Hamirpur District

Hamirpur District is found in the southwestern part of Himachal Pradesh. It has a total area of 4,121.9 square kilometers, which are populated by some 412,009 people, according to the Indian census taken in 2001. The population density is 369 people per square kilometer and the aggregate literacy rate is fairly high, at 83.16%. Hamirpur district is surrounded by Kangra district to the north and northwest, Mandi district to the east, the district of Bilaspur to the south and the district of Una to the west. The district headquarters is the town of Hamirpur.

In the old days, the district was ruled by the Katoch dynasty, who had dominion in the area between the Ravi and Satluj rivers. According to passages from the Puranas and Ashtadhyai, Hamirpur was part of the Jallandhar-Trigarta empire during the Mahabharata period, and its people are often described as great warriors and fighters. Evidently, this still holds true even today because a large percentage of the Indian defense forces comes from this region; Hamirpuris can be found among the Indian forces of Dogra, Granadiers, JAKRIF and even the paramilitary forces such as the Assam Rifles.

During the ancient periods, the region belonging to the modern-day Hamirpur district was under the rule of several dynasties and kingdoms such as the Guptas, Timurlang, the sultans and, in later years, several warring tribes. However, it was the Katoch dynasty who put these tribes under control and ensured an orderly society. Thus, it came to be that the district is closely associated with the Katochs.

The district (as well as the town’s) present name is derived from Hamir Chand, one of the rulers of the Katoch dynasty who reigned from 1700 to 1740. He was the one who built the fort at Hamirpur. However, the place only became prominent during the reign of Raja Sansar Chand II, who made Sujanpur Tira as his capital and constructed temples and palaces there. He ruled from 1775 to 1823, when he was ultimately defeated. The area was then under the control of the Sikhs until they were defeated by the British army in the first Anglo-Sikh war. Hamirpur district became a part of the British Empire and became a part of the district of Kangra. Kangra was annexed in 1846 and Nadaun was made its administrative subdivision, which was transferred to Hamirpur in 1868. Hamirpur remained a part of the Punjab until November 1, 1966 when Himachal Pradesh was formed. On September 1, 1972, the districts were rearranged and Hamirpur was finally created as a separate district, with the original tehsils being Hamirpur and Barsar. Over the years, several more tehsils were added.

The district’s economy is largely agriculture based, with the major crops being wheat, gram and barley. Rice and maize are also abundant. The people speak dialects of western Pahari, with the dialects akin to those spoken in the adjoining districts of Mandi, Kangra and Bilaspur. The nearest broad gauge railway station is located in the district of Una while the nearest narrow gauge is found at Ranital. By land, Hamirpur can be approached from Shimla, Pathankot and Chandigarh.

Kangra District

Kangra District is the most populous district of Himachal Pradesh. It is located in the west of the state, occupying an area of 55,673 square kilometers. The 2001 Indian Census pegs the district’s population at 1,339,030, with a population density of 233 people per square kilometer. Kangra District is bounded by the district of Chamba to the north, Kullu to the east, and Una and Hamirpur districts to the south. Lahul and Spiti district can be found to the northeast while Mandi district occupies the southeast. The states of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir borders Kangra on the southwest and northwest, respectively. The city of Dharamsala is the district’s headquarters, which also happens to be the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile, and where His Holiness the Dalai Lama is based.

Known for the oldest serving Royal Dynasty in the world, the Katoch lineage, Kangra first became a district of British India in 1846, after it was ceded to the latter after the conclusion of the First Anglo-Sikh War, which resulted in the partial subjugation of the Sikh empire. Back then, the district also included the present-day districts of Kullu, Hamirpur and Lahul and Spiti, and was part of the Punjab, which was then a British province. At first, the district headquarters was located at the town of Kangra, but this was eventually moved to Dharamsala in 1855.

When India gained its independence in 1947, the British province of Punjab was partitioned between India and Pakistan, leading to the western portion to become the Indian state of Punjab. Since then, the original members of the former Punjab province became districts: Lahul and Spiti in 1960, Kullu in 1962 and Hamirpur in 1972, after it was separated from Kangra. Kangra and Una were added to Himachal Pradesh in 1966, which eventually became a state in 1971.

Geographically, the district lies in the low foothills of the Himalayas, in the Dhauladhar mountain range. The Beas, one of the district’s larger rivers, contribute much to the fertility of the land but due to the hilly terrain, not much of it is cultivated. The whole district is full of uniform patches of barren land, interspersed with small forests. Even so, the economy consists mostly of agriculture and farming, with tea cultivation, in particular, contributing a vital role in the revenue; the Kangra Tea is an internationally famous variety of tea.

Tourism is also a significant contributor to Kangra’s economy, mainly due to the fact that the district has several tourist destinations, both natural and man-made. The Kangra Art Musuem, for instance, displays valley arts and crafts, some of which date back to the 5th century. Its collection includes famous paintings, sculptures and anthropological items that have historic as well as contemporary value. Another famous tourist spot is the historical Kangra Fort, which was built by the founder of the Katoch dynasty, Ranjanka Bhumi Chand in the 11th century. It is the largest fort in the Himalayas, and is largely acknowledged to be the oldest fort in all of India. At present, the Archaeological Survey of India oversees and manages the fort.

Solan District

Solan district is one of the 12 districts of Himachal Pradesh. It occupies a geographical area of 1,936 square kilometers, divided into five administrative divisions or tehsils: Arki, Kandaghat, Kasauli, Nalagarh and Solan. It lies at an altitude of 1,350 meters above sea level, as characteristic of the topography of the region. Like most of the districts of Himachal Pradesh, Solan lies cradles near a mountain range, in this case the Shivalik Ranges.

The district is bounded by the district of Shimla in the north, Sirmaur district in the east and the district of Bilaspur to the west. Two districts from two other states bound it in the south: the Ropar district of Punjab and the Ambala district of Haryana. The northeast is touched by the district of Mandi. According to the 2001 Indian Census, the total population of Solan is 500,557, with a large part of it living in the rural areas. The population density of the whole district is 258 people per square kilometers. Hindu is the predominant religion as well as culture, and the predominant language is Hindi. The district’s administrative headquarters is the town of Solan.

The district’s name comes from its administrative headquarters Solan town, which itself was named after the goddess Soloni Devi, whose temple is located in the town’s southern end, and which came into existence after the construction of the cantonment in the area around the last quarter of the 19th century. The district was comprised of the princely states of Bhagal, Kunihar, Kuthar, Bhagat, Mangal, Nalagarh, Mahlog, Beja and Keonthal and Kothi, as well as the hilly areas of the composite Punjab state when it was merged with Himachal Pradesh on November 1, 1966 during the Punjab reorganization on the basis of linguistic matters. These states were mostly small both in population and area and before the independence of India, they were under the rule of the superintendent of the Shimla Hill States. When Himachal Pradesh came into being on April 15, 1948 as the Chief Commissioner’s Province of H.P., the states of Bhagat, Baghal, Kuthar, Kunihar, Beja, Mangal, Koti and Keonthal formed a part of what was then Mahasu district. The remaining state of Nalagarh was merged with Patiala after the independence. The East Punjab State Union later formed a part of Punjab during the state reorganization in 1956 and the other districts became part of Himachal Pradesh on November 1, 1972. Solan eventually became a separate district of the new state.

Solan’s claim to fame is the famous Mohan Meakin Brewery which was established in 1855, and is Asia’s first brewery. Coupled with sprawling horticulture, forest universities and pleasant climate all year round, Solan district has become a favorite stopover by tourists regardless of season. There are also several important and interesting places tourists can visit, such as Kasauli, a quaint hill station 1,795 meters above mean sea level, which still retains its 19th century ambiance, and the Bon Monastery, which is said to be the second oldest monastery in the world. All in all, Solan district is a place that is worthy of a peek by any traveler to India.