Udham Singh Nagar is a symbol of beautiful amalgamation of nature and religious places. Situated 291 km from Dehradun, this place is easily accessible through road, air and trains. Rudrapur serves as the headquarters of Udham Sigh Nagar. Visitors can spend quality time with their friends and family in its beautiful lakes, ancient temples and Gurudwaras situated here. The beauty and charm of Udham Singh Nagar never fails to captivate.
Udham Singh Nagar shares boundaries with Nainital to the North, Champawat to the Northeast, Nepal to the East, and Bareilly, Rampur, Moradabad, Pilibhit, and Bijnor to the South and West. Rudrapur, named after the king Rudra Chandra, serves as the administrative centre of Udham Singh Nagar. Known for its industrial and agriculture, Udham Singh Nagar was formerly a part of Nainital. It attained the status of district in the year 1995, and now is the third most populous district of the state.
Famous for its agricultural output, the district is often referred to as "Food Bowl of Uttarakhand" and "Rice City". The district formed in 1995 was named in the honour of the great freedom fighter and revolutionary, Shri Udham Singh. With a population of 16 lakhs, it is the third largest populated district of Uttarakhand, after Haridwar and Dehradun. It has a literacy rate of 62% of its total population. According to the census 2011, most of the people in Udham Singh Nagar speak Hindi followed by Punjabi, Bengali, Urdu, Kumauni, and other languages.
With a rich history, Udham Singh Nagar is said to be established by a Hindu tribal chief named Rudra. In 1588, Mughal Emperor Akbar handed this land to King Rudra. Totally neglected, Rudrapur was established by King Rudra, hence giving the city its name. A popular folklore tells that, once King Rudra was passing through this area, and suddenly his chariot was stuck here due to marshy land. At that place, he built a temple and a well, which is known as Atariya Temple. Now, this temple is quite renowned in the entire district, frequented by many from far and wide to seek blessings of Goddess Atariya.
Every year, during Navratri a 10 day fair is held, which was participated by a number of devotees. Udham Singh Nagar various popular sacred sites and among them a few are quite renowned and frequented by many throughout the year. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the renowned Moteshwar Temple is situated in Kashipur. Its Shivling is considered as the twelfth sub-Jyotirling. As per the Skanda Purana, devotees who bring Ganga water from Haridwar in Kanwar on his shoulder and offer it here will attain salvation. It is said that the copper floor surrounding the Shivling is made by artisans from Jageshwar.
Along with Nanak Mata Sahib Gurudwara, a significant pilgrimage place for Sikhs, Udham Singh Nagar boasts other religious places such as Chaiti Devi Temple, Atriya Temple, Panch Temple and Giri Tal, attracting a large number of people afar. Additionally, Drona Sagar, associated with the time of Pandavas, is now an important industrial centre in the region. Reflecting unity in diversity, Udham Singh Nagar is home to people from different states, including Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and others.
