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{{short description|Town in Uttarakhand, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Thal
| other_name =
| nickname =
| settlement_type = town
| image_skyline = Thal4.jpg
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Ek Hathiya Dewal Temple at Thal
| pushpin_map = India Uttarakhand#India
| pushpin_label_position =
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Uttarakhand, India
| coordinates = {{coord|29.8265|N|80.1408|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Uttarakhand]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts of India|District]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Pithoragarh District|Pithoragarh]]
| established_title = 
| established_date =
| founder =
| named_for =
| government_type =
| governing_body =
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes =
| area_rank =
| area_total_km2 =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m =
| population_total = 5,000 (estimated)<ref>{{cite news |title=दो विधायक चुनते हैं थल कस्बे के लोग |url=https://www.amarujala.com/uttarakhand/pithoragarh/the-people-of-the-town-site-choose-two-members |access-date=14 June 2018 |work=Amar Ujala |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614094236/https://www.amarujala.com/uttarakhand/pithoragarh/the-people-of-the-town-site-choose-two-members |archive-date=14 June 2018 |language=hi}}</ref>
| population_as_of =
| population_rank =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym =
| population_footnotes =
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| demographics1_info1 = [[Hindi language|Hindi]]
| timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1 = +5:30
| postal_code_type =
| postal_code = 262552
| registration_plate = UK 05
| website =
| footnotes =
}}

'''Thal''' is a small town situated on the banks of [[Ramganga]] river in the [[Pithoragarh district]] in the Indian state of [[Uttarakhand]]. It is one of the thirteen [[tehsil]]s of district Pithoragarh.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tehsil {{!}} District Pithoragarh, Government of Uttarakhand {{!}} India |url=https://pithoragarh.nic.in/tehsil/ |access-date=17 April 2024}}</ref>

Thal has been a centre for local trade for nearby settlements at [[Didihat]], [[Munsiari]], [[Chaukori]] and Dharamghar since antiquity. It is also known for a 9th century Shiva temple located on the bank of Ramganga river and the Ek Hathiya Dewal temple - a [[Indian rock-cut architecture|rock cut temple]] believed to be crafted by a one-armed artisan.

Thal was a [[List of community development blocks of Uttarakhand|block]] of the [[Almora district]] from 1957 to 1962. Since 30 September 2014, it is a tehsil of the Pithoragarh district, which was constituted from 114 villages earlier part of [[Berinag]] and Didihat tehsil.

== History ==

Thal is among the oldest towns in Pithoragarh district. It has been a centre for local trade for nearby settlements at [[Didihat]], [[Munsiari]], [[Chaukori]] and Dharamghar since antiquity.<ref name="Menon">{{cite journal |last1=Menon |first1=Srikumar M. |last2=G. |first2=Sudhakara |title=Ek Hathiya Dewal: A Rock-Cut Nagara Temple at Thal, Uttarakhand |journal=Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology |volume=8 |issue=2 |year=2020 |pages=34–55 |url=http://www.heritageuniversityofkerala.com/JournalPDF/Volume8.2/2.pdf |access-date=17 April 2024}}</ref> There is a 9th century Shiva temple located on the bank of the Ramganga river, which was built under the patronage of the [[Katyuri kings]].<ref name="Menon" /> Baleshwar form of Lord Shiva is worshiped in this temple. At the time of Bikhaut Sankranti, an 8-day fair used to be held here, which amassed a gathering of around 15,000 people in 1911.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Walton|first1=H. G.|title=Almora: A Gazetter|date=1911|publisher=The Government Press, United Provinces|location=Allahabad|page=296}}</ref>

Thal was connected by a motor road with [[Almora]] in 1955 and in 1957, the then UP government opened a [[Community development block]] office in Thal.<ref name="block">{{cite news |title=थल ब्लॉक का अस्तित्व 55 वर्ष पहले समाप्त हो गया |url=http://www.amarujala.com/uttarakhand/pithoragarh/121508344875-pithoragarh-news |access-date=24 October 2017 |work=Amar Ujala |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025022013/http://www.amarujala.com/uttarakhand/pithoragarh/121508344875-pithoragarh-news |archive-date=25 October 2017 |language=hi}}</ref> There were 600 villages under this development block. The development block continued functioning till 1962, after which the government closed this development block office and divided the villages falling in Thal development block into Didihat and Berinag development blocks.<ref name="block" /> In 1962, a 68 meter long bridge was built over the Ramganga river at Thal.<ref>{{cite news |title=थल के मोटर पुल की हालत खराब |url=http://www.amarujala.com/uttarakhand/pithoragarh/the-condition-of-the-motor-bridge-of-the-site-is-bad |access-date=24 October 2017 |work=Amar Ujala |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025021902/http://www.amarujala.com/uttarakhand/pithoragarh/the-condition-of-the-motor-bridge-of-the-site-is-bad |archive-date=25 October 2017 |language=hi}}</ref> A primary health center was opened here on 11 October 2000.<ref>{{cite news |title=अस्पताल में 17 वर्ष बाद भी सुविधाओं का अभाव |url=http://www.amarujala.com/uttarakhand/pithoragarh/lack-of-facilities-even-after-17-years-in-hospital |access-date=24 October 2017 |work=Amar Ujala |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025021940/http://www.amarujala.com/uttarakhand/pithoragarh/lack-of-facilities-even-after-17-years-in-hospital |archive-date=25 October 2017 |language=hi}}</ref>

== Administration ==

Thal is one of the thirteen [[tehsil]]s of the Pithoragarh district. The notification for formation of tehsil in Thal was issued on 30 September 2014, but the tehsil started functioning almost a year later from 13 September 2015. 114 villages of several Patwari areas of Berinag and Didihat tehsil were reorganised to form the Thal tehsil.<ref>{{cite news |title=इस तहसील से अब तक लोगों को कोई फायदा नहीं |url=http://www.amarujala.com/uttarakhand/pithoragarh/201508087858-pithoragarh-news |access-date=24 October 2017 |work=Amar Ujala |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025022204/http://www.amarujala.com/uttarakhand/pithoragarh/201508087858-pithoragarh-news |archive-date=25 October 2017 |language=hi}}</ref>

== Economy ==

The Thal fair used to be frequented by the [[Bhotiyas of Uttarakhand|Bhotiya]] traders, who used to sell utensils and wool for the last time before returning to [[Tibet]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Shah |first1=Giriraj |title=The Kingdom of Gods, Uttarakhand |date=1975 |publisher=Abhinav Publications |isbn=978-0-88386-724-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5bkBAAAAMAAJ |access-date=18 April 2024 |language=en}}</ref> Apart from this, clothes from [[Kashipur, Uttarakhand|Kashipur]] and [[Almora]] and oil and chilli products from [[Pithoragarh|Sor]] and [[Didihat|Sira]] were also bought and sold. A market was sanctioned under the scheme of Mandi Parishad in Thal to facilitate the local producers of vegetables, fruits and grains from Thal, Didihat, Munsiyari and Berinag.<ref>{{cite news |title=दो करोड़ की मंडी बनी आवारा जानवरों की आरामगाह - |url=https://www.jagran.com/uttarakhand/pithoragarh-mandi-16871240.html |access-date=24 October 2017 |work=Jagran |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024205651/http://www.jagran.com/uttarakhand/pithoragarh-mandi-16871240.html |archive-date=24 October 2017 |url-status=live |language=hi}}</ref>

== Transport ==

Thal was connected by a motor road with [[Almora]] in 1955, which connected Almora with [[Munsiari]] via [[Bageshwar]], Udiyari and Thal.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kapadia |first1=Harish |title=Across Peaks & Passes in Kumaun Himalaya |date=1999 |publisher=Indus Publishing |location=New Delhi |isbn=978-81-7387-096-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nD95LUfpgzgC |access-date=18 April 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

== Education ==

Haridutt Pant Government Inter College is situated at Thal. In 2017, 350 students were studying here.<ref>{{cite news |title=100 विद्यार्थियों ने जीआईसी थल से नाम कटाया |url=http://www.amarujala.com/uttarakhand/pithoragarh/100-students-named-from-gic-land |access-date=24 October 2017 |work=Amar Ujala |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025021859/http://www.amarujala.com/uttarakhand/pithoragarh/100-students-named-from-gic-land |archive-date=25 October 2017 |language=hi}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Pithoragarh district}}

[[Category:Cities and towns in Pithoragarh district]]

Thal, Uttarakhand - Revision history

CaitlinBecker07: created info