Kotdwara
Encyclopedia
Kotdwara (or Kotdwar) is a town and district headquarter in the India
n state
of Uttarakhand
.
, on the foothills of the Shivalik Range of Himalayan Mountains. It is locked in by hills from three sides. The name Kotdwara indicates the gateway (dwara) to the Abode of God (Dev Bhoomi), since this is the place from where the pilgrimage to two famous temples Kedarnath (Lord Shiva) and Badrinath (Lord Vishnu) starts. It is situated on the banks of three seasonal rivers namely Kho, Malini, and Sukhro. This area was the place of meditation for many sages and rishis.
Jagdev baba in mawakot kotdwara.
In common with the rest of the region, Kotdwara was ruled by the Mauryan Empire under Ashoka the Great
, then by the Katyuri dynasty followed by the Panwar dynasty of Garhwal. The Gorkhas of Nepal followed for a brief 12 years and then the British colonists.
Writing in 1882 in The Himalayan Gazetteer (Vol III, no II) E.T. Atkins says that it was a small but rapidly increasing mart located on a flat piece of land on the left banks of the Khoh. There was a fort at the hill end of this flat land, to fend off robbers from the plains. Kotdwara’s bazaar, he says, was increasing in importance partly due to the recently introduced cultivation and because of “increased means of communication, as hill men, instead of purchasing cloth, gur
, etc. from Srinagar now go direct to this place where they can procure all they want at cheaper rates, and also barter ghi
, red pepper, turmeric
, hempen cloth, ropes of different fibres, and a few barks and jungle products, for what they require for home consumption”. He adds that the forest department had a large amount of timber and bamboo cutting in the vicinity and that there was a large mill on the canal used for grinding grain from Najibabad
and Nagina
. According to him, two fairs were held here during the week on Tuesdays and Fridays, frequented by thousands of people. The town itself, he points out, “was peopled by petty traders from the Bijnaur district numbering 1,000 for 10 months a year, as a large number of traders form Najibabad and also the hills keep shops open during this period, only going away for the unhealthy months of August and September.”
Before the coming of the railway to Kotdwar and even before the metalled road came into existence, the majority of trade passed through Kotdwara on bullock carts and horse-driven carts up to Dugadda from where it was further carried on mules and donkeys up the hill to neighbouring hill towns like Pauri
and Srinagar
.
In 1910, H.G. Walton reports in British Garhwal
: A Gazetteer that the establishment of a cantonment at Lansdowne
and the extension of the railways from Najibabad, both in 1887, had contributed to the prosperity of Kotdwara. He however points out that, “The town has already passed its prime and is waning rapidly as Dugadda waxes” – a situation which has now been completely reversed. Mr. Walton reports that the shops were no longer shut during the rains as the sanitary conditions of the town had improved, and that during the winter the town was a busy market which catered to residents of the region who all did their shopping here.
Once the metalled road was extended beyond Kotdwara in 1920, the town’s destiny became ascendant. Mechanised transport started carrying the bulk of goods from the railhead at Kotdwara directly to the mountain towns and cities. Businessmen from Dugadda started shifting their operations and homes to Kotdwara.
Even before all this Dhaniram Mishra’s uncles and associates had started occupying Kotdwara in a big way; Kashirampur near Kauriya was one such example.
During British times, Kotdwara was a part of British Garhwal; on India’s independence, it became a part of the Pauri district of Uttar Pradesh and then of Uttarakhand
on the formation of this new state in 2000.
, Kotdwara had a population of 25,400. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Kotdwara has an average literacy rate of 70% - higher than the national average of 59.5% - Male literacy is 74%, and female literacy is 66%. In Kotdwara, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.
(Central University). Other colleges are Institute of Hotel Management Studies, Malini Valley college of Education, Law College and Mauryan Institute of Hotel Management. The city is surrounded by many small villages and towns which are generally termed as Bhabar area such as Kalalghati, Shibunagar,Durgapuri,Motadhak,Kashirampur, Manpur, Padampur,Haldukhata, Kishanpur etc. The Garhwal Regiment also has it's base at Kotdwara. BEL (Bharat Electronics Limited
) is 4.5 km from Railway station in route of Motadhak via Kauria check post.
Kotdwara has got many famous schools like Blooming Vale Public School, D.A.V Public School etc.
bus service is also available daily from NOIDA
. Kotdwara, located at an altitude of 650 meters, has carved a niche for itself as the biggest center of trade and commerce in the district. Kotdwara acts as an entrance to the hills. All the items of daily use for the neighboring areas pass through this place.
The emergence of Kotdwara as a commercial center does not date back to an ancient era. In fact, the place was nothing but a small market till 1953 A.D. as the key business center was Dogadda
. However, in 1953, a major change came when Kotdwara became connected to the railway route. This saw a radical shift amongst the business groups, a majority of which shifted base from Duggada to Kotdwara. This was beginning of Kotdwara’s phenomenon rise as a hub of trade and commerce, which is still continuing. Kotdwara can be reached via air through the airport of Jollygrant, which is the nearest one from this place. Jollygrant lies close to Deharadun, 115 km away enroute to Haridwar. Kotdwara is also quite well connected via rail and road to all the key towns and cities of India.
is a town en route from Kotdwara to Pauri
,Lansdowne is a notable hillstation near to Kotdwara,Sidhbali Temple Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple,Durga Devi Temple & Kanvashram are some places one can visit in around Kotdwara Kotdwara district of Uttarakhand
.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
.
Geography
Kotdwara is one of the district of Uttarakhand, situated at the border of Uttarakhand and Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, on the foothills of the Shivalik Range of Himalayan Mountains. It is locked in by hills from three sides. The name Kotdwara indicates the gateway (dwara) to the Abode of God (Dev Bhoomi), since this is the place from where the pilgrimage to two famous temples Kedarnath (Lord Shiva) and Badrinath (Lord Vishnu) starts. It is situated on the banks of three seasonal rivers namely Kho, Malini, and Sukhro. This area was the place of meditation for many sages and rishis.
Jagdev baba in mawakot kotdwara.
History
Kotdwara or Kotdwar was called Khohdwara initially;–meaning a gateway to the Khoh;–after river Khoh on whose banks it is located. Kotdwar is a transformation of this name. The town has always been a commercial centre; and being located on the foothills of Garhwal, it has played the important role of a supplier of essentials to the upper reaches of the hills, such as Pauri, Srinagar, Badrinath and Kedarnath.In common with the rest of the region, Kotdwara was ruled by the Mauryan Empire under Ashoka the Great
Ashoka
Ashok Maurya or Ashoka , popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests...
, then by the Katyuri dynasty followed by the Panwar dynasty of Garhwal. The Gorkhas of Nepal followed for a brief 12 years and then the British colonists.
Writing in 1882 in The Himalayan Gazetteer (Vol III, no II) E.T. Atkins says that it was a small but rapidly increasing mart located on a flat piece of land on the left banks of the Khoh. There was a fort at the hill end of this flat land, to fend off robbers from the plains. Kotdwara’s bazaar, he says, was increasing in importance partly due to the recently introduced cultivation and because of “increased means of communication, as hill men, instead of purchasing cloth, gur
Gur
-People:*Mordechai Gur , Israeli politician and the 10th Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces-Places:*A village in Tibet, see Gur, Tibet*Gur place name in ancient Israel near Megiddo*Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands-Other:...
, etc. from Srinagar now go direct to this place where they can procure all they want at cheaper rates, and also barter ghi
GHI
GHI may stand for:* Gardens for Health International, an American non-profit which provides land advocacy and nutritional support for Rwandans living with HIV/AIDS* Ghee, sometimes spelled Ghi* Ghost Hunters International...
, red pepper, turmeric
Turmeric
Turmeric is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is native to tropical South Asia and needs temperatures between 20 °C and 30 °C and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive...
, hempen cloth, ropes of different fibres, and a few barks and jungle products, for what they require for home consumption”. He adds that the forest department had a large amount of timber and bamboo cutting in the vicinity and that there was a large mill on the canal used for grinding grain from Najibabad
Najibabad
Najibabad is a pleasant city / partially hill station and a municipal board in Bijnor district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It has a railway junction and is one of the administrative blocks of the Bijnor district...
and Nagina
Nagina
Nagina is a town and a municipal board in Bijnor district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-History:The Ain-e-Akbari mentions the city as the headquarter of Nagina mahal or pargana. During British period, it remained the headquarter of Nagina Tahsil, Bijnor district, in the United Province; and...
. According to him, two fairs were held here during the week on Tuesdays and Fridays, frequented by thousands of people. The town itself, he points out, “was peopled by petty traders from the Bijnaur district numbering 1,000 for 10 months a year, as a large number of traders form Najibabad and also the hills keep shops open during this period, only going away for the unhealthy months of August and September.”
Before the coming of the railway to Kotdwar and even before the metalled road came into existence, the majority of trade passed through Kotdwara on bullock carts and horse-driven carts up to Dugadda from where it was further carried on mules and donkeys up the hill to neighbouring hill towns like Pauri
Pauri
Pauri is a city and a municipal board in Pauri Garhwal district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.-Geography:Pauri is located at...
and Srinagar
Srinagar
Srinagar is the summer seasonal capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. It is one of the largest cities in India not to have a Hindu majority. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats...
.
In 1910, H.G. Walton reports in British Garhwal
Garhwal District
Garhwal lies in the northern region of India. It is a part of the state Uttrakhand and is bounded on four sides by Tibet , Uttar Pradesh, Kumaon region and Himachal Pradesh....
: A Gazetteer that the establishment of a cantonment at Lansdowne
Lansdowne, Garhwal
Lansdowne is a cantonment town in Pauri Garhwal district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.-History:Originally known as, Kaludanda, after Kalun and Danda in local language, Lansdowne was founded and named after then Viceroy of India, Lord Lansdowne in 1887, and by 1901 it had a population of 3943...
and the extension of the railways from Najibabad, both in 1887, had contributed to the prosperity of Kotdwara. He however points out that, “The town has already passed its prime and is waning rapidly as Dugadda waxes” – a situation which has now been completely reversed. Mr. Walton reports that the shops were no longer shut during the rains as the sanitary conditions of the town had improved, and that during the winter the town was a busy market which catered to residents of the region who all did their shopping here.
Once the metalled road was extended beyond Kotdwara in 1920, the town’s destiny became ascendant. Mechanised transport started carrying the bulk of goods from the railhead at Kotdwara directly to the mountain towns and cities. Businessmen from Dugadda started shifting their operations and homes to Kotdwara.
Even before all this Dhaniram Mishra’s uncles and associates had started occupying Kotdwara in a big way; Kashirampur near Kauriya was one such example.
During British times, Kotdwara was a part of British Garhwal; on India’s independence, it became a part of the Pauri district of Uttar Pradesh and then of Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
on the formation of this new state in 2000.
Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Kotdwara had a population of 25,400. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Kotdwara has an average literacy rate of 70% - higher than the national average of 59.5% - Male literacy is 74%, and female literacy is 66%. In Kotdwara, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Education
Kotdwara has a government Postgraduate college affiliated to Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal UniversityHemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University
Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University is a public university located at Srinagar town in the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand state in northern India. Named after Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, the university is residential cum affiliating with jurisdiction over Garhwal district of the region...
(Central University). Other colleges are Institute of Hotel Management Studies, Malini Valley college of Education, Law College and Mauryan Institute of Hotel Management. The city is surrounded by many small villages and towns which are generally termed as Bhabar area such as Kalalghati, Shibunagar,Durgapuri,Motadhak,Kashirampur, Manpur, Padampur,Haldukhata, Kishanpur etc. The Garhwal Regiment also has it's base at Kotdwara. BEL (Bharat Electronics Limited
Bharat Electronics Limited
Bharat Electronics Limited is a state-owned electronics company with about nine factories, and few regional offices in India. It is owned by the Indian Government & primarily manufactures advanced electronic products for the Indian Armed Forces.BEL is one of the eight PSUs under Ministry of...
) is 4.5 km from Railway station in route of Motadhak via Kauria check post.
Kotdwara has got many famous schools like Blooming Vale Public School, D.A.V Public School etc.
Transport
Kotdwara can be accessed from Delhi by train (distance about 240 km) or by road (distance about 210 km). Trains such as 4041 Mussouri Express and 4044 Garhwal Express are available from Old Delhi Railway Station). A computerised railway reservation counter is available in Kotdwara. Bus services from Uttarakhand Roadways and UP roadways can be used from Kashmiri Gate ISBT, though for some time the UP roadways is running its operations from Kaushambi, near Anand Vihar ISBT. UPSRTCUpsrtc
Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation is a state transport company based in Uttar Pradesh, India operating intrastate and interstate bus services. Known as Uttar Pradesh Rajya Sarak Parivahan Nigam in Hindi, it is fondly called as 'Roadways' in State.-History:Passenger road transport...
bus service is also available daily from NOIDA
Noida
Noida , short for the New Okhla Industrial Development Area, is an area in India under the management of the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority . Noida came into administrative existence on 17 April 1976 and celebrates 17 April as "Noida Day". It was set up as part of an urbanization...
. Kotdwara, located at an altitude of 650 meters, has carved a niche for itself as the biggest center of trade and commerce in the district. Kotdwara acts as an entrance to the hills. All the items of daily use for the neighboring areas pass through this place.
The emergence of Kotdwara as a commercial center does not date back to an ancient era. In fact, the place was nothing but a small market till 1953 A.D. as the key business center was Dogadda
Dogadda
Dogadda or Dugadda is a city and a municipal board in Pauri Garhwal District in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Dogadda is a small town which is surrounded by mountains.-Geography:...
. However, in 1953, a major change came when Kotdwara became connected to the railway route. This saw a radical shift amongst the business groups, a majority of which shifted base from Duggada to Kotdwara. This was beginning of Kotdwara’s phenomenon rise as a hub of trade and commerce, which is still continuing. Kotdwara can be reached via air through the airport of Jollygrant, which is the nearest one from this place. Jollygrant lies close to Deharadun, 115 km away enroute to Haridwar. Kotdwara is also quite well connected via rail and road to all the key towns and cities of India.
Nearby Important Places
SatpuliSatpuli
Satpuli is a town en route from Kotdwar to Pauri, in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand.-Location:Satpuli is situated on the banks of River Purvi Nayar Ghati. It is located between Kotdwara and Pauri Garhwal. It also connects to Banghat, a small market through the National Highway 119. It is a...
is a town en route from Kotdwara to Pauri
Pauri
Pauri is a city and a municipal board in Pauri Garhwal district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.-Geography:Pauri is located at...
,Lansdowne is a notable hillstation near to Kotdwara,Sidhbali Temple Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple,Durga Devi Temple & Kanvashram are some places one can visit in around Kotdwara Kotdwara district of Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
.
External links
- kotdwara city website
- Kotdwar, Official website
- Kotdwar Information
- Kotdwara on wikimapiaWikimapiaWikiMapia is a privately owned, online map and satellite imaging resource that combines Google Maps with a wiki system, allowing users to add information, in the form of a note, to any location on Earth. Users may currently use this information for free...