Munsiyari Munsiari | |
|---|---|
Sub-division | |
.jpg) _(2).jpg)  _(2).jpg)  Clockwise from top: A view of theGori river flowing throughJohar Valley, Birthi Falls, as seen from Thal-Munsiyari road, Nanda Devi Temple, View ofPanchchuli Peaks and Tribal Heritage Museum. | |
  Munsiyari Location in Uttarakhand, India Show map of Uttarakhand Munsiyari Munsiyari (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:30°04′03″N80°14′19″E / 30.067413°N 80.238562°E /30.067413; 80.238562 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Uttarakhand |
| District | Pithoragarh |
| Elevation | 2,200 m (7,200 ft) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Hindi,Kumaoni |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 262554 |
| Vehicle registration | UK 05 |
| Website | uk |
Munsyari (Kumaoni:Munsyār) is the name of the sub-division headquarters, amunicipal board, a conglomeration of revenue villages and it also refers to the entire region as MunsiyariTehsil andSub Division in thePithoragarh District in the hill-state ofUttarakhand,India.
It is ahill station and lies at the base of the greatHimalayan mountain range, at an elevation of about 2,200 m (7,200 ft)[1] and is a starting point of various treks into the interior of the range.
Principally subsistence basedagriculture andanimal husbandry and allied activities. Many families are dependent on forests and natural resources for their livelihoods.[2]
During a summer festival organized in Munsiyari market in 2013, a proposal for granting Munsiyari the status ofNagar Panchayat (lower level Municipality) was passed by the locals.[3]Gram Panchayats attached to the Munsiyari market had also given their consent for this.[3] On 28 February 2014, the Uttarakhand Cabinet decided to grant Nagar Panchayat status to the towns of Munsiyari,Chaukhutia and Naugaon.[4] Shortly afterwards, the then Chief Minister Harish Rawat made an announcement confirming this move while on a visit to the town.[5] The municipal area was to be created by incorporating 5 Gram Panchayats: Mallaghorpatta, Tallaghorpatta, Bunga, Sarmoli and Jainti.[5] An official notification was issued on 7 October 2014, but due to major opposition by the Gram Sabhas, the Nagar Panchayat could not come into existence.[6] In June 2015, several government officials visited the area and tried to initiate talks with local villagers.[7] After all the talks failed, the notification that allowed the formation of Nagar Panchayat was revoked on 22 August 2016.[5]
A part of the administrative region of Munsiari is located in theGoririver basin. As of May 2014 a total of 319 birds[8] have been recorded, constituting a quarter of India'sbirds.Species richness apart, the Gori river basin harbours many rare,endemic, globally threatened andendangered bird species, including many of the evolutionarily older birds on the Indian sub-continent. The region has been designated byBirdlife International as anImportant Bird Area.[9]
TheUttarakhand Forest Department has developed alichen park in Munsiari, which is spread across 1.5 acres. It is India's first lichen park and its development started in 2019.[10][11]
In local parlance, the name 'Munsiyari' refers to a 'place with snow'. Situated on the banks of Goriganga river, it is a fast-growing tourist destination, andmountaineers,glacier enthusiasts, high altitude trekkers and nature lovers commonly use it as their hub or base camp. Munsiyari also falls on the ancient salt route fromTibet and is at the entrance of the Johar Valley, which extends along the path of theGori Ganga river to its source at theMilam Glacier. It is inhabited mainly by people of a few different caste groups including theShauka tribe, dalits orScheduled Castes and people categorized in other general castes comprisingKshatriya's,Pandits with a fewSikhs,Christians andBuddhists.
Munsiyari bazaar is a conglomeration of revenue villages and is not categorized as a town. The bazaar area comprises the villages of Malla Ghorpatta and Bunga, while Naya Basti, Sarmoli, Nana Sem, Jainti, Papdi villages form the periphery of the area popularly called Munsiyari. The main bazaar area faces east towards the HimalayanPanchachuli ranges.
The upper part of Munsiyari is called Malla Johar, which comprises 14trans-humantalpine villages, that are seasonally occupied during the months of May to early November.
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