Mines of iron, copper, gypsum, lead and asbestos exist, but they are not thoroughly worked. Limestone, sandstone, slate, gneiss and granite constitute the principal geological formations. The chief trees are the chir pine, Himalayan cypress, pindrow fir, alder, sal and saindan. The pilgrim route currently used to visit Kailash-Mansarovar goes along this river and crosses into Tibet at Lipu Lekh pass. The river Sharda (Kali Ganga) forms the international boundary between India and Nepal. The principal is the Sharda (Kali Ganga), the Pindari and Kailganga, whose waters join the Alaknanda. Rivers such as Gori, Dhauli, and Kali rise chiefly in the southern slope of the Tibetan watershed north of the loftiest peaks, amongst which they make their way down valleys of rapid declivity and extraordinary depth. The Pindari glacier, located in the Bageshwar district, is the source of the Pindar river - one of the six major headstreams of the Ganges The Kassite Assyrians left their homeland ' Kummah', on the banks of river Euphrates, and settled in the northern part of India.ĭuring this time of the British control of the region, between 18 it was also known as Kemaon.
Īccording to another theory the word Kumaon can be traced back to the 5th century BC. The region of Kumaon is named after as such. 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). However, all the major cities of the region like Haldwani, Rudrapur and Kashipur are concentrated in the southern plain areas of Bhabar and Terai. Other notable hill towns of Kumaon are Almora, Ranikhet, Pithoragarh, Champawat and Bageshwar. The hill town Nainital is its administrative centre and this is where the Uttarakhand high court is located. Kumaon is home to a famous Indian Army regiment, the Kumaon Regiment. The people of Kumaon are known as Kumaonis and speak the Kumaoni language. In 2000, the new state of Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh, including Kumaon. In independent India the state was called Uttar Pradesh. It was formed into a division of what was then called Ceded and Conquered Provinces, later known as United Provinces. 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. 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.
Kumaon comprises of six districts of the state: Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh and Udham Singh Nagar. 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 the Garhwal region. Kumaon ( / ˈ k ɛ m ɔː ʊ/ Kumaoni: Kumāū pronounced historically romanized as Kemāon ) is a revenue and administrative division in the Indian State of Uttarakhand. Kumaonis, Shaukas, Rungs, Bhotiyas, Tharus( Bhoksa)