Garhwal division

Administrative division in India

30°30′N 78°30′E﻿ / ﻿30.5°N 78.5°E﻿ / 30.5; 78.5

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Garhwal division" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Administrative division in Uttarakhand, India

Garhwal

Kedarkhand

Administrative division

Clockwise from top:
Kedarnath Mandir, Bedni Bugyal, Valley of Flowers, Mt. Nanda Devi, Confluence of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda at Devaprayag, Mussoorie covered with snow, Lakshman Jhula on Ganges at Rishikesh, Auli Ski Resort

Location in India

Country|  India
State| Uttarakhand
Established| 1969[1]
Headquarters| Pauri
Largest city| Dehradun
Districts|

List

*     * Chamoli
* Dehradun
* Haridwar
* Pauri Garhwal
* Rudraprayag
* Tehri Garhwal
* Uttarkashi

Government

• Commissioner| Vinay Shankar Pandey[2]
Area

• Total

| 32,887 km2 (12,698 sq mi)
Population

(2011 census)

• Total

| 5,857,294
• Density| 180/km2 (460/sq mi)
Demonym| Garhwali
Languages

Time zone| UTC+5:30 (IST)
Highest peak of Garhwal division| Nanda Devi (7,816 m (25643 ft)
Website| https://garhwal.uk.gov.in/

Garhwal (Garhwali: [ɡəɽʰʋaːɭ] is one of the two administrative divisions of the Indian state of Uttarakhand.[6] Lying in the Himalayas, it is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Kumaon, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the northwest by Himachal Pradesh state. It includes the districts of Chamoli, Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal, and Uttarkashi. The people of Garhwal are known as Garhwali and speak the Garhwali language. The administrative center for Garhwal division is the town of Pauri. The Divisional Commissioner is the administrative head of the Division, and is a senior Indian Administrative Service officer. As the administrative head of the division, the Commissioner is overall incharge of the 7 districts in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, and is aided in his duties by an additional commissioner and the district magistrates. Sushil Kumar is the divisional commissioner of the Garhwal Division since December 2021.[7][8]

## History

[edit]

Chota Char Dham

Yamunotri

Gangotri

Kedarnath

Badrinath

This box:

* view
* talk
* edit

The Garhwal Himalayas appear to have been a favourite locale for the voluminous mythology of the Puranic period. The traditional name of Garhwal was kedarkhand means "the land of God".[9] Excavations have revealed that it formed part of the Mauryan Empire.[10]

The earliest reference regarding Garhwal and its pride spots are cited in the Skanda Purana and the Mahabharata in the Van Parva. Skanda Purana defines the boundaries and extend of this holy land.[11] It also finds mention in the 7th-century travelogue of Huen Tsang. However, it is with Adi Shankaracharya that the name of Garhwal will always be linked, for the great 8th-century spiritual reformer visited the remote, snow-laden heights of Garhwal, established a Joshimath and restored some of the most sacred shrines, including Badrinath and Kedarnath.[citation needed]

The history of Garhwal as a unified whole began in the 15th century, when king Ajai Pal merged the 52 separate principalities, each with its own garh or fortress. For 300 years, Garhwal remained one kingdom, with its capital at Srinagar (on the left bank of Alaknanda river). Then Pauri and Dehradun were perforce ceded to the Crown as payment for British help, rendered to the Garhwalis during the Gurkha invasion, in the early 19th century.[12]

The earliest ruling dynasty of Garhwal known is of the Katyuris. The Katyuri Raja of Uttarakhand (Kumaon and Garhwal) was styled 'Sri Basdeo Giriraj Chakara Churamani'. The earliest traditions record that the possessions of Joshimath Katyuris in Garhwal extended from Satluj as far as Gandaki and from the snows to plains, including the whole of Rohilkhand. Tradition gives the origin of their Raj at Joshimath in the north near Badrinath and subsequent migration to Katyur Valley in Almora district, where a city called Kartikeyapura was founded.[11]

Katyuris ruled Uttarakhand up to the 11th century and in certain pockets even after their decline. In Garhwal their disruption brought into existence 52 independent chiefs. One of the important principalities in that period was that of Parmars, who held their sway over Chandpur Garhi or Fortress.[11] Katyuris ruled Uttarakhand up to the 11th century and in certain pockets even after their decline. Kanak Pal was progenitor of this dynasty. Raja Ajay Pal, a scion of the Parmars in the 14th century is credited with having brought these chiefs under his rule.[11] After his conquest Ajay Pal's domain was recognised as Garhwal owing to exuberance of forts. It is possible that after annexing all principalities, Raja Ajay Pal must have become famous as Garhwala, the owner of forts. With the passage of time his kingdom came to be known as Garhwal.[11]

### Garhwal Kingdom

[edit]

Princely flag of Kingdom of Garhwal.

Main article: Garhwal Kingdom

Garhwal Kingdom was founded by Parmars. Nearly 700 years ago, one of these chiefs, Ajai Pal, reduced all the minor principalities under him and founded the Garhwal Kingdom. He and his ancestors ruled over Garhwal and the adjacent state of Tehri-Garhwal, in an uninterrupted line till 1803, when the Gurkhas invaded Kumaon and Garhwal, driving the Garhwal chief into the plains. For 12 years the Gurkhas ruled the country with an iron rod, until a series of encroachments by them on British territory led to the Gurkha War in 1814. At the termination of the campaign, Garhwal and Kumaon were converted into British districts, while the Tehri principality was restored to a son of the former chief.

The British district of Garhwal was in the Kumaon Division of the United Provinces, and had an area of 5,629 sq mi (14,580 km2). After annexation, Garhwal rapidly advanced in material prosperity. IN 1901 the population was 429,900. Two battalions of the Indian army (the 39th Garhwal Rifles) were recruited in the district, which contained the military cantonment of Lansdowne. Grain and coarse cloth were exported, and salt, borax, livestock and wool were imported. Trade with Tibet was considerable. The administrative headquarters was at the village of Pauri, but Srinagar was the largest city. It was an important mart, as was Kotdwara, the terminus of a branch of the Oudh and Rohilkhand railway from Najibabad.

During the turn of the 19th century, the Gurkhas attacked Garhwal and drove the rulers of Garhwal down to the plains (Rishikesh, DehraDun). Pradyumna Shah died fighting at the battle of Khurbura. Thereafter the rulers of Garhwal took the help of the British forces in India and regained their kingdom. The rulers of Garhwal gave away 60% of their kingdom for the support the British gave them in driving back the Gurhkas.[citation needed]

During the Second World War, the Raja Narendra Shah contributed his troops and aircraft to the British war effort. In recognition for his services, the British gave him the title of "Maharaja", made him a Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India (KCSI) and knighted him. Thus his full title was Sir Maharaja Narendra Shah KCSI.[citation needed]

## Geography

[edit]

Nanda Devi is the second-highest mountain in India. Valley of Flowers National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The region consists almost entirely of rugged mountain ranges running in all directions and separated by narrow valleys, which in some cases become deep gorges or ravines. The only level portion of the district was a narrow strip of waterless forest between the southern slopes of the hills and the fertile plains of Rohilkhand. The highest mountains are in the eastern Chamoli district, the principal peaks being Nanda Devi 7,816 m (25,643 ft), Kamet 7,756 m (25,446 ft), Chaukhamba 7,138 m (23,419 ft), Trisul 7,120 m (23,360 ft), Dunagiri 7,066 m (23,182 ft), and Kedarnath 6,940 m (22,769 ft).

The Alaknanda River, one of the main sources of the Ganges, receives with its affluents the whole drainage of the district. At Devprayag the Alaknanda joins the Bhagirathi, and thenceforward the united streams bear the name of the Ganges. Cultivation is principally confined to the immediate vicinity of the rivers, which are employed for irrigation.

In June 2013 a multi-day cloudburst centered in the mountainous valleys of the area resulted in widespread damage and over 5,000 deaths.[13] It was India's worst natural disaster insofar as death toll since the 2004 tsunami.

A panorama of Garhwal Himalaya from Dhanaulti

## Demographics

[edit]

### People

[edit]

The majority of the inhabitants are Garhwalis. The culture of the present Garhwal is an amalgamation of influences from the indigenous population coupled with traditions superimposed by immigrants who settled in the region. A majority of the people are involved in the agriculture, tourism and the defence industry.[citation needed]

### Languages

[edit]

Native to 2.8 million people, Hindi has official status and is widely used in administration and education. Garhwali, spoken by about 2.3 million people as of the 2011 census, is the majority language in all but the two southern districts of Haridwar and Dehradun, where the language with the largest proportion of speakers according to the census was Hindi. Other languages with large numbers of speakers are Urdu (250,000, mostly in Haridwar and Dehradun), Jaunsari (140,000 people mostly in the Jaunsar–Bawar region of Dehradun), Nepali (86,000 speakers, with the largest concentration in Dehradun), and Punjabi (76,000, mostly in Dehradun).[14] The set of indigenous languages also includes Mahasu Pahari (found in the north-western district of Uttarkashi in the north-west), and the Sino-Tibetan languages Jad (also in Uttarkashi) and Rongpo (of Chamoli district).[15]

Garhwal division: mother-tongue of population, according to the 2011 Indian Census.[14]

Mother tongue code  | Mother tongue  | District  | Garhwal division
Uttarkashi  | Chamoli  | Rudraprayag  | Tehri Garhwal  | Dehradun  | Garhwal  | Hardwar  | People  | Percentage
002007 | Bengali | 839  | 472  | 102  | 813  | 9,258  | 435  | 3,708  | 15,627  | 0.3%
006102 | Bhojpuri | 1,128  | 1,348  | 371  | 3,427  | 14,805  | 1,020  | 3,201  | 25,300  | 0.4%
006195 | Garhwali | 266,621  | 350,667  | 228,916  | 560,020  | 285,563  | 572,792  | 14,638  | 2,279,217  | 38.9%
006240 | Hindi | 24,035  | 19,956  | 10,167  | 37,092  | 1,014,363  | 91,360  | 1,649,529  | 2,846,502  | 48.6%
006265 | Jaunpuri/Jaunsari | 3,066  | 59  | 22  | 6,046  | 126,098  | 126  | 88  | 135,505  | 2.3%
006340 | Kumauni | 425  | 3,719  | 172  | 861  | 18,597  | 4,645  | 1,805  | 30,224  | 0.5%
006439 | Pahari | 7,190  | 95  | 9  | 250  | 5,199  | 21  | 417  | 13,181  | 0.2%
014011 | Nepali | 7,162  | 5,394  | 1,444  | 5,876  | 56,281  | 8,289  | 1,055  | 85,501  | 1.5%
016038 | Punjabi | 958  | 433  | 83  | 541  | 56,927  | 1,377  | 15,570  | 75,889  | 1.3%
022015 | Urdu | 1,317  | 563  | 155  | 622  | 64,762  | 2,860  | 182,536  | 252,815  | 4.3%
031001 | Bhotia (also called "Jad") | 1,124  | 6,201  | 9  | 5  | 276  | 16  | 10  | 7,641  | 0.1%
115008 | Tibetan | 20  | 5  | 0  | 9  | 9,892  | 8  | 16  | 9,950  | 0.2%
–  | Others | 16,201  | 2,693  | 835  | 3,369  | 34,673  | 4,322  | 17,849  | 79,942  | 1.4%
Total  | 330,086  | 391,605  | 242,285  | 618,931  | 1,696,694  | 687,271  | 1,890,422  | 5,857,294  | 100.0%

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "History | District Pauri Garhwal, Government of Uttarakhand | India".
2. ^ "Divisional Commissioner details: Office of Commissioner Garhwal, Pauri". garhwal.uk.gov.in. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
3. ^ "Report of the Commissioner for linguistic minorities: 50th report (July 2012 to June 2013)" (PDF). Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 July 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
4. ^ Trivedi, Anupam (19 January 2010). "Sanskrit is second official language in Uttarakhand". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 1 February 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
5. ^ "Sanskrit second official language of Uttarakhand". The Hindu. 21 January 2010. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
6. ^ "Home: Office of Commissioner Garhwal, Pauri". garhwal.uk.gov.in. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
7. ^ "Divisional Commissioner details: Office of Commissioner Garhwal, Pauri". garhwal.uk.gov.in. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
8. ^ "कमिश्नर गढ़वाल सुशील कुमार ने संभाला कार्यभार". Hindustan (in Hindi). 2 December 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
9. ^ Budhwar, Kusum (2010). Where Gods Dwell. Penguin Books India. pp. Xviii. ISBN 9780143066026.
10. ^ 'Ancient Communities of the Himalaya', Page 48, Dinesh Prasad Saklani, 1998
11. ^ a b c d e Rawat, Ajay S. (20 November 2002). Garhwal Himalayas: A Study in Historical Perspective. Indus Publishing. ISBN 9788173871368. Retrieved 20 March 2020 – via Google Books.
12. ^ "eUttaranchal - Rediscover Uttarakhand - Tourism, Culture & People". www.euttaranchal.com. Archived from the original on 20 March 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
13. ^ "India raises flood death toll to 5,700 as all missing persons now presumed dead". CBS News. 16 July 2013. Archived from the original on 17 July 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
14. ^ a b C-16 Population By Mother Tongue – Uttarakhand (Report). Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
15. ^ Eberhard, David M.; Simons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D., eds. (2019). "India – Languages". Ethnologue (22nd ed.). SIL International. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019.

## External links

[edit]

Garhwal travel guide from Wikivoyage

* v
* t
* e

Garhwal

Division headquarters: Pauri

Main articles|

* Garhwal Brigade
* Garhwal Constituency
* Garhwal District
* Garhwal Express
* Garhwal Heroes FC
* Garhwal Himalaya
* Garhwal Kingdom
* Garhwal and Doti invasion of Kumaon
* Garhwal Rifles
* 39th Garhwal Rifles
* 49th Garhwal Rifles
* 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles
* Garhwali language
* Gangari
* Jaunpuri
* Nagpuri
* Rathwali
* Salani
* Srinagaria
* Tehriyali
* Garhwali people
* Gangari Brahmin
* Sarola Brahmin
* H. N. B. Garhwal University
* M. A. H. Garhwal University

Districts|

* Chamoli
* Dehradun
* Haridwar
* Pauri Garhwal
* Rudraprayag
* Tehri Garhwal
* Uttarkashi

Major cities|

* Dehradun
* Haridwar
* Roorkee
* Rishikesh
* Kotdwar
* New Tehri
* Mussoorie
* Pauri
* Srinagar
* Gopeshwar
* Uttarkashi
* Rudraprayag

* v
* t
* e

State of Uttarakhand

State capitals: legislative: Dehradun (winter); Bhararisain (summer); judicial: Nainital

Government|

| Symbols|

* Day
* Emblem
* Song
* Motto

|

Executive|

* Governor
* Chief Minister
* Council of Ministers
* Cabinets
* Chief Secretary
* Gazette
* Agencies
* Departments
* Disaster Response Force
* Fire and Emergency Services
* Provincial Armed Constabulary
* Forest Department
* Police Department
* Public Works Department
* Public Service Commission
* Provincial Civil Service
* Provincial Police Service
* Provincial Forest Service

Legislature|

* Legislative Assembly
* History
* Speaker
* Leader of the Opposition

Judiciary|

* High Court
* Chief Justice
* Judges
* Bar Council
* Lok Adalat
* Lokayukta

History|

| Ancient
kingdoms|

* Uttarakuru kingdom
* Paurava kingdom
* Khasa Janapada kingdom
* Himalaya kingdom
* Parvata kingdom
* Kirata kingdom
* Nanda Empire
* Maurya Empire
* Kushan Empire
* Kuninda kingdom
* Gupta Empire

|

Medieval
kingdoms|

* Garhwal Kingdom
* Panwar dynasty
* Kumaon kingdom
* Katyuri dynasty
* Chand dynasty
* Khasa kingdom
* Raika kingdom
* Gorkha kingdom
* Shah dynasty
* Anglo-Nepalese War
* Treaty of Sugauli

Colonial
Uttarakhand|

| Company
rule|

* Ceded and conquered provinces
* North-Western Provinces
* Agra Presidency

|

Crown
rule|

* United Provinces of Agra and Oudh
* United Provinces

Contemporary
Uttarakhand|

* Rampur Tiraha firing
* Bifurcation of Uttar Pradesh

Geography
and
ecology|

| Geological
features|

| Mountains|

* Great Himalayas
* Garhwal Himalayas
* Sivalik Hills
* Mountain peaks
* Bugyals
* Lakes

|

Plains|

* Bhabar
* Doon Valley
* Terai
* Doab
* Ganges Basin

Ecoregions|

| Highlands|

* Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows
* Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests
* Himalayan subtropical pine forests

|

Lowlands|

* Western Himalayan broadleaf forests
* Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests
* Terai–Duar savanna and grasslands
* Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests

Demographics|

| Ethnic
groups|

| Indo-Aryans|

* Garhwalis
* Kumaonis
* Jaunsaris
* Buksas
* Tharus
* Van Gujjars

|

Tibeto-Burmans|

* Bhotiyas
* Shaukas
* Rajis
* Jads
* Banrawats

Caste
groups|

* Gangari Brahmin
* Kumaoni Rajput
* Sarola Brahmin
* Scheduled Castes
* Scheduled Tribes

Languages|

| Official|

* Hindi
* Sanskrit

|

Spoken|

| Indo-Aryan|

* Garhwali
* Kumaoni
* Jaunsari
* Bangani
* Buksa
* Tharu
* Van Gujjari

|

Tibeto-Burman|

* Rongpo
* Byangsi
* Chaudangsi
* Darmiya
* Raji
* Rawat
* Jad

Administrative
divisions|

| Urban|

* Districts
* Tehsils
* Urban Local Bodies
* Municipal Corporations

|

Rural|

* Parganas
* Community Development Blocks

Politics|

* Coolie-Begar movement
* Statehood movement
* Chipko movement
* 2016 political crisis
* Elections
* Local elections
* Assembly constituencies
* Former constituencies
* Parliamentary constituencies
* Rajya Sabha members
* Lok Sabha members

Tourism|

| Monuments|

* World Heritage Site
* Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks
* Ramsar Wetland
* Asan Barrage
* Monuments of National Importance
* State Protected Monuments
* Temples
* Tourist attractions in Dehradun

|

Chardham
circuit|

* Gangotri
* Yamunotri
* Yamunotri Temple
* Badrinath
* Badrinath Temple
* Kedarnath
* Kedarnath Temple
* Sapta Badri
* Panch Kedar
* Panch Prayag
* Gomukh

National
parks|

* Gangotri
* Govind Pashu Vihar
* Jim Corbett
* Nanda Devi
* Rajaji
* Valley of Flowers

Sports|

* Cricket
* Men's cricket team
* Women's cricket team
* Association football
* Men's football team
* Cricket Stadium
* Olympic Stadium
* Sports College

Other
topics|

* Transport
* Airports
* Char Dham Highway
* Char Dham Railway
* Dehradun–Rishikesh–Haridwar Metro
* Music
* Cuisine
* Kumaoni cuisine
* Economy
* Education
* School Education Board
* Institutes of higher education
* Awards and decorations
* Uttarakhand Ratna
* Uttarakhand Gaurav Samman

Districts|

| Kumaon|

* Almora
* Bageshwar
* Champawat
* Nainital
* Pithoragarh
* Udham Singh Nagar

|

Garhwal|

* Chamoli
* Dehradun
* Haridwar
* Pauri Garhwal
* Rudraprayag
* Tehri Garhwal
* Uttarkashi

Major
cities|

* Dehradun
* Haridwar
* Haldwani
* Roorkee
* Kashipur
* Rudrapur
* Kotdwar
* Rishikesh
* Ramnagar
* Pithoragarh
* Srinagar
* New Tehri
* Nainital
* Mussoorie
* Almora
* Pauri

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany

Other|

* Yale LUX

* v
* t
* e

Historical regions of North India

* Ahirwal
* Awadh
* Bagelkhand
* Bagar
* Baltistan
* Bhojpur
* Braj
* Bundelkhand
* Dardistan
* Doaba
* Dhundhar
* Garhwal
* Gorwar
* Hadoti
* Jammu
* Kashmir
* Kumaon
* Ladakh
* Majha
* Marwar
* Mewar
* Mewat
* Punjab
* Malwa
* Purvanchal
* Rohilkhand
* Shekhawati
* Vagad

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template