Haldwani Travel Guide

Haldwani (earlier also spelled Halduwani) takes its name from the hald tree (Adina cordifolia), which once grew abundantly in this Terai forest zone. The British established it as a depot and transit town in the mid-19th century to service the trade and administrative traffic between the Kumaon hills and the Gangetic plains. Kathgodam — literally "timber depot" — emerged simultaneously as the end point of the railway extension from Bareilly, which reached here in 1884.

The Kathgodam railway extension, completed by the Bengal and North Western Railway in 1884, transformed Haldwani from a small transit depot into a significant commercial town. The railway brought timber, agricultural produce, and minerals from the hills to the plains, and carried goods, government officials, and eventually tourists in return. The line remains the only railway into Kumaon to this day and Kathgodam station retains its historical character as a Himalayan gateway terminal.

Haldwani grew rapidly after Indian independence, particularly after the creation of Uttarakhand state in 2000. It is now the largest city in Kumaon and the commercial headquarters of the region. Jim Corbett — the celebrated hunter-naturalist who saved Kumaon from man-eating tigers and leopards and went on to champion wildlife conservation — lived in the region for much of his life; his childhood home was in Nainital and his later years were spent in Kaladhungi (42 km from Haldwani), which has a small Corbett museum.