From Wikipedia
Pithoragarh is a city and a municipal board in Pithoragarh district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It was carved out of district of almora in 1962.
History
Pithoragarh derives it's name from tradition of rajputs, to name the places they settled in, after the places they arrived from. Pithoragarh was the capital of Prithvi Raj Chauhan, also known as Rai Pithora. Chauhan settlers surviving muslim invaders named Pithoragarh, the present district in Uttarakhand.
Places of interest in Pithoragarh include Patal Bhuvaneshwar, Chandak, Dewalthal, Dharchula, Munsiyari and Kali Mandir of Gangolihat. Kumaon University College is the main educational institution in the district for higher studies.
Demographics
In 1841 Pilgrim (Barron), while passing through Pithoragarh, wrote : "... The first view of Pithoragarh is striking,in one instant, when you reach the top of the pass (Chandak) which overlooks it, a wide valley bursts on the view, with the small neat military cantonment, fort and scattecyan villages, and meandering streams, which distribute fertility to thousands of well cultivated fields.... I was apprehensive, too, that the beauties of Nainital had exhausted the store, and found that I was never in my life more mistaken."
After its conquest by the Rajwar of Ukko Bhartpal in the year 1364, Pithoragarh was for the whole of the remaining 14th century by the three generation of Pals and the kingdom extended from Pithoragarh to Askot. According to a tamrapatra dating back to 1420 the Pal dynasty was uprooted by the Brahm dynasty of Nepal but subsequently following the death of Gyan Chand in a conflict with Kshetra Pal, the Pal supremacy was restored. It is believed that Bhartichand, an ancestor of Gyan Chand, had replaced bums, the ruler of Pithoragarh, after defeating them in 1445. In the 16th century, the Chand dynasty again took control over Pithoragarh town and in 1790 built a new fort on the hill where the present Girls Inter College is situated. Subsequently after the British domination, Pithoragarh remained a Tehsil under Almora district until it was elevated as a district in the year 1960. To a tourist it will unfold its unique charms as a combination of the rural and the urban, the former scattered around in abundance. Pithoragarh is rich in minerals, magnesite and soap stone is find here in Dewalthal.
Pithoragarh, also gateway to the Himalaya's from the north, better known for the charming and painstaking journey taken by hundreds of pilgrims to kailash mansarovar. Pithoragarh is known for its simple people and simple life.
Pithoragarh also known as Soar Valley was once known for its cool water fountains. In fact, the name "Soar" has its meaning rooted to the word cool. Pithoragarh is primarily a valley surrounded by mountains, though the area is small and scattered but the area is now being gobbled up by concrete construction by people of nearby villages in the district. Pithoragarh has is one of the most scenic places in Uttarakhand lacks major tourist flow because of its distance from the plains that is the Bhabar and Tarai regions of Uttarakhand. pithoragarh has been often referred as mini kashmir by the peoples. however, this place was never got the recognition what it deserves due to ignorance from the state goverments in the past. now, the hope hase risen, because of the formation of new state.