Champawat ( Kumaoni: ''Champāvat'') is a town and a

Nagar Palika Parishad In India, a Municipal Council (also known as Municipality, Nagar Palika, or Nagar Palika Parishad) is an Urban Local Body that administers a city of population 100,000 or more. However, there are exceptions to that, as previously Nagar Palikas co ...

Champawat district Champawat district is a district of Uttarakhand state in northern India. The town of Champawat is the administrative headquarters. The district of Champawat constituted in the year 1997. The district is divided into five tehsils: Barakot, Lohag ...

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. It is the administrative headquarters of Champawat district. The town was the former capital of 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 ...

Belief and religion

Champawat is believed to be the place where the

Kurmavtar Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Prese ...

(the turtle incarnation of

Lord Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

) took place. These days there is a temple called Kranteshwar Mandir, which is dedicated to lord Shiva. It is also believed that the head of Ghatotkacha (son of

Bhima In Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhima ( sa, भीम, ) is the second among the five Pandavas. The ''Mahabharata'' relates many events that portray the might of Bhima. Bhima was born when Vayu, the wind god, granted a son to Kunti and Pandu. Af ...

and the Rakshasi

Hidimbi Hiḍimbī (Sanskrit: , IAST: ''Hiḍimbī''), or Hiḍimbā, is the rakshasi wife of the Pandava Bhima and the mother of Ghatotkacha in the ''Mahābhārata''. She meets Bhima in the 9th sub-parva (Hidimva-vadha Parva) of the Adi Parva. She i ...

) fell here after he died in the battle of

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

. The Gahtku Mandir is the temple dedicated to Ghatotkacha. There is a famous temple called the Shani Mandir (or Manokamna Purn Mandir Kaula) in the village of Maurari

History

The original name of Champawat is said to be Champavati, which was due to its location on the banks of the Champavati stream. To the west of this region was a fort called Donkot, where the local Rawat kings resided. There are seven ancient temples in the valley of the Champavati stream: Baleshwar, Kranteshwar, Tadkeshwar, Rishneshwar, Dikteshwar, Mallareshwar and Maneshwar, of which, the Baleshwar temple is considered to be the most important. According to a local epic titled Gurupaduka, Champavati, the sister of the Nagas, did penance near the Baleshwar temple of Champawat. In her memory, the temple of Champavati is still located inside the Baleshwar temple complex. According to the

Vayu Purana The ''Vayu Purana'' ( sa, वायुपुराण, ) is a Sanskrit text and one of the eighteen major Puranas of Hinduism. ''Vayu Purana'' is mentioned in the manuscripts of the Mahabharata and other Hindu texts, which has led scholars to p ...

, Champavati was the capital of nine kings of Puri Naga Dynasty. Champawat was formerly the capital of the Chand dynasty rulers of

Kumaon Kumaon or Kumaun may refer to: * Kumaon division, a region in Uttarakhand, India * Kumaon Kingdom, a former country in Uttarakhand, India * Kumaon, Iran, a village in Isfahan Province, Iran * , a ship of the Royal Indian Navy during WWII See also ...

. The Baleshwar Temple built by the Chand rulers in the 12th century is an excellent monument with marvelous stone carving works. The

Champawat Tiger The Champawat Tiger was a Bengal Tigress responsible for an estimated 436 deaths in Nepal and the Kumaon division of India, during the last years of the 19th century and the first years of the 20th century. Her attacks have been listed in the ...

, a man-eating tigress who killed in excess of four hundred people, was named after this town, as she operated primarily in its surrounding area. She was shot in 1907 by the famed hunter

Jim Corbett Edward James Corbett (25 July 1875 – 19 April 1955) was a British hunter, tracker, naturalist, and author who hunted a number of man-eating tigers and leopards in the Indian subcontinent. He held the rank of colonel in the British Indian ...

, the first designated man-eater he killed in a 30 year long career.

Geography

Champawat lies in the southeast of the

North India North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Central ...

n state of

. It is in the eastern part of the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

at an average elevation of . It is located at and covers an area of . The city of Champawat lies in the

, which was carved out from the

Pithoragarh district Pithoragarh district is the easternmost district in the state of Uttarakhand. It is located in the Himalayas and has an area of and a population of 483,439 (as of 2011). The city of Pithoragarh, located in Saur Valley, is its headquarters. T ...

by the

Government of Uttar Pradesh The Government of Uttar Pradesh (ISO: Uttar Pradesh Sarkār; often abbreviated as GoUP) is the subnational government of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh with the governor as its appointed constitutional head of the state by the President of I ...

in 1997.

Tehsil

Total No of Tehsil in Champawat District * Pati * Shri Poornagiri * Champawat *

Lohaghat Lohaghat ( Kumaoni: ''Loghāt'') is a town and a nagar palika in Champawat district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. History Lohaghat and its surrounding region was earlier known as Sui, and the town has been a place of prominence since the ...

* Barakot

Climate

Champawat has a

Humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

Cfa) with distinct wet and dry seasons. Due to its high elevation, Champawat usually enjoys a more moderate climate throughout the year. The average temperature for the year in Champawat is . The warmest month, on average, is June with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of . The average amount of precipitation for the year in Champawat is . The month with the most precipitation on average is July with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is November with an average of . There are an average of 43.8 days of precipitation, with the most precipitation occurring in August with 10.9 days and the least precipitation occurring in November with 0.6 days.

Tourism

Due to its cooler temperatures Champawat is a popular conduit for tourists visiting

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 ...

Dharchula Dharchula is a town in Pithoragarh district in the northern state of Uttarakhand, India, situated at an elevation of 940 m above sea level, surrounded by peaks from all sides and Kali river cutting through the middle, dividing the area in ...

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 ...

and other mountain towns. The long winding sealed roads leading up to Champawat through

Tanakpur Tanakpur (Kumaoni: टनकपुर) is a city and a municipal board in Champawat district of Uttarakhand state of India. Located in the plains area in the northern part of India. The town is the gateway for Purnagiri Temple (around 24 ...

are a popular route for motorcycle enthusiasts. Champawat has multiple hotels and guesthouses for individuals visiting the town. Bal Mithai of Champawat is famous for its unique taste. According to www.India.com, Champawat was ranked among ten most peaceful places in India. Many other non governmental organisations also ranked Champawat among ten most peaceful places in India

Demographics

Champawat had a population of 4801 in 2011 within its administrative limits on a land area of , 21.3% up from 3958 in 2001. Out of the total Population, 2,543 are males while 2,258 are females as per report released by Census India 2011. Population of Children with age of 0–6 is 554 which is 11.54% of total population of Champawat. In Champawat, Female Sex Ratio is of 888 against state average of 963. Moreover, Child Sex Ratio in Champawat is around 748 compared to Uttarakhand state average of 890.

Literacy rate Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, huma ...

of Champawat city is 91.69% higher than state average of 78.82%. The Male literacy is around 95.91% while female literacy rate is 87.04%.

Schedule Caste The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...

constitutes 18.60% while

Schedule Tribe The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are design ...

were 0.94% of total population in Champawat. Out of total population, 1,356 were engaged in work or business activity. Of this 1,103 were males while 253 were females. Of total 1356 working population, 95.28% were engaged in Main Work while 4.72% of total workers were engaged in Marginal Work.

Transport

Champawat lies on the

National Highway 9 Route 9, or Highway 9, may refer to: International * European route E09 * European route E009 Albania * SH-9 Road in Albania. Argentina * National Route 9 (Argentina), National Route 9 Australia New South Wales * A9 (Sydney) South Austra ...

. The highway running from

Malout Malout is a town, just outside of Muktsar Sahib city in the Muktsar district of the Indian state of Punjab. It is in the southern Punjab "cotton belt", where production per kilometer is one of the highest in India. Malout is on NH-354 and NH- ...

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

Askot Askot or Askote ( Kumaoni:असकोट) is a small Himalayan town in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand in India. It is the part of Kanalichhina development Block and Didihat Tehsil. The place is also famous for the Askot Musk Deer Sanct ...

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 ...

connects Champawat with

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 ...

, Rudrapur,

and

. As of 2011, the town has a small road network of , maintained by the municipal board. Popular modes of transport are

shared taxi Shared may refer to: * Sharing * Shared ancestry or Common descent * Shared care * Shared-cost service * Shared decision-making in medicine * Shared delusion, various meanings * Shared government * Shared intelligence or collective intellige ...

s and buses run by

Uttarakhand Transport Corporation Uttarakhand Transport Corporation also referred to as UTC or Uttarakhand Roadways, is the state run bus service of Uttarakhand state of India. UTC buses serves routes to towns and cities within Uttarakhand and adjoining states and union territt ...

and Kumaon Motor Owners Union, which connect Champawat to

and other major cities in the state of Uttarakhand, such as

Dehradun Dehradun () is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, with the Uttarakhand Legislative As ...

, Tanakpur,

Haldwani Haldwani ( Kumaoni: ''Haldvānī'') is the largest city of Kumaon. It is also the third most populous city and largest commercial market in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Haldwani is said to be the financial capital of Uttarakhand, having the ...

, Pithoragarh,

and Rudrapur. The Champawat Bus Station, located in Shant Bazar locality of the town, was inaugurated on 27 Jan 2019. The

Naini Saini Airport Pithoragarh Airport, also known as Naini Saini Airport, is in Pithoragarh, Kumaon, Uttarakhand, India. The airport was constructed in 1991 for administrative use and planned for the operations of Dornier 228 type aircraft. The State Government p ...

in Pithoragarh, located at a distance of from the town is the nearest Airport, that connects it with Dehradun. The Pantnagar Airport, located at a distance of , provides air connectivity with Delhi. The nearest railhead is at Tanakpur, at a distance of , which has direct rail connections with major cities of India including Delhi,

Agra Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is ...

Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...

and

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

Education

As of 2011, there are eight primary schools, three middle schools, two secondary schools, two senior secondary schools / Inter colleges and one degree College in the town. The Govt. P.G. College, Champawat - the only degree college in the town was established in 1996, and was previously affiliated to

Kumaun University Kumaun University is a state university headquartered in Nainital, Uttarakhand, India. In 2017, it hosted the first Kautik Student Film Festival. Campuses The university has two campuses, DSB Campus Nainital, and KU campus Bhimtal Bhim ...

Nainital Nainital ( Kumaoni: ''Naintāl''; ) is a city and headquarters of Nainital district of Kumaon division, Uttarakhand, India. It is the judicial capital of Uttarakhand, the High Court of the state being located there and is the headquarters o ...

. The college, along with all other degree colleges of Champawat district got affiliated to Soban Singh Jeena University,

, when it was founded in 2020.

References

External links

Champawat city, Official website

Champwat website from Government of India Portal
{{Kumaon Cities and towns in Champawat district Hill stations in Uttarakhand Former capital cities in India