Garhwal division

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Divisions of Uttarakhand

Coordinates: 30°30′N 78°30′E﻿ / ﻿30.5°N 78.5°E﻿ / 30.5; 78.5 Garhwal (Hindi: गढ़वाल [ɡəɽʱʋaːl]) is the north-western region and administrative division of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand which is home to the Garhwali people. Lying in the Himalayas, It is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Kumaon region, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the north-west by Himachal Pradesh state. It includes the districts of Chamoli, Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal, and Uttarkashi. The people of Garhwal are known as Garhwali (गढ़वाली) and speak the Garhwali language (गढ़वाली भाषा). The administrative center for Garhwal division is the town of Pauri.


Garhwal the land of many 'garh’ (गढ़) meaning forts. This region was made up of many small forts which were ruled by chieftains. Therefore, the history of Garhwal before the dynastic rule of the ‘Panwar’ rulers is very obscure. Kanak Pal was the first ruler of the state of Garhwal in 823 AD.[1]


Chota Char Dham
Kedarnathji-mandir.JPG Badrinathji temple.JPG
Kedarnath Badrinath
Gangotri temple.jpg Yamunotri temple and ashram.jpg
Gangotri Yamunotri


The earliest reference regarding Garhwal and its pride spots are cited in the Skanda Purana and the Mahabharata in the Van Parva. Skanda Purana defines the boundaries and extend of this holy land.[2] It also finds mention in the 7th-century travelogue of Huen Tsang. However, it is with Adi Shankaracharya that the name of Garhwal will always be linked, for the great 8th-century spiritual reformer visited the remote, snow-laden heights of Garhwal, established a Joshimath and restored some of the most sacred shrines, including Badrinath and Kedarnath. The history of Garhwal as one unified whole began in the 15th century, when king Ajai Pal merged the-52 separate principalities, each with its own garh or fortress. For 300 years, Garhwal remained one kingdom, with its capital at Srinagar (on the left bank of Alaknanda river). Then Pauri and Dehradun were perforce ceded to the Crown as payment for British help, rendered to the Garhwalis during the Gurkha invasion, in the early 19th century.[3]

The earliest ruling dynasty of Garhwal known is of the Katyuris. The Katyuri Raja of Uttarkhand (Kumaon and Garhwal) was styled, Sri Basdeo Giriraj Chakara Churamani, and the earliest traditions record that the possessions of Joshimath Katyuris in Garhwal extended from Satluj as far as Gandaki and from the snows to plains, including the whole of Rohilkhand. Tradition gives the origin of their Raj at Joshimath in the north near Badrinath and subsequent migration to Katyur Valley in Almora disctrict, where a city called Karthi-Keyapura was founded.[2]

Katyuris ruled Uttarkhand up to the 11th century and in certain pockets even after their decline.In Garhwal their disruption brought into existence many independent chiefs, fifty-two in number. One of the important principalities in that period was that of Parmars, who held their sway over Chandpur Garhi or Fortress.[2] Katyuris ruled Uttarkhand up to the 11th century and in certain pockets even after their decline. In Garhwal their disruption brought into existence many independent chiefs, fifty-two in number. One of the important principalities in that period was that of Parmars, who held their sway over Chandpur Garhi or Fortress. Kanak Pal was progenitor of this dynasty. Raja Ajay Pal, a scion of the parmars in the 14th century is credited with having brought 52 of these chiefs under his rule.[2] After his conquest Ajay Pal's domain was recognised as Garhwal owing to exuberance of forts. It is possible that after annexing all principalities, Raja Ajay Pal must have become famous as Garhwala, the owner of forts and with the passage of time his kingdome came to be known as Garhwal[2]

Garhwal Kingdom[edit]

Princely flag of Kingdom of Garhwal.
Main article: Garhwal Kingdom

Garhwal Kingdom was founded by Rajputs. Nearly 700 years ago, one of these chiefs, Ajai Pal, reduced all the minor principalities under his own sway, and founded the Garhwal Kingdom. He and his ancestors ruled over Garhwal and the adjacent state of Tehri-Garhwal, in an uninterrupted line till 1803, when the Gurkhas invaded Kumaon and Garhwal, driving the Garhwal chief into the plains. For twelve years the Gurkhas ruled the country with a rod of iron, until a series of encroachments by them on British territory led to the Gurkha War in 1814. At the termination of the campaign, Garhwal and Kumaon were converted into British districts, while the Tehri principality was restored to a son of the former chief. The British district of Garhwal was in the Kumaon Division of the United Provinces, and had an area of 5,629 sq mi (14,580 km2). After annexation, Garhwal rapidly advanced in material prosperity. Pop. (1901) 429,900. Two battalions of the Indian army (the 39th Garhwal Rifles) were recruited in the district, which also contained the military cantonment of Lansdowne. Grain and coarse cloth were exported, and salt, borax, livestock and wool were imported, and the trade with Tibet was considerable. The administrative headquarters was at the village of Pauri, but Srinagar was the largest city. It was an important mart, as was Kotdwara, the terminus of a branch of the Oudh and Rohilkhand railway from Najibabad.


During the turn of the 19th century, the Gurkhas attacked Garhwal and drove the rulers of Garhwal down to the plains (Rishikesh, Haridwar, DehraDun). Pradyumna Shah died in fighting at the battle of Khurbura. Thereafter the rulers of Garhwal took the help of the British forces in India and regained their kingdom. The rulers of Garhwal gave away 60% of their kingdom for the support the British gave them in driving back the Gurhkas.[1]



Nanda Devi is the second-highest mountain in India.


A panorama of Garhwal Himalaya from Dhanaulti

Garhwali People[edit]

Main article: Garhwali people



Garhwali people are divided into three castes- Garhwali Brahmin, Garhwali Rajput and Shilpkaar. Their surnames are based either on the names of their villages (Raturi Bahuguna, Bhatt, Pant, Hatwal, Juyal, Uniyal, Painuly (Panuly), Semwal, Nautiyal etc.) or according to their professions (Bagiyal, Bisht, Negi, Kathait, Joshi, Rawat etc.). Shipkaars, on the other hand, are composed of various sub-castes and are classified as Scheduled Castes in the Constitution of India. Even with the wave of migrations the ancient culture survived and was adopted by incoming people.

Garhwali Language[edit]

Main article: Garhwali

The Garhwali language (गढ़वाली भाषा) is a Central Pahari language belonging to the Northern Zone of Indo-Aryan and is native to Garhwal.

Garhwali is one of the 325 recognized languages of India[5] spoken by over 2,267,314[6] people in Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Dehradun and Rudraprayag districts of Uttarakhand.[7] Garhwali is also spoken by people in other parts of India including Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.


See also[edit]