Kathgodam

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Nainital district map

Kathgodam (काठगोदाम) is a town in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand state of India. It is a suburb of Haldwani city. It is one of the important collection centres for forest products obtained from Kumaon Himalayas.

Location

It is part of the twin township of Haldwani-Kathgodam, and is immediately north of Haldwani.

Origin

Kathgodam = Literally meaning timber depot

History

Kathgodam was a small village in 1901 though its importance grew rapidly after the railway line was extended here in late 19th century, after it reached Haldwani in 1884. It was previously called Chauhan Patta as it is still recorded in the land records. The advent of the residence of Dan Singh Bist nearby in Beer Bhatti, Jeolikote, and his setting up his major timber depot as the 'Timber King of India' as Chauhan Patta, led to it being called 'Kathgodam'. Similarly, Beer Bhatti is called thus as it was previously an area where the British India Corporation Limited pursued a Beer Brewery until 1924 when Dan Singh Bist purchased it from them via deed registered at Nainital.

Today, the town contains a terminus station on its Indian Railways line. From this point, one must travel by automobile to the Kumaon region of the Himalayan Mountains. From Kathgodam, mountain roads lead to tourist destinations like Nainital, Bhimtal, Sattal, Mukteshwar, Ranikhet, Binsar, Kausani, Naukuchiyatal and Almora.

कुरिया

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ...कुरिया (AS, p.206) रुहेलखंड, उत्तर प्रदेश का प्राचीन नगर था। लखनऊ-काठगोदाम रेलमार्ग पर इस स्टेशन के 2 मील पूर्व में माती नामक ग्राम के पास इस प्राचीन बड़े नगर के खंडहर पाए जाते हैं। एक किंवदंती के अनुसार यह नगर राजा वेणु का बसाया हुआ था। यहाँ के खंडहरों में अति प्राचीन पूर्व मौर्य या मौर्य कालीन आहत सिक्के, अहिच्छत्र के मित्र राजाओं और कुषाण काल तथा प्रारंभिक मुसलिम काल के सिक्के मिलते हैं। खंडहर 2 मील × 1 मील है। (पाणिनि के सूत्र ‘रूपादाहतप्रशंसयोर्यप्’ में आहत शब्द प्राचीन punch marked सिक्कों के लिए है।)