Kanda is a small historic, scenic town and

tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

Bageshwar district Bageshwar is a district of Uttarakhand state in northern India. The town of Bageshwar is the district headquarters. Prior to its establishment as a district in 1997 it was part of Almora district. Bageshwar district is in Kumaon, and is bounded ...

, in the state of

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

History

Kanda was ruled by the

Katyuri Kings The Katyuri kings were a medieval Hindu Rajput's ruling clan of Khasha origin from Joshimath that ruled over the regions in present day regions of Kumaon, Uttarakhand in India and parts of Doti/ Sudurpashchim Province in Nepal from 700 to 1 ...

from the 7th to the 13th century. Upon the disintegration of the Katyuris in 13th century, Kanda came under the rule of Mankoti kings of Gangoli. In the 16th century, the Chand king, Balo Kalyan Chand, invaded

Mankot Mankot is a Village situated in Bageshwar district in the State of Uttarakhand, India. It is located at a distance of from Bageshwar on the National Highway 309A. Mankot is a medium-sized village with total 118 families residing. History Mank ...

, the seat of Mankoti kings, and annexed Gangoli to his kingdom, the

Kumaon Kingdom Kumaon Kingdom was an independent Himalayan kingdom in the eastern region of present-day Uttarakhand state of India. It was established around 7th century and remained an independent and sovereign kingdom until 1791. Etymology Kumaon is beli ...

Geography

Kanda is located east of the district headquarters, the city of

Bageshwar Bageshwar ( Kumaoni: ''Bāgshyār'') is a town and a municipal board in Bageshwar district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is located at a distance of 470 km from the National Capital New Delhi and 332 km from the State Capital ...

, and to the northwest of the city of

Pithoragarh Pithoragarh ( Kumaoni: ''Pithor'garh'') is a Himalayan city with a Municipal Board in Pithoragarh district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the fourth largest city of Kumaon and the largest in Kumaon hills. It is an education hub of t ...

. Its surrounding landscape is characterized by mountains, terraced fields, and organic tea platforms. However, this scenic landscape is under threat, as the quarrying of soft stone is reported to have caused damage to the local ecology.

Transport

National Highway 309A passes through Kanda. Most of the internal transportation is via shared taxis called "Jeeps". Jeeps are available for the nearby cities of

and

Chaukori Chaukori is a hill station in the Pithoragarh district set among the lofty peaks of the western Himalayan Range in the Kumaon Division of Uttarakhand, India. To its north is Tibet and to its south is Terai. The Mahakali River, running along it ...

. Roadway buses connect Kanda to

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

, while Kumaon Motor Owners Union (KMOU) transport connects to other major cities in the state of

, such as

Almora Almora ( Kumaoni: ''Almāḍ'') is a municipal board and a cantonment town in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Almora district. Almora is located on a ridge at the southern edge of the Kumaon Hills of th ...

Haldwani Haldwani (Kumaoni language, Kumaoni: ''Haldvānī'') is the largest city of Kumaon division, Kumaon. It is also the third List of cities in Uttarakhand by population, most populous city and largest commercial market in the Indian state of Uttarak ...

Bankot Bankot is a town in Maharashtra, India. It became part of the Bombay Presidency in 1756. Its most famous structure is Bankot Fort, which was the first residency of the British Raj in Southern Konkan. Business Mango is one of the most importan ...

, and

Didihat Didihat is a town and a Nagar Palika in Pithoragarh District in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is one of the eleven Tehsils of India, administrative subdivisions of Pithoragarh district and also serves as its administrative headquarter. Wit ...

Economy

Kanda is known for its rich scenic beauty, rural tourism, Kalishan temple, and town center typified by its cluster of markets, which are main attractions for the town's developing tourism industry. Many youngsters from this area are serving in defence forces. Kanda Mahotsav is a three day festival. Ramlila Dussehra is celebrated here as well.

Demographics

The tehsil has a population of 26,272 as of 2011.

Education

Kanda is known for its schools and offers options for higher education. It is the site of the old Middle School (now Government Inter College) that was established in 1902. Alumni include Professor D.D. Pant, physicist, and Prof. T.S. Papola, a noted development economist. Government Degree college was opened in 2008 and several new courses were introduced in 2016. * Government Inter College, Kanda * Government Industrial Training Institute (ITI), Kanda * Government Polytechnic Kanda * Countrywide Public School, Kanda * GDC-Government Degree College Kanda

References

Bibliography

* * {{Bageshwar district Cities and towns in Bageshwar district