Udham Singh Nagar District

Udham Singh Nagar District is located on the part of Kumaon Division of Himalayan Mountain Range. Udham Singh Nagar District is one of the third populated districts of Uttarakhand after Haridwar and Dehradun. Udham Singh Nagar District is also known as the "Gateway to Kumaon" for the reason that it incorporates much of natural picturesque beauty. This marvelous spot is glutted with wildlife and natural beauty. This district is enclosed by the Himalayan ranges, which are serene and soothing for the eye-sight and are of great interest. Udham Singh Nagar District is a perfect demonstration of `Unity in Diversity` because many industries related occupations prevail here as well as varied forms of cultures, religions and lifestyles are synchronized in complete harmony.

Location of Udham Singh Nagar District : Udham Singh Nagar District is located in the neighbourhood of the Kumaon region and was a part of the Nainital district before it was divided in October 1995.

As per the history of Udham Singh Nagar District, formerly it was a portion of district Nainital before the Terai belt was separated to form the present Udham Singh Nagar on 30th of September, 1995. In the past this land which is full of forest land was neglected till 1948 due to its bad climate. Marshy lands, extreme heat, rains which lasted months, a place full of wild animals, diseases and no means of transportation were the main reasons that prevented the formation of a colony here.

According to historians, hundreds of years ago village Rudrapur was established by a devotee of Rudra or by Hindu tribal chief called Rudra, which has passed through phases of development to take the shape of city Rudrapur. The importance of Rudrapur has increased as it is the headquarters of Udham Singh Nagar District. During the reigns of Mughal emperor Akbar this land was handed over to King Rudra Chandra in 1588. The king established a permanent military camp there to oppose any invasions. There is a saying that Rudrapur was named after King Rudra Chandra. During the reigns of British rulers, Nainital was made a district and in 1864 - 1865 the whole of Terai and Bawar was put under `Terai and Bawar Government Act` which was governed directly by the British crown. The history of Udham Singh Nagar District associated with the region`s development started in 1948 after the partition of the country. Immigrant from north-west and eastern areas were reestablished in a land area of around 164.2 sq kms under `UP Nivesh Yojana`. Personal dwellers were not allotted land in accordance with crown grant act. The first batch of immigrants came in December 1948.

According to a folktale when king Rudra was passing through, his chariot got stuck into marshy land, so he decided to build a temple and well at that place. The present Atariya temple is the same at a distance of 2 kms from the bus stand and half a kilometre away from the Rudraur-Haldwani motor route. During the occasion of `Navratras`, a large fair is held here. This fair attracts thousands of devotees from different parts of the country. The fair is held for 10 days.

Udham Singh Nagar District is located in the Terai region and is part of the Kumaon Division. It is enclosed by Nainital district on the North, Champawat district on the Northeast, Nepal on the East and by Uttar Pradesh state on both the South and West. Udham Singh Nagar district compromises of three main sub-divisions Rudrapur, Kashipur and Khatima and is bounded by the exotic Himalayan ranges. The district is situated at 28 degree south east, 30 degree north latitude, 78 degree and 81 degree east longitude of Kumaon.

Udham Singh Nagar District is rich in agricultural and technological educational facilities. Here the Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology is a popular university teaching the students about the modern development in agriculture and technology. G.B. University is the first ever agricultural university of India. It was inaugurated by the first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru on the 17th of November, 1960 as the Uttar Pradesh Agricultural University (UPAU). Later the name was changed to Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in 1972 to memorialize the great freedom fighter Govind Ballabh Pant. It is located at a distance of 5km from Rudrapur. This university lies in the town of Pantnagar in the district of Udhaam Singh Nagar in the state of Uttarakhand.

Udham Singh Nagar District is rich in cultural heritages like handicraft industry and the handloom industry. Here the culture is also defined by Chaiti Fair and Ataria Fair. Chaiti Fair is held at Chaiti Temple during the auspicious occasions of Navaratri in the month of March. To attend this fair large number of devotees congregate here. Ataria Fair is held at the Ataria temple during the months of March and April at sacred occasion of Navratris. This temple is located at a distance of 2kms from the city Rudrapur en route Haldwani.

Pilgrimage tourism in Udham Singh Nagar District in Uttarakhand comprises numerous places of tourist interest which involve important pilgrimage spots which serve as exciting holiday destinations which boasts of marvellous natural splendour. Ataria Temple, Nanakmatta Sahib Gurdwara, Chaiti Devi Temple are some of the attractive tourist getaways of this Indian district.

Nanakmatta Sahib Gurdwara
Located about 56 km away from Rudrapur on the route of Rudrapur-Tanakpur, Nanakmatta Sahib Gurdwara is a famous pilgrimage centre for the Sikhs. The beauty of Nanakmatta has been enhanced due to the presence of a dam which has been created on Saryu River, which has formed Nanak Sagar.

Ataria Temple
Ataria Temple is existent about 2 km away from the bus depot near Rudrapur-Haldwani route and is dedicated to Goddess Atariya. A local folklore is of the opinion that while King Rudra was passing this region on his chariot, it suddenly got stuck in the marshes. Thereafter, he built a temple at that exact location and a ten-day fair is conducted at this place, particularly during the Navratras.

Chaiti Devi Temple
Chaiti Devi Temple is situated about 2.5 km away from Kashipur bus stand and is present on the route of Kashipur-Bajpur. This religious place is thronged by several devotees who pay a visit to this temple especially during `Navratras`.