Thal, Uttarakhand
Thal | |
|---|---|
town | |
 Ek Hathiya Dewal Temple at Thal | |
  Thal Location in Uttarakhand, India  Thal Thal (India) | |
| Coordinates: 29°49′35″N 80°08′27″E / 29.8265°N 80.1408°E | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Uttarakhand |
| District | Pithoragarh |
| Population | |
| • Total | 5,000 (estimated)[1] |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Hindi |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Vehicle registration | UK 05 |
Thal is a small town situated on the banks of Ramganga river in the Pithoragarh district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is one of the thirteen tehsils of district Pithoragarh.[2]
Thal has been a centre for local trade for nearby settlements at Didihat, Munsiari, Chaukori and Dharamghar since antiquity. It is also known for a 9th century Shiva temple located on the bank of Ramganga river and the Ek Hathiya Dewal temple - a rock cut temple believed to be crafted by a one-armed artisan.
Thal was a block of the Almora district from 1957 to 1962. Since 30 September 2014, it is a tehsil of the Pithoragarh district, which was constituted from 114 villages earlier part of Berinag and Didihat tehsil.
History
[edit]Thal is among the oldest towns in Pithoragarh district. It has been a centre for local trade for nearby settlements at Didihat, Munsiari, Chaukori and Dharamghar since antiquity.[3] There is a 9th century Shiva temple located on the bank of Ramganga river, which was built under the patronage of Katyuri kings.[3] Baleshwar form of Lord Shiva is worshiped in this temple. At the time of Bikhaut Sankranti, an 8-day fair used to be held here, which amassed a gathering of around 15,000 people in 1911.[4]
Thal was connected by a motor road with Almora in 1955 and in 1957, the then UP government opened a Community development block office in Thal.[5] There were 600 villages under this development block. The development block continued functioning till 1962, after which the government closed this development block office and divided the villages falling in Thal development block into Didihat and Berinag development blocks.[5] In 1962, a 68 meter long bridge was built over the Ramganga river at Thal.[6] A primary health center was opened here on 11 October 2000.[7]
Administration
[edit]Thal is among one of the thirteen tehsils of the Pithoragarh district. The notification for formation of tehsil in Thal was issued on 30 September 2014, but the tehsil started functioning almost a year later from 13 September 2015. 114 villages of several Patwari areas of Berinag and Didihat tehsil were reorganised to form the Thal tehsil.[8]
Economy
[edit]The Thal fair used to be frequented by the Bhotiya traders, who used to sell utensils and wool for the last time before returning to Tibet.[9] Apart from this, clothes from Kashipur and Almora and oil and chilli products from Sor and Sira were also bought and sold. A market was sanctioned under the scheme of Mandi Parishad in Thal to facilitate the local producers of vegetables, fruits and grains from Thal, Didihat, Munsiyari and Berinag.[10]
Transport
[edit]Thal was connected by a motor road with Almora in 1955, which connected Almora with Munsiari via Bageshwar, Udiyari and Thal.[11]
Education
[edit]Haridutt Pant Government Inter College is situated at Thal. In 2017, 350 students were studying here.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ "दो विधायक चुनते हैं थल कस्बे के लोग". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
- ^ "Tehsil | District Pithoragarh, Government of Uttarakhand | India". Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ a b Menon, Srikumar M.; G., Sudhakara (2020). "Ek Hathiya Dewal: A Rock-Cut Nagara Temple at Thal, Uttarakhand" (PDF). Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology. 8 (2): 34–55. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ Walton, H. G. (1911). Almora: A Gazetter. Allahabad: The Government Press, United Provinces. p. 296.
- ^ a b "थल ब्लॉक का अस्तित्व 55 वर्ष पहले समाप्त हो गया". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ "थल के मोटर पुल की हालत खराब". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ "अस्पताल में 17 वर्ष बाद भी सुविधाओं का अभाव". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ "इस तहसील से अब तक लोगों को कोई फायदा नहीं". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ Shah, Giriraj (1975). The Kingdom of Gods, Uttarakhand. Abhinav Publications. ISBN 978-0-88386-724-2. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "दो करोड़ की मंडी बनी आवारा जानवरों की आरामगाह -". Jagran (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ Kapadia, Harish (1999). Across Peaks & Passes in Kumaun Himalaya. New Delhi: Indus Publishing. ISBN 978-81-7387-096-5. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "100 विद्यार्थियों ने जीआईसी थल से नाम कटाया". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.