There are so many hill stations in Uttarakhand that tourists are unable to roam everywhere. Be it Delhi-NCR or other parts of the country, they go to the famous hill stations of this hilly state, Nainital, Mussoorie and Kausani etc. This time you should admire the natural beauty of Gwaldam.
Dev Singh Gariya, Chamoli: There is a place in Chamoli, the border district of Uttarakhand, which connects Garhwal and Kumaon, as well as has been the first choice of domestic and foreign tourists since the past. We are talking about the city of Gwaldam, which was one of the favorites of the British during the British period.
Gwaldam is situated at an altitude of 1629 meters, amidst lush green forests, serene flowing gorges and apple orchards. 40 kms from Kausani, Gwaldam offers a mesmerizing view of the Himalayan peaks Nanda Devi (7817 m), Trishul (7120 m) and Nanda Ghuti (6309 m). Gwaldam is 22 km from Baijnath.
Gwaldam is a small town, the main reason for its prosperity is that it is the station of Kumaon and Garhwal and from here many roads lead to different areas and villages. Trail (Kuari Pass), Nanda Devi enters on the trekking route till Raj Jat and Roopkand. Once it was a market for potato and apple trade. From here the beautiful peaks of the snow-capped Himalayas are visible and surrounded by pine trees, this place attracts tourists towards itself.
There are many places to visit here. You can also visit many temples along with picnics here like Badangari, Gwaldam Nag, Angiri Mahadev, Machi Tal, Buddha Temple, Pindar’s river sites, wildlife rich area along Roopkund Road and Similarly. The main village of Atal Adarsh Village Gwaldam is Lamba Gwaldam, which is located 2 km away from Gwaldam market. Which was famous for ancient Dak-Khana (Post Office) and Chakhakhana (Tea Factory).
The famous British Curzon has built a track connecting Gwaldam to Ropkund passing through various places like Devtal, Nandakeshri, Dewal, Mundoli and Vana Gon. It has always been a point of attraction for foreigners and trekking lover. The people of Talla Gwaldam have a strong belief in Goddess Bhagwati, people come here for worship during (Bhadrapada). Here a suspicious box near the village is still the center of attraction which has been kept here since the British period.
Gwaldam was the favorite place of the British
The British were so impressed by the beauty of Gwaldam that they built a government guest house here in 1890. This guest house is still being looked after by the Forest Department. The natural lake built near the guest house attracts tourists.
Gwaldam is also the main route of the famous historical Nanda Devi Rajjat Yatra. Domestic and foreign tourists coming from Kumaon route experience the beauty of Vana, Vedani, Roopkund, Hemkund only after seeing the beauty of Gwaldam. There is also an ancient and historical Badhangarhi temple of Goddess Bhagwati, at a distance of about 7 km from Binatoli, at a distance of 3 km. This temple is the center of great faith of the people of Garhwal and Kumaon.
Historically Gwaldam is part of the Garhwal Hills and is situated on the important boundary line between Garhwal and Kumaon. Many battles were fought in the past. It is at this strategic point, it remained a cause of dispute between the Garhwal and Kumaon kings.
Gwaldam is situated in the Gwaldam-Shisakhani Hill and Gwaldam-Badanghari Hill. This border can only be crossed through Gwaldam. Of these rides lies Kumaon in the south and Garhwal in the north. Later the Katyuri Raja, who was respected from Joshimath, and because of the dynasty was sympathetic to the Raja of Garhwal.
The Raja of Badhangari was under the Raja of Garhwal and did not have good relations with the Raja of Kumaon, but had a good relationship with the Katyuri Raja due to neighbours. All these created an unfortunate situation between the Kumaon and Garhwal kings. To overthrow the Raja of Badgarhi in the last decade of the 16th century, Chand Raja sent a great warrior Parku to fight with the Raja of Baghari. Unfortunately, the line of supply was cut short by the Katyuri king and Parku was beheaded at Binayakdhar, probably a nearby square in Gwaldam.
The Raja of Garhwal rewarded the soldier who brought the head to Srinagar. This enraged the Chand king, Rudra Chand and he personally led the troops and captured the Katyuri king and later killed the Katyuri king Sukhal Dev and exiled his family. Thus the importance of Gwallam can be understood. Atkinson, in his masterpiece, The Himalayan Gazetteer, narrated all these episodes.
ITBP base camp in Gwaldam
Due to strategic importance ITBP base camp was established in 1960 and SSB training center was established in 1970 for some covert military operation. Locally, it was known as the Secret Service Bureau. The SSB provided guerrilla warfare training.
A large number of SSB guerrilla trained persons in Uttarakhand are still ready to serve for any reason. At present there exists a small unit of SSB which conducts occasional training courses. Major activities are shifted elsewhere. Training grounds, sports fields, stadiums, helipads and other infrastructure facilities are still here. The local people hope that this large tract of land, about 10 square kilometers, can be used as an adventure sports university or other useful activity.
A hydro-electric power project of 252 MW is under construction. The head of the project is at Nandeski on the Pindar River, a tributary of the Ganges River. The completion of this project will bring a beautiful lake and will attract tourists from remote parts of the world. The women-centric Maiti movement, which involves a unique ritual of planting a sapling by a newly wedded couple, was started in 1994 by environmentalist Kalyan Singh Rawat in Gwaldam. It is a unique emotional program to develop environmental awareness among the people.
Gwaldam also has Central School, Government Inter College, Girls Junior High School, Vidya-Mandir, Shishu-Mandir and other study, coaching centers. Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Center, Fruit Processing Centre, Forest Rest House, GMVN Tourist Rest House, State Bank, Chamoli District Cooperative Bank branch etc. are also available here. A government allopathic hospital is also available here for basic health care.
At present, under the National Agricultural Development Scheme, schemes like strengthening Angora breeding farm and pilot project for setting up of Barbara goat are approved. Government Degree College Talwar is situated at a distance of 11 km.
How to reach?
Air- The nearest airport is Pant Nagar, which is at a distance of 250 km.
Rail- The nearest railway station is at a distance of 160 kms from Kathgodam.
Road- Guallam is well connected by road from all sides. It is 40 km away from Kausani, 22 km from Baijnath, 45 km from Bageshwar and only 149 km from Nainital.
