B. Pant,Manmohan Singh ,Mohit Upreti etc. have some links with haldwani.

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Demographics

As of 2001 India censusTemplate:GR, Haldwani-Kathgodam had a population of 129,140. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Haldwani-Kathgodam has an average literacy rate of 69%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 73%, and female literacy is 65%. In Haldwani-Kathgodam, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.

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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).

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Places to visit

For the average tourist, Gaoun and Do Gaoun offer good views of both Haldwani and the surroundings. 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.

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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 Kendriya Vidalaya,Nirmala Convent Sr. Sec. School, St. Theresa Sr. Sec. School, St. Paul's Sr. Sec. School, aryaman vikram birla institute of learning ,Beersheba Sr. Secondary School, D.A.V. Centenary Public School, Birla Vidya Mandir and Dikshant International Pre-School. 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 Medical College).

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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. 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 like buddhi ballabh and sons.

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Famous delicacies(Pahari Dishes)

• 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

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".

Others

"Gora Padao", 4 km south of Haldwani is named after a British camp/post at that location in the mid 1800s. In 1856, Henry Ramsay took over as the Commissior of Kumaon. He connected Nainital with Kathgodam by road in 1882. In 1883-84, the railway track between Bareilly and Kathgodam was laid. The first train arrived at Haldwani from Lucknow on April 24, 1884. Later, the railway line was extended to Kathgodam. The Arya Samaj Bhavan was built in 1901 and Sanatan Dharm Sabha in 1902. The Tehsil office was opened in 1899. In 1907 Haldwani got the status of town area. 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.

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External links

• Tourism in Haldwani: The unofficial guide to tourism in Haldwani,Kathgodam.

• Trade Navigator to Haldwani