Kumaon Division

Kumaon is one of the two regions and administrative divisions of Uttarakhand, a hilly (and mountainous) state of northern India, the other being Garhwal. It includes the districts of Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh, and Udham Singh Nagar. It is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Nepal, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the west by Garhwal region. The people of Kumaon are known as Kumaonis. It is home to a famous Indian Army regiment, the Kumaon Regiment. ortant towns of Kumaon are Haldwani, Nainital, Rudrapur, Almora, Pithoragarh and Ranikhet. Nainital is the administrative center of Kumaon Division.

Kumaon, a land resplendent in awesome natural splendour is a jewel of the glittering Himalayan necklace. Extending from the northern end of the Ganga plains right upto Tibet, Kumaon's endless panorama of scenic wonders is nothing short of a romance with pristine and soul-lifting nature itself.

It is believed that the word "Kumaon" is derived from "Kurmanchal", which means the land of Kurmavatar (the tortoise incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Preserver of the Hindu Trinity).

In its range of natural beauty, Kumaon can be likened to a techni-colour dreamcoat; rosette dawns and dusks, azure skies, opaline lakes, fields of yellowing corn, alternated by deep green potato beds, blue ribbons of meandering rivers, eye-catching pink and red rhododendrons, snow-white summits and birds of vivid plumage.

Well-connected to different parts of the country, Kumaon hills are a treasure-house for the tourists, trekkers and pilgrims alike.

It consists of a large Himalayan tract, together with two submontane strips called the Terai and the Bhabhar. The submontane strips were up to 1850 an almost impenetrable forest, given up to wild animals; but after 1850 the numerous clearings attracted a large population from the hills, who cultivated the rich soil during the hot and cold seasons, returning to the hills in the rains. The rest of Kumaon is a maze of mountains, part of the Himalaya range, some of which are among the loftiest known. In a tract not more than 225 km in length and 65 km in breadth there are over thirty peaks rising to elevations exceeding 5500 m.

The rivers 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 principal are the Sarda (Kali), the Pindar and Kailganga, whose waters join the Alaknanda.

The chief trees are the Chir Pine, Himalayan Cypress, Pindrow Fir, alder, sal or iron-wood, and saindan. Limestone, sandstone, slate, gneiss and granite constitute the principal geological formations. Mines of iron, copper, gypsum, lead and asbestos exist; but they are not thoroughly worked. Except in the submontane strips and deep valleys the climate is mild.

The rainfall of the outer Himalayan range, which is first struck by the monsoon, is double that of the central hills, in the average proportion of 2000 mm to 1000 mm. No winter passes without snow on the higher ridges, and in some years it is universal throughout the mountain tract. Frosts, especially in the valleys, are often severe.

Travel Destination in Kumaon