Overview
Eight kilometres north of Haldwani at Ranibagh is Chitrashila Ghat, the venerable Hindu cremation ground. A fair called Uttarayani (also called Ghughutiya in Kumaoni) is held here on Makar Sankranti (on 14-15 of January) every year. To the south of Haldwani lies Pantnagar famous for its Pantnagar University. The Gaula river runs to the east, and to the west is the fertile agricultural region of Lamachaur and Kaladhungi merging into the world-renowned Corbett National Park.
Long in the shadow of its famous hill cousins, the Haldwani area has a lot to offer by the way of quaint villages, rolling deciduous forests and open spaces outside the urban sprawl.
Famous Personalities like G.B. Pant, Narayan Dutt Tewari, Satyajit Das etc. have been associated with Haldwani.
Haldwani (Nainital) today houses people of nearly all religions who have migrated and settled down in town in addition to the Kumaonis and Garhwalis. This confluence of cultures is as evident in the architecture of the town as in the culture, occasions for celebration, attire and cuising. Hindi is the primary languages spoken in Haldwani. Urdu is prevalent amongst the Muslim community while Punjabi is spoken by the large Sikh community settled in the town and Kumaoni people who have migrated here from hilly areas of Kumaon speakes Kumaoni. http://www.geohive.com/cntry/in-05.aspx The people of various religions and faith lives in peace and harmony.Almost all the festivals are celebrated with equal zeal and enthusiasm.The city is well decorated at the time of big festivals like Diwali Holi and Eid, also this is the time when the market is full of lucrative offers and people don't mind getting little over budget. The Temples,The Mosques,The Gurudwaras and The Churches are beautifully decorated at the time of respective major festivals.The administration is always on alert and also play an important role in maintaining the decorum and keeping aside anti-social elements that tries to disturb the harmony of the place. The city has 108 emergency service and various private Hi-Tech Medical Research Centers and Hospitals that provide the world class trauma and emergency facilities including 24*7 air ambulance.
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