Kumaon division

Kumaon (ˈkɛmɔːʊ; Kumaoni: Kumāū; kuːmɔːʊ; historically romanized as Kemāon) is a revenue and administrative division in the Indian State of Uttarakhand. It spans over the eastern half of the state and is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Nepal, on the south by the state of Uttar Pradesh, and on the west by Garhwal. Kumaon comprises six districts of the state: Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh and Udham Singh Nagar. Historically known as Manaskhand and then Kurmanchal, the Kumaon region has been ruled by several Hindu dynasties over the course of history; most notably the Katyuris and the Chands. The Kumaon division was established in 1816, when the British reclaimed this region from the Gorkhas, who had annexed the erstwhile Kingdom of Kumaon in 1790. It was formed into a division of what was then called Ceded and Conquered Provinces, later known as United Provinces. In independent India the state was called Uttar Pradesh. In 2000, the new state of Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh, including Kumaon. The people of Kumaon are known as Kumaonis and speak the Kumaoni language. Kumaon is home to a famous Indian Army regiment, the Kumaon Regiment. The hill town Nainital is its administrative centre and this is where the Uttarakhand high court is located. Other notable hill towns of Kumaon are Almora, Ranikhet, Pithoragarh, Champawat and Bageshwar. However, all the major cities of the region like Ramnagar, Haldwani, Rudrapur and Kashipur,Tanakpur are concentrated in the southern plain areas of Bhabar and Terai. Kumaon is believed to have been derived from Kurmanchal, meaning the land of the Kurmavatar (the tortoise incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the preserver according to Hinduism). The region of Kumaon is named after as such. According to another theory the word Kumaon can be traced back to the 5th century BC. The Kassite Assyrians left their homeland Kummah, on the banks of river Euphrates, and settled in the northern part of India.

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Related concepts (32)

Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand ( 'ʊtərɑːkʌnd, ˌʊtərəˈkʌnd or ˌʊtəˈrækənd; ˈʊtːərɑːkhəɳɖ, Northern Land), also known as Uttaranchal ( ˌʊtəˈræntʃʌl; the official name until 2007), is a state in northern India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (Land of the Gods) due to its religious significance and numerous Hindu temples and found throughout the state. Uttarakhand is known for the natural environment of the Himalayas, the Bhabar and the Terai regions.

Almora district

Almora is a district in the Kumaon Division of Uttarakhand state, India. The headquarters is at Almora. It is 1,638 meters above sea level. The neighbouring regions are Pithoragarh district to the east, Chamoli district to the west, Bageshwar district to the north and Nainital district to the south. The ancient town of Almora was capital of the Kumaon Kingdom, before its establishment, it was under the possession of Katyuri king Baichaldeo.

Nainital

Nainital (Kumaoni: Naintāl; nɛnːtaːl) is a town and headquarters of Nainital district of Kumaon division, Uttarakhand, India. It is the judicial capital of Uttarakhand, the High Court of the state being located there and is the headquarters of an eponymous district. It also houses the Governor of Uttarakhand, who resides in the Raj Bhavan. Nainital was the summer capital of the United Provinces. Nainital is located in the Kumaon foothills of the outer Himalayas at a distance of from the state capital Dehradun and from New Delhi, the capital of India.