Devidhura Festival
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The antiquity of the sate can be traced back to 2nd century BC when the region was ruled by the Khasias and it was known as Khashdesh. Recent excavations has indicated that the region was under the domain of Kunidas, the central Himalayan tribe, who practiced early form of Shaivism at around 200 AD. There is also an Ashokan edict at Kalsi, in Garhwal region, which indicates that Buddhism also reached these parts of the country. Between the 10th adn 18th centuries, the Chand dynasty dominated the eastern Kumaon. Under the Chands, eastern Kumaon became a centre of learning, and various art forms including Garhwal school of painting was developed. With the decline of the Chand dynasty the region became under the Garhwali kings till the Rohillas took charge of the land in 1744 AD. The area was overtaken by Gurkhas in 1803 and ultimately by the end of 1814, Britishers expelled Gurkhas from Garhwal and Kumaon to take eastern Garhwal as British Garhwal and returned the western part, Tehri Garhwal to the deposed Raja. After 1857, the region became part of British empire. Since independence, the local aspiration steadily grew demanding a separate state of Uttaranchal which finally acquired its dream of statehood on 9th November 2000. The region is presently subsisting on the tourism business. It is also the land of the brave. Its Garhwalis and Kumaonis are reputed to the finest soldiers of our armed forces. |
