Champawat situated 1,675 meteres above sea level was orignally the capital of Chand Rajas of Kumaon. It was at Champawat that Lord Vishnu is said to have appeared in Kurmavatar hence Kumaon came to be known as Kurmanchal.

The rocks of Champawat are partly gneiss, which having become disintegrated in many places, have given way and, according to McClelland, caused the destruction of the greater part of the old buildings.

Champawat is famous not only from historical sculptural and archaeological point of view but also for its abundant scenic beauty. At a distance of 13 km from Lohaghat the ancient capital, Champawat, from where the Chand dynasty ruled, hold ruins of a past glory. Extant and still scattered around the Tehsil, are amazing temples and ponds built with huge  slabs of stone. Old ways still stay in Kali Kumaon, locally known as Kali Kumu, the language, too, is anicient.