Haldwani

Long in the shadow of its famous hill cousins, the Haldwani has a lot to offer by the way of quaint villages, rolling deciduous forests and open spaces outside the urban sprawl. Today Haldwani has got sports stadium, bus terminals, shopping malls, Public schools, Technical institute, Coaching centers, and such paraphernalia being commercial hub in the Foothills. The last 20 years have seen an explosion in the demographics leading to a expanding boundaries of the city which has its sobriquet of "Green City" till now. In 1816, after the British defeated Gorkhas, Gardner was appointed the Commissioner of Kumaon. Later George William Trail took over as Commissioner and renamed Halduvani as Haldwani in 1834. Though British records suggest that the place was established in 1834, as a mart for hill people who visited the Bhabhar (Himalayan foothills) region, during the cold season. Mughal historians mention that in the 14th century, a local ruler, Gyan Chand of Chand Dynasty, visited Delhi Sultanate and received the regions of Bhabhar- Terai up to the Ganges as a grant from then Sultan. Later, the Mughals tried to take over the hills, but their attempts received a setback due to the difficult terrain.