Ranikhet
|
Ranikhet रानीखेत |
|
|---|---|
| Town | |
 |
|
 Ranikhet
 Ranikhet
|
|
| Coordinates: 29°39′N 79°25′E / 29.65°N 79.42°ECoordinates: 29°39′N 79°25′E / 29.65°N 79.42°E | |
| Country |
 India
|
| State | Uttarakhand |
| District | Almora |
| Elevation | 1,869 m (6,132 ft) |
| Population (2012) | |
| • Total | 55,000 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Hindi, Sanskrit |
| • Local | Kumaoni |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Vehicle registration | UK 01 |
| Website | uk |
Ranikhet is a hill station and cantonment town in Almora district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the home for the Military Hospital, Kumaon Regiment (KRC) and Naga Regiment and is maintained by the Indian Army.
Ranikhet is at an altitude of 1,869 metres (6,132 ft) above sea level and within sight of the western peaks of the Himalayas.
Ranikhet, which means Queen's meadow in Hindi, gets its name from a local legend, which states that it was here, that Raja Sudhardev won the heart of his queen, Rani Padmini, who subsequently chose the area for her residence, giving it the name, Ranikhet, though no palace exists in the area.
In 1869, the British established the headquarters of the Kumaon Regiment here and used the station as a retreat from the heat of the Indian summer. At one time during British Raj, it was also proposed as the summer headquarters of Government of India, in lieu of Shimla. In 1900, it had a summer population of 7,705, and its corresponding winter population was measured in 1901 as 3,153
Ranikhet had been under Nepalese rule, and the Kumaonese (people of Kumaon Region) won it under the leadership of their able General Kashi Nath Adhikari – after whom the small town of Kashipur was named (which at one point of time was the gateway to the hills and is now an educational and institutional hub) – with the help of Britishers at around 1816 and is a part of India now.
Ranikhet has an average elevation of 1,869 m (6,132 ft).The climate of the village is very cool. The cantonment is spread across two ridges, the first, called the Ranikhet ridge, is situated at an elevation of 5,983 ft (1,824 m) and the second, the Chaubattia ridge, is at an elevation of 6,942 ft (2,116 m).
Ranikhet becomes very cold in the winters and remains moderate in summers, and is best enjoyed from March to October. Ranikhet gets snowfall in the winter season, mainly in the months of December, January and February. But in the rest of the months the weather of Ranikhet remains pleasant.
The pine, oak, and deodar forests host an array of wildlife including leopard, leopard cat, mountain goat, barking deer, sambar, pine marten, Indian hare, red-faced monkey, jackal, langur, red fox, and porcupine.
...
Wikipedia