Gangolihat

Being situated between the Saryu Ganga and Ram Ganga rivers, the region where Gangolihat is situated was earlier called Gangavali, which got corrupted to Gangoli over the course of time.^[3] Gangolihat was the primary market and main trading center of the Gangoli region. Before the thirteenth century, the region was under the rule of the Katyuri kings.

Around the thirteenth century, Gangolihat came under the rule of the Mankoti kings, who had their capital at Mankot.^[4][5][6][7] In Janhavi naula at Gangolihat belonging to 1264 A.D. there is a piece of stone with the names of the Gangoli kings and also records an inscription about a possible invasion of Mankot by the Delhi Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah.^[8] On the piece of stone of 1352, found in the temple of Baijnath, is written that the kings of Gangoli (Hamirdeo, Lingarajdeo, Dharaldeo) built the kalash of the temple.^{[8][clarification needed]}

The kingdom of Gangoli was invaded by the Chand king, Balo Kalyan Chand, in the 16th century.^[3] Following its defeat, Mankot was merged into the Kumaon Kingdom. In the nineteenth century, Gangoli was made a pargana of Almora district, and the pargana headquarters were established in Gangolihat town itself.

Gangolihat is located at 29°29′N 80°03′E / 29.48°N 80.05°E / 29.48; 80.05.^[9] It has an average elevation of 1,760 metres (5,773 feet). It is 78 km from Pithoragarh. The main town is at a hill top. The region is surrounded by two rivers-Saryu and Ramganga.