Dharchula is a town and a nagar panchayat in Pithoragarh district in the northern state of Uttarakhand, India. An ancient trading town for the trans-Himalayan trade routes, it is surrounded by very high mountains and is situated in a valley, on the banks of the Kali River at 915 m (3,002 ft) elevation. The Kali is the western boundary of Nepal with India. Nepalese and Indian nationals cross unrestricted, however there is a customs checkpoint for goods.
Dharchula lies about 83 km (52 mi) northerly of Pithoragarh along the route of the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage tour. The name of the town may originate from the Hindi words for "mountain peak" (dhar) and "stove" (chula) because the valley in which it lies resembles a stove.
Dharchula is very cold during winters, but it does not usually get snow. Summer temperatures are similar to the plains.
Nepal has a town with a similar name, Darchula, about 22 km (14 mi) air distance northeast. The people of both towns have similar traditions, culture, and lifestyle and move across the border without hindrance and without passport or visa. The area has a mixture of Kumaouni and dotiyali language, traditions and culture.
The town is dominated by the Rung and Shauka people, the two words often being used as synonyms. They have sharp features and are of short height. The people are quite hospitable and simple in their living. These people have been living in the surrounding mountains of Dharchula valley since ages. In early times, people used to live in surrounding hills during the summer season and hibernate to the green valley of Dharchula in winters to beat the extremely cold weather at the high altitudes. Gradually the people started getting used to live in the relatively warmer climate of the valley and that's how the place became a permanent ground for the people once hibernating there. Tents and wooden houses soon changed into houses of brick and mortar. What started as a small stop over place in the early 1900s had developed to a full grown town by 1990s.
The town not only provides a permanent shelter to the regional people, but also a resting place to traders and pilgrims who cross the town in order to reach their destinations far ahead. This growing crowd was a start of the trend which lay the foundation of Dharchula's commercialization. With passing time, people from different parts of the plains and foothill areas started settling in Dharchula to tap the commercial opportunities of the area. Although the majority of the population in Dharchula still consists of Rung people, there are lot other sects of people too, like Punjabis, Baniyas, etc.
Source: Wikipedia
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