Haldwani-Kathgodam

Haldwani is the third most populous city in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. With a population of 156,078 in 2011, It is also the largest city of the Kumaun region. Haldwani is located in the Nainital District, and is one of its eight Subdivisions. The Haldwani Urban Agglomeration has 232,095 people, and is the fourth most populous UA in Uttarakhand, after Dehradun, Haridwar and Roorkee. Being situated in the immediate foothils of Kumaon Himalayas, Haldwani is known as the "Gateway of Kumaon".The name "Haldwani" is an anglicized version of the Kumaoni word "Halduvani", named after the tree of "Haldu", known to botanists as Haldina cordifolia. The Haldu trees were found in abundance prior to deforestation for agriculture and settlement. The place was regionally known as Halduvani until George William Trail took over as Commissioner of Kumaon and renamed it to Haldwani in 1834.Located in the Bhabhar 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.