Mountain View

Mountain View Haldwani

Haldwani is the third most populous city, the largest commercial market^] in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. With a population of 156,078 in 2011, it is also the largest city of the Kumaun region. Haldwani is located in the Nainital District, and is one of its eight Subdivisions. The Haldwani Urban Agglomeration has 232,095 people, and is the third most populous UA in Uttarakhand, after Dehradun and Haridwar. Being situated in the immediate foothils of Kumaon Himalayas, Haldwani is known as the "Gateway to Kumaon".

The name "Haldwani" is an anglicized version of the Kumaoni word "Halduvani" (literally "forest of Haldu"), named after the tree of "Haldu" (Kadamb), known to botanists as Haldina cordifolia. The Haldu trees were found in abundance prior to deforestation for agriculture and settlement. The place was regionally known as Halduvani until George William Traill took over as Commissioner of Kumaon and renamed it to Haldwani in 1834.

Located in the Bhabhar region in the Himalayan foothills on the banks of the Gaula River, the town of Haldwani was established in 1834, as a mart for hill people who visited Bhabar during the cold season. The establishment of the Bareilly-Nainital provincial road in 1882 and the Bhojeepura-Kathgodam railway line by Rohilkund and Kumaon Railway in 1884 helped develop the town into a major trading post and then a hub between the hilly regions of Kumaon and the Indo-Gangetic Plains.