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कैसे पड़ा उत्तराखंड के विभिन्न जगहों का नाम : Kotdwar
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Kotdwar or Kotdwara was called Khohdwara initially-- meaning a gateway to the Khoh -- after river Khoh on whose banks it is located. Kotdwar is a corruption of this name. The town has always been a commercial centre; and being located on the foothills of Garhwal, it has played the important role of a supplier of essentials to the upper reaches of the hills, such as Pauri, Srinagar, Badrinath and Kedarnath.
In common with the rest of the region, Kotdwar was ruled by the Mauryan Empire under Ashok the Great, then by the Katyuri dynasty followed by the Panwar dynasty of Garhwal. The Gorkhas of Nepal followed for a brief 12 years and then the British colonists.
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Kotdwar is closely associated with Maharishi Kanwa Ashram where sage Vishwamitra is said to have meditated. Lord Indra, it seems, was disturbed by the intensity of his meditation and sent the beautiful heavenly apsara (seductress) Menaka to disturb his meditation. Menaka managed to get her way and eventually gave birth to Shakuntala, whom she left at the ashram and returned to heaven. Shakuntala was brought up by sage Kanwa and she eventually married King Dushyant of Hastinapur. Their son, Bharat – after whom India is named Bharat – was a great king of Aryavrata, known for his valour. Kanwa Ashram is situated on the banks of Malin River, 12 kilometres from Kotdwar.
Kotdwar is first mentioned in the Skand Puran, according to Dilip Singh Rawat, “Mahout” of Siddhbali Temple, where a shloka (verse) mentions “Kamud Tirtha” on the bank of “Kamudi” river, which according to him is none other than the present Khoh river on the banks of which Kotdwar is located.
