Kashipur

Kashipur lies below the hills of Kumaon, near the site of the ancient settlement of Govishana. The Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang visited Govishana in the seventh century and described a lofty, defensible town surrounded by groves and pools. Kashipur takes its later name from Kashinath Adhikari, a governor serving the Chand kings of Kumaon and credited with founding the town.

In the latter half of the eighteenth century Nand Ram, the governor, became effectively independent and established a local kingdom. His successor Shib Lal ceded Kashipur to the British in 1801. During the Anglo-Nepalese War the town played a part in the campaign that brought Kumaon under Company rule. In 1824 Bishop Heber visited on his way to Almora and described Kashipur as a Hindu place of pilgrimage.