Dhaun (village)
Dhaun | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Dhaun village | |
Interactive map of Dhaun | |
| Coordinates: 29°16′07″N 80°06′02″E / 29.26861°N 80.10056°E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Uttarakhand |
| District | Champawat |
| Tehsil | Champawat |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.90 km2 (0.73 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,500 m (4,900 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 364 |
| PIN | 262523 |
| Languages | Hindi, Kumaoni |
Dhaun is a village in the Champawat Tehsil of Champawat district, Uttarakhand, India. It is situated in the Kumaon division along National Highway 9. The census village code is 053869.[1]
Geography and climate
Dhaun is located in the Lesser Himalayas at an altitude ranging from 1,400 to 1,600 metres above sea level.[2] The surrounding natural vegetation consists of mid-Himalayan mixed forests, predominantly pine (Pinus roxburghii) and oak (Quercus leucotrichophora).[2] The village experiences a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa). The average annual temperature is approximately 24.5 °C, and the area receives an average annual rainfall of 1,240 mm, primarily during the South-West monsoon season.[2]
History
Dhaun village is historically connected to the Rawat kings of ancient Daunkot in the Champawat region.[3] When King Somchand established the Chand dynasty and conquered the Daunkot fort, the displaced Rawat families relocated to the nearby Salli village.[3] Originally, Dhaun was inhabited by the Dhauni community. The Chand rulers later relocated them to the eastern borders of Gumdesh to defend the kingdom from external threats.[4] The Chand kings subsequently granted this vacated land to their Rawat military commanders as a tax-free Raut grant.[5]
During the British era, an extensive land survey known as the Beckett Settlement (1863–1873) was conducted. Due to population growth and agricultural expansion, the British administration separated Dhaunraut from Salli, establishing it as an independent revenue village for administrative purposes.[6][7]
Demographics
According to the 2011 Census of India, Dhaun covers an area of 190.21 hectares with 70 households and a total population of 364, comprising 184 males and 180 females.[1] The population of children in the age group 0–6 is 68, resulting in a healthy child sex ratio of 1061.[8] The village has an effective literacy rate of 81.42%.[8] A total of 87 residents (23.9%) belong to Scheduled Castes, with no Scheduled Tribe population recorded.[8]
Economy and agriculture
The local economy is predominantly agrarian. Out of the 168 active workers, 122 are engaged as owner-cultivators on terraced fields, and there are no registered agricultural labourers in the village.[8] Agriculture is primarily rainfed, supplemented by traditional gravity-based water channels (gool). The main Kharif crops include finger millet (mandua) and barnyard millet (jhangora), while wheat and mustard are cultivated during the Rabi season.[2]
Civic administration and utility
The village is administered under the Dhaun Raut Gram Panchayat within the Champawat Kshetra Panchayat. The official Local Government Directory (LGD) code for the gram panchayat is 22703.[9]
Dhaun is fully electrified and is connected to a piped water supply network under the Jal Jeevan Mission, which supplements traditional groundwater sources like stepwells (naula).[2]
Education and healthcare
Education
Early childhood and primary education are provided by a local Anganwadi centre and Government Primary School (GPS) Dhaunrawat.[10] Secondary and higher secondary education is provided by Government Inter College (GIC) Dhaun. Established in 1986, it is a co-educational state board school offering classes from 6 to 12.[11] For transportation, students have access to the state's "Vidyavahini" bus service.[12] Additionally, the school participates in the "Lab on Wheels" mobile science program.[13]
Healthcare
Primary healthcare services in Dhaun are available at a local Primary Health Centre (PHC), which has been upgraded to an 'Ayushman Arogya Mandir' to offer both curative and preventive healthcare.[14] The facility is centrally located near the Panchayat Ghar. A permanent medical officer oversees routine Outpatient Department (OPD) services and vaccination programs.[15]
Cultural Heritage and Folklore
Dhaun village has a rich tradition of oral history and folklore, locally known as Raag-Bhaag. A major figure in this folklore is Bhaga Dhaunyani, honored as an ancestor of the Dhauni community. Villagers still sing tales of her strength and bravery while doing agricultural work.[16] According to Kumaoni literature, she is known for her exceptional physical strength. Near the modern Dhaun bus stand rests a large, flat rectangular granite stone weighing about four to five quintals. Locals call it Bhaga Dhaunyani ko Udhyuno (Bhaga Dhaunyani's sharpening stone).[17] Local legends say she used to carry this heavy stone wrapped in the waist folds of her traditional dress (ghaghari) to sharpen her sickle (darati) while working in the fields. Today, the local community has preserved this stone on a platform as a cultural monument to honor their heritage.
Religious Beliefs and Kuldevi
The historical identity of Dhaun is deeply intertwined with the Raut (Rawat) kings of the ancient Daunkot fort.[18] According to regional history, their revered family deity (Kuldevi), who was also worshipped by the Mahar kings, is Maa Jhalimali. Oral traditions suggest that Maa Jhalimali was originally a valiant Katyuri princess who was deified by the Katyuri, Raut, and Mahar dynasties as their protective guardian.[19] In Himalayan traditions, Maa Jhalimali is prominently venerated as the Goddess of War and Fire. Local Jagar (oral epics) mention that the rulers traditionally carried her Jot (sacred flame) into military campaigns to instill courage among soldiers and ensure victory.[19]
Places of interest
- Henry Waterfall: A waterfall with a drop of approximately 40 ft (12 m), situated in the Bettigaad area of Dhaunraut Gram Panchayat, off the Tanakpur–Pithoragarh section of National Highway 9. The waterfall maintains a perennial flow, with water volume increasing significantly during the monsoon. Infrastructure around the site—including an approach path, retaining walls, and check dams—was developed under the MGNREGA scheme. The runoff is also utilized for local irrigation and community aquaculture tanks.[20]
Transport
Dhaun is located on National Highway 9, which connects Tanakpur to Pithoragarh.[21] Tanakpur railway station is the nearest railhead, and Pantnagar Airport is the nearest operational airport.
References
- 1 2 District Census Handbook: Champawat – Village and Town Wise Primary Census Abstract (PCA) (Report). Series-06, Part XII-B. Directorate of Census Operations, Uttarakhand. 2014. pp. 60–65. Village Code: 053869. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Environmental Impact Assessment of the Road Expansion Project: A Case Study of National Highway 9 in Champawat District, Uttarakhand". ResearchGate. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- 1 2 Atkinson, E. T. (1882) [Reprint: 1981]. The Himalayan Gazetteer. Vol. II. Allahabad: North-Western Provinces Government Press. pp. 498, 507.
- ↑ Singh, Ram (2002). Raag-Bhaag: Kali Kumaun (in Hindi). Nainital: Pahar Prakashan. pp. 25, 170, 361.
- ↑ Dabral, Shiv Prasad (1968). Uttarakhand Ka Rajnaitik Tatha Sanskritik Itihas (Garhwal Ka Itihas) (in Hindi). Vol. 4. Dogadda: Veer Gatha Prakashan. p. 473.
- ↑ Beckett, J. O. B. (1874). Report on the Revision of Settlement in the Kumaon District (1863–1873): Part I & Appendices (Report). Allahabad: North-Western Provinces Government Press. pp. 24, 39D–40D.
- ↑ Atkinson, E. T. (1882) [Reprint: 1981]. The Himalayan Gazetteer. Vol. III. Allahabad: North-Western Provinces Government Press. pp. 58, 83–151.
- 1 2 3 4 "PCA: Primary Census Abstract C.D. Block wise, Uttarakhand - District Champawat - 2011". Census of India. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- ↑ "Gram Panchayat of Champawat (Kshetra Panchayat), Champawat (Zila Panchayat), Uttarakhand". Local Government Directory. Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India. Archived from the original on 21 August 2026. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
Local Body Name: Dhaun Raut, Local Body Code: 22703
- ↑ "List of Primary Units (Schools)". School Education Portal, Government of Uttarakhand. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ School Report Card: GIC DHOUN (05100315202) (Report). Academic Year 2025-26. UDISE+, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
- ↑ "सरस्वती के दूरस्थ मंदिरों में विद्यावाहिनी से पहुंचे विद्यार्थी". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). 27 July 2026. Retrieved 18 August 2026.
- ↑ "लैब आन व्हील्स के तहत विद्यालयों में पहुंची मोबाइल लैब". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). 5 July 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2026.
- ↑ "Health Facilities in District Champawat, Uttarakhand" (PDF). National Informatics Centre, Champawat. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ "चम्पावत को मिले 17 नए डाक्टर, जिला चिकित्सालय समेत ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में देंगे सेवाएं". Dainik Jagran (in Hindi).
- ↑ Singh, Ram (2002). Raag-Bhaag: Kali Kumaun (in Hindi). Nainital: Pahar Prakashan. pp. 25, 170.
- ↑ Bisht 'Batrohi', Laxman Singh (13 August 2019). "Katha-Gatha: Saath Saal Baad Bail Ki Vapsi". Samalochan (in Hindi). Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ Atkinson, E. T. (1882). The Himalayan Gazetteer. Vol. II. Allahabad: North-Western Provinces Government Press. pp. 498, 507.
- 1 2 Kuksal, Arun. "Himalaya Ki Lokdevi Jhalimali". Kafal Tree (in Hindi).
- ↑ "बरसात के मौसम में निखर रहा हेनरी वाटरफॉल का सौंदर्य" [Beauty of Henry Waterfall blooming in the rainy season]. Amar Ujala (in Hindi). 23 July 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
- ↑ "Gazette Notification S.O. 1387(E) for National Highway 9" (PDF). Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India. Retrieved 20 August 2026.