Pauri Garhwal is a district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Located in the Garhwal division of the central Himalayan region, the district is known for its hilly terrain, river valleys and cultural association with the historical Garhwal kingdom. The administrative headquarters of the district is the town of Pauri.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| State | Uttarakhand |
| Division | Garhwal |
| Headquarters | Pauri |
| Country | India |
| Region | Central Himalayas |
Pauri Garhwal lies in the lower and middle Himalayan ranges, with elevations varying significantly across its territory. The district is drained by tributaries of the Ganga, including the Alaknanda and the Nayar rivers. It shares boundaries with several other districts of Uttarakhand, among them Chamoli to the north-east, Rudraprayag and Tehri Garhwal to the west, Dehradun and Haridwar to the south-west, and Almora and Nainital to the east, along with a southern boundary adjoining the plains district of Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh.
Forest cover, terraced agricultural fields and scattered hill villages are characteristic features of the landscape. The town of Lansdowne, established as a cantonment during the British period, lies within the district and is associated with the regimental centre of the Garhwal Rifles.
The district is administered by a District Magistrate and is divided into multiple tehsils and development blocks. Major towns include Pauri, Srinagar, Kotdwar, Lansdowne and Dugadda. Srinagar, situated on the banks of the Alaknanda, is among the largest urban centres in the district and is home to a campus of the HNB Garhwal University, a central university.
The region historically formed part of the Garhwal kingdom ruled by the Parmar (Panwar) dynasty, with Srinagar serving as a long-standing capital before its destruction in a flood and subsequent shifts in administration. Following the Anglo-Nepalese War and the Treaty of Sugauli (1816), the area east of the Alaknanda came under British administration as British Garhwal, while the western part remained with the princely state of Tehri Garhwal. Pauri served as the headquarters of British Garhwal.
After Indian independence, the district became part of Uttar Pradesh. In 2000, with the creation of the new state of Uttarakhand (initially named Uttaranchal), Pauri Garhwal was incorporated into it. The district has since been reorganised, with Rudraprayag district carved out from parts of Pauri Garhwal, Chamoli and Tehri Garhwal in 1997.
The economy is largely agrarian, with terraced cultivation of crops such as wheat, paddy, mandua (finger millet) and pulses. Horticulture, animal husbandry and small-scale industry contribute to local livelihoods. Remittances from residents serving in the armed forces and working outside the state form a significant part of household incomes; out-migration from hill villages is a long-recognised demographic feature of the district.
The population is predominantly Garhwali-speaking, with Hindi used in administration and education. Cultural traditions include local fairs, the worship of regional deities and folk forms associated with Garhwali music and dance.
Kotdwar is the principal railhead serving the district, connecting it to the Indian Railways network. Road transport is the dominant mode within the district, with state and national highways linking Pauri, Srinagar, Lansdowne and other towns to Rishikesh, Haridwar, Dehradun and the upper Himalayan districts. The nearest major airport is Jolly Grant Airport at Dehradun.
Pauri Garhwal is regarded as a cultural heartland of the Garhwal region and has produced notable figures in Indian public life, literature and the armed forces. Its association with the Garhwal Rifles, the early development of hill education at Srinagar, and its role in the Garhwal kingdom's history give the district a distinct place in the broader narrative of Uttarakhand.