Culture of Kumaon

The way of life of the present Kumaon district is a mix of impacts from the indigenous populace and from the settlers to this area. Thusly, the fantasies, tongues, dialects, people writing, celebrations, fairs and types of imaginative articulation are cases of the inventive impacts of the diverse social gatherings that constitute Kumaon.

Each peak, lake or mountain range is by one means or another or the other associated with some misconception or the name of a God or Goddess, running from those related with the Shaiva, Shakta and Vaishnava customs, to regional Gods like Ham, Saim, Golla, Chhurmal, Kail Bisht, Bholanath, Gangnath, Airy and Chaumu. Holy places are committed to the nine acclaimed Goddesses, other nearby Goddesses, Bhairava, Surya and Ganesh. The holy place at Jageshwar, Bageshwar, Binsar, Thalkedar, Rameshwar, Pancheshwar, Baijnath and Gananath are commited to Lord Shiva. The holy place of Devidhura, Gangolihat, Pumagiri, Almora, Nainital, Kot Ki Mai and Kotgari Devi are related with the Shakt custom, while the locale of Lohaghat - Champawat (Mount Kandeo) is related with Kunna Avatar. This locale likewise has two well known Sun temples.

As indicated by Atkinson there were 35 Vaishnava and 250 Shaiva temples in British Kumaon. Eight Vaishnava and 64 Shaiva sanctuaries were committed to the Shakti or female form by itself.

Despite the fact that Lord Shiva's impact won all through Kumaon, for the most part on account of its vicinity to the area of Panchkedars and Kailash - Mansarovar, this did not at all hamper the impact of the nearby folk Gods and Goddesses. In spite of the fact that the stories of Nanda Devi and Naina Devi have now been connected together, they started as two unique stories.

• Naina Devi: Naina Devi is named as Goddess Parvati. As indicated by the Jagars Naina Devi was recognished in Kumaon by the Katyuri ruler Jiya Rani. Then again there is a misconception which discusses Sati's commiting suicide by hopping into a conciliatory fire, when she and Lord Shiva were offended by her father Dakshaprajapati amid a Yajnya, to which Shiva and Sati had not been welcomed in any case. The myth goes ahead to state that while Shiva was taking Sati's body away, her eye tumbled down at a place close to the temple of Pashan Devi in Nainital. Consequently, as indicated by myth Naina Devi is the one and only the goddess Parvati. (The story Sati was renewed as Parvati). 

• Nanda Devi: Nanda Devi is the Greek Goddess 'Nana', who comes up to the Himalaya with the Indo - Greeks and Kushan Kings. Nevertheless, the reality remains that Nanda Devi is normally a Kumaoni goddess and most prevalent in the district. Alluding to the rich religious beliefs and tales related with Uttaranchal, E.T. Atkinson has stated: To the convictions of the colossal greater part of Hindus, the Kumaon (Himalaya) is the thing that Palestine is to the Christian.'