Haldwani, Commercial Capital Of Uttarakhand

Haldwani is one of the biggest cities of Uttarakhand and largest commercial market of Uttarakhand. Haldwani has the honor to be the biggest market of Kumaon region Haldwani is known to be the financial capital of Uttarakhand, having the most commercial, economic and industrial activities of the state. Haldwani is located in the Nainital District, and is one of its eight Subdivisions. The Haldwani Urban agglomeration has 15,32,095 people, and is the second most populous city in Uttarakhand, after Dehradun. Being situated in the immediate foothills of Kumaon Himalayas, the Kathgodam neighbourhood of Haldwani is known as the "Gateway to Kumaon". Haldwani is in the Bhabar region in the Himalayan foothills on the banks of the Gaula River, the town of Haldwani was established in 1834, as a mart for hill people who visited Bhabar during the cold season. The establishment of the Bareilly–Nainital provincial road in 1882 and the Bhojeepura–Kathgodam railway line by Rohilkund and Kumaon Railway in 1884 helped develop the town into a major trading post and then a hub between the hilly regions of Kumaon and the Indo-Gangetic Plains. Haldwani got its name from the forest of Handu ( the area which was full of Halduwa’s trees) The place was regionally known as Halduvani until George William Traill took over as Commissioner of Kumaon and renamed it to Haldwani in 1834.

  History Of Haldwani 

The Bhabar region, where the city is located, has historically been a part of the Kingdom of Kumaon. The region came under the dominion of Kumaon, when King Gyan Chand of Chand Dynasty visited Delhi Sultanate in the 14th century. Later, the Mughals tried to take over the hills, but their attempts received a setback due to the difficult terrain. In the early 1600s, the Haldwani region was sparsely populated. It was inhabited by people of a Native tribe known as the Buksa. The Terai area southward consisted of thick forests, and was used as hunting grounds by the Mughals. In 1816, after the British defeated Gorkhas, and gained control of Kumaon by the Treaty of Sugauli, Gardner was appointed the Commissioner of Kumaon. Later George William Traill took over as Commissioner and renamed Halduvani as Haldwani in 1834. 

Though British records suggest that the place was established in 1834, as a mart for hill people who visited the Bhabhar (Himalayan foothills) region, during the cold season. The township, formerly located in MotaHaldu, had only thatched houses. Brick-houses began to be built only after 1850. The first English middle school was established in 1831. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Haldwani was briefly seized by the rebels of Rohilkhand, soon martial law was declared in the region by Sir Henry Ramsay (the Commissioner of Kumaon), and by 1858, the region was cleared of the rebels. The Rohillas, who were accused of attacking Haldwani, were hanged by the British at Phansi Gadhera in Nainital. 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 24 April 1884. Before the formation of Nainital district in 1891, it was part of the Kumaon district, which was later renamed Almora district. 

The Town Act was implemented here in 1885 and Haldwani was declared a municipality on 1 February 1897. The Tehsil office was opened here in 1899, when it became the tehsil headquarters of the Bhabhar, one of four divisions of the Nainital district, and included 4 towns and 511 villages; and had a combined population of 93,445 (1901), spread over 1,279 sq. miles. Geography Gaula River flowing through Haldwani. Haldwani-Kathgodam area as seen from Bhimtal-Haldwani Road. Haldwani is located at 29.22°N 79.52°E, in the Nainital district on the right bank of the Gaula River. Geologically, Haldwani is settled on a piedmont grade ( Bhabhar) where the mountain rivers go underground to re-emerge in the Indo-Gangetic plain. The Haldwani Bhabhar stretches horizontally, surrounded by the regions of Ramnagar and Tanakpur and lies between the Shivalik hills to the north and the Terai region of Rudrapur to the south. The average land elevation is 424 m (1,391 ft) above sea level. According to the Bureau of Indian Standards, haldwani falls under seismic zone 4, in a scale of 2 to 5 (in order of increasing vulnerability to earthquakes). The city has an area of 44.11 km2 (17.03 sq mi), including both flat and hilly ground, and is in the Indian Standard Time Zone (UTC−5:30). 

When Haldwani was founded in 1837, most of the early buildings were around MotaHaldu. The city gradually developed northwards towards the present Bazaar and Railway Station. The city had in the past seen haphazard development due to the absence of a development authority. Dozens of colonies were set up in the early 2000s without any regulation with narrow roads, making commuting a nightmare. The city ranked 395 in the Swachh Survekshan 2017, out of 434 cities, with a total score of 557.

  Transport in Haldwani 

 Rampur Road connects Haldwani to Rampur via Rudrapur and Bilaspur UTC buses bound for ISBT Anand Vihar at the Haldwani Bus Station. Haldwani is known as the Gateway to Kumaon. The most commonly used forms of transport in Haldwani include government owned services such as railways and buses. Complementing these government services are bus routes operated by KMOU (Kumaon Motor Owners Union), as well as privately operated taxis and auto rickshaws. A new ISBT is under construction in the Gaulapar region. The ISBT would be spread over 8 Acres, and has been termed the 'Largest ISBT in north India' by The Times of India. The foundation stone was laid in 2016. The construction work started in 2014, but was halted in May 2017, when a large number of human skeletons were discovered at the construction site by workers.

  Rail 

13019 Howrah – Kathgodam Bagh Express at Haldwani.

  Air 

 The air gateway to Haldwani is the Pantnagar Airport located at Pantnagar, which is about 28 km (17 mi) south of Haldwani city, and handles the domestic flights. The Pantnagar Airport provides direct connectivity to New Delhi, the Capital of India. Government has approved Hindon Airport to operate as a civil Terminal. From October 2019 people of Uttarakhand can fly to Pithoragarh from Hindon Airport located in Ghaziabad. Hindon Airport is only 4 km away from East Delhi. The new civil terminal is proposed to operate flights to eight routes, including Nasik, Pithoragarh, Kannur, Hubli, Faizabad, Shimla, Jamnagar and Kalaburgi.

  Attractions in Haldwani 

Haldwani is a hidden paradise of Uttarakhand. Here are the best places you can explore in this otherwise undiscovered part of the mountainous state of India: 

 1. Kathgodam In Kumaoni, Kathgodam stands for timber depot. Kathgodam may be a railway station for most tourists traveling on to more popular destinations, but it has an interesting history. Direct trains from cities such as Delhi, Kolkata, Jammu Tawi, Kanpur and Jaisalmer to Kathgodam provide easy access to travelers to the Kumaon Himalayas. When you step out of the station and wait for your cab to take you to Nainital, Ranikhet, Almora or any of a number of places that are accessible from Kathgodam, take a step back to appreciate what may be the most beautiful railway station in India.

 2. Jeolikot The village is one of the best places to visit in and around Haldwani and is the perfect embodiment of the peace offered by the Himalayas. In fact, locals claim that yogis like Swami Vivekananda meditated here. 

 3. Walkway Mall wants to go shopping on this hill vacation. On the Bareilly Nainital road, the Walkway is the only commercial mall in Haldwani. Walkway is a great place to chill out after a long day of visiting the Haldwani tourist places.

 4. Devbhoomi Adventureland looking for some fun places to see in Haldwani then you must explore Devbhoomi Adventureland. It is a perfect place to have a fun day trip with your families and friends. You can opt for the many adventurous rides.

 5. Sanjay Van Forming a part of the Tanda Region, Sanjay Van is nothing less than a paradise for nature lovers. Surrounded by thousands of trees and foliage, Sanjay Van is the best place to visit in Haldwani for a picnic with the family.