Pithoragarh is a city located in Uttarakhand. It was created out of the Almora district in the year 1962. It is a small town which lies to the centre of the western hall of the Soar Valley. Pithoragarh is so beautiful that it even seems to resemble the Kashmir valley on a miniature scale. It is very pretty and scattered with villages.
The view that the town provides is unmatched with the peaks of Panch Chulhi, Nanda Devi and Nanda Kot clearly visible from high spots in the town. Pithoragarh is located in a valley that is known as the "Soar" and lies in the centre of four hills - namely, Chandak, Dhwaj, Kumdar and Thal Kedar. It stretches in the southern side to Jhulaghat and to the adjoining Nepal hills. The town of Pithoragarh is also known as the gateway to the Himalayas.
Back in the year 1364, after Pithoragarh was conquered by the Rajwar of Ukko Bharatpal, it was for the rest of the 14th century, ruled by three generations from the Pal dynasty. The kingdom extended right from Pithoragarh to Askot. According to legends, Bhartichand, who was an ancestor of Gyan Chand had replaced Pala who was the ruler of Pithoragarh, after defeating them in the year 1445.
Subsequently, in the 16th century, the Chand dynasty took control over Pithoragarh town and built a new fort. After the area came under the British rule, Pithoragarh remained a Tehsil under Almora district until it was given the title of district in the year 1962.
Pithoragarh derives its name from the traditions of the Rajputs, to name the places they arrived at. It was also the capital of Prithvi Raj Chauhan, also known as Rai Pithora.
