Jogindernagar
Encyclopedia
Joginder Nagar or Jogindar Nagar ( dʒoːˈɡɪnd̪ər nəˈɡər; ; ) is a town and a nagar panchayat
in Mandi district
in the India
n state
of Himachal Pradesh
. Named after Raja Joginder Sen, Joginder Nagar is terminal point of 163 km long Kangra Valley
Narrow gauge
railhead. Joginder Nagar is the only town in Asia to have 3 hydro-electric power stations, and hence it is popularly known as The Electric City or The City of Powerhouses.
, Raja Joginder Sen. The name of the original village was Sukrahatti.
. B. C. Batty planned a hydel power scheme near the village of Sukrahatti.
A narrow-gauge railway track was laid from Pathankot
to Joginder Nagar (1,220 m) to carry the heavy machinery transported from Britain
.
A Haulage-way
system was laid from the site of Shanan Power House
to Barot
, where the reservoir was constructed on Uhl river.
After tunneling and piping the water over several kilometres from the river Uhl to Joginder nagar, the Shanan Power House (110 MW) was built by a team of engineers headed by Colonel Batty.
Shanan Power House was the only hydroelectric project in northern India which fed undivided Punjab and Delhi.
The vision of the hydel project scheme was to construct five power stations using the same water that is drawn from the Uhl river.
The used water of Shanan Power House was taken through various tunnels in adjoining Siyuri Dhar, to a distance of 8 km.
A reservoir was constructed at the village Chapprot that would be used for driving turbines in stage 2 of project at the base of Chapprot hill.
However, the plan could not be executed following the death of Colonel Batty.
Later in 1960s, the HP State Electricity Board decided to proceed further with the plan.
In 1970, another set of turbines were added at Bassi, a small village situated at the bottom of Chapprot hill and Bassi Power House (66 MW) came into existence.
Despite the fact that Bassi Power House was producer of cheapest hydro-electricity (since the project was based on tail-water of Shanan project), no further development was seen till the beginning of 21st century.
The construction of third stage of project, Uhl Stage III (100 MW), was inaugrated at Tullah near the Machhyal Lake and is currently under progress.
located in the north-western ranges of the Himalayas
31.98°N 76.77°E.
The city is situated at the north-east corner of the valley surrounded by mountains on all sides.
It has an average elevation of 1,010 metres (3,314 feet).
The surrounding mountains are covered with thick forests of Pine
. Rhododendron
(Burans or locally known as Brah ka fool) and Deodar trees can be found at high altitude peaks like Winch Camp.
Joginder Nagar is a Zone V (Very High Damage Risk Zone) as per Earthquake hazard zoning of India
. The after-effects of the earthquake of 1905 are still visible at nearby fort Kila Karanpur.
, Joginder Nagar had a population of 5,046. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%.
Joginder Nagar has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 84%, and female literacy is 74%.
In Joginder Nagar, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The majority of Joginder Nagar's population consists of natives of Himachal Pradesh
and Punjab
who work in Shanan Power House currently under charge of Punjab State Electricity Board.
The major religions followed in the town are Hinduism
, Sikhism
and Tibetan Buddhism
, along with a small percentage of Christians and Muslims.
A majority of Tibetan Buddhists and monks live in the settlements near village Chauntra
.
The major languages spoken in the area are Hindi and dialects of Pahari
.
The dialect of western pahari used in the region varies from Mandyali
to Kangri
because of closeness to Kangra district
.
The other languages spoken and understood by majority of population are Punjabi
and English.
(earlier Bhartiya Public High School andArya Samaj Mandir).
There have been several advances in education since 2003 and many new private schools have come up in area, some noteworthy being Shanti Niketan Senior Secondary School, Gurukul Public Senior Secondary School, Crescent Senior Secondary School, Ascent Senior Secondary School and New Crescent Senior Secondary School. The increase in competition between schools has led to increase in facilities provided by schools (e.g. Commution) and hence children in a much wider region now have access to better education.
There has been reasonable progress in the higher education sector in the area and but most of higher education aspirants prefer to move to bigger cities and other states for graduation and post-graduation.
A university has been established under Tibetan Children's Villages project near the Tibetan settlement in village Chauntra, exclusively for Tibetan students in exile. The university provides education for Tibetan students in various disciplines including Tibetan language
, Tibetan culture
and various forms of arts and science.
Important institutions are
Nagar Panchayat
A nagar palika or nagar panchayat is a form of an urban political unit in India comparable to a municipality.An urban centre with more than 30,000 and less than 100,000 inhabitants is classified as a nagar panchayat....
in Mandi district
Mandi district
Mandi district is one of the central districts of Himachal Pradesh state in northern India. Mandi town is the headquarters of Mandi district Mandi. The town has both mythological and historical significance and boasts of a unique temple architecture...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
. Named after Raja Joginder Sen, Joginder Nagar is terminal point of 163 km long Kangra Valley
Kangra Valley
Kangra Valley is situated in Himachal Pradesh, India. It is a popular tourist destination, with the peak season around March and April.Dharamsala, the headquarters of Kangra district, lies on the southern spur of Dhauladhar in the valley .-Geography:...
Narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
railhead. Joginder Nagar is the only town in Asia to have 3 hydro-electric power stations, and hence it is popularly known as The Electric City or The City of Powerhouses.
Etymology
Jogindernagar has been named after the king of MandiMandi district
Mandi district is one of the central districts of Himachal Pradesh state in northern India. Mandi town is the headquarters of Mandi district Mandi. The town has both mythological and historical significance and boasts of a unique temple architecture...
, Raja Joginder Sen. The name of the original village was Sukrahatti.
History
In 1925, Raja Joginder Sen and ColColonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
. B. C. Batty planned a hydel power scheme near the village of Sukrahatti.
A narrow-gauge railway track was laid from Pathankot
Pathankot
Pathankot became 22nd district on 28th July 2011 and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Punjab. It was a part of the Nurpur princely state ruled by the Rajputs prior to 1849 AD. It is a meeting point of the three northern states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir...
to Joginder Nagar (1,220 m) to carry the heavy machinery transported from Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
A Haulage-way
Haulage
Haulage may refer to:* The business of being a haulier or hauler , also called haulage contractor, common carrier, contract carrier, or private carrier, in other words of transporting goods by road or rail for other companies or one's own company.* The horizontal transport of ore, coal, supplies,...
system was laid from the site of Shanan Power House
Shanan Power House
With a vision to construct 5 hydro-electric power stations utilizing the water of Uhl river, British Engineer Colonel B.C. Batty and his team in collaboration with the then ruler of Joginder Nagar region, Raja Karan Sen, designed and created the Shanan Power House, which is situated 2 km from...
to Barot
Barot
Barot is a picnic spot and tourist location in Mandi district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is situated 40 km from Jogindernagar and 66 km from Mandi, the district headquarters. The road to Barot branches off at Jogindernagar-Mandi high ways and from Jogindernagar the...
, where the reservoir was constructed on Uhl river.
After tunneling and piping the water over several kilometres from the river Uhl to Joginder nagar, the Shanan Power House (110 MW) was built by a team of engineers headed by Colonel Batty.
Shanan Power House was the only hydroelectric project in northern India which fed undivided Punjab and Delhi.
The vision of the hydel project scheme was to construct five power stations using the same water that is drawn from the Uhl river.
The used water of Shanan Power House was taken through various tunnels in adjoining Siyuri Dhar, to a distance of 8 km.
A reservoir was constructed at the village Chapprot that would be used for driving turbines in stage 2 of project at the base of Chapprot hill.
However, the plan could not be executed following the death of Colonel Batty.
Later in 1960s, the HP State Electricity Board decided to proceed further with the plan.
In 1970, another set of turbines were added at Bassi, a small village situated at the bottom of Chapprot hill and Bassi Power House (66 MW) came into existence.
Despite the fact that Bassi Power House was producer of cheapest hydro-electricity (since the project was based on tail-water of Shanan project), no further development was seen till the beginning of 21st century.
The construction of third stage of project, Uhl Stage III (100 MW), was inaugrated at Tullah near the Machhyal Lake and is currently under progress.
Geography
Jogindarnagar is at north-east corner of the Joginder Nagar ValleyJoginder Nagar Valley
Joginder Nagar Valley is the valley in Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The valley contains the town of Joginder Nagar and various other villages surrounded by mountains on all sides...
located in the north-western ranges of the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
31.98°N 76.77°E.
The city is situated at the north-east corner of the valley surrounded by mountains on all sides.
It has an average elevation of 1,010 metres (3,314 feet).
The surrounding mountains are covered with thick forests of Pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
. Rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
(Burans or locally known as Brah ka fool) and Deodar trees can be found at high altitude peaks like Winch Camp.
Joginder Nagar is a Zone V (Very High Damage Risk Zone) as per Earthquake hazard zoning of India
Earthquake hazard zoning of India
The Indian subcontinent has a history of devastating earthquakes. The major reason for the high frequency and intensity of the earthquakes is that India is driving into Asia at a rate of approximately 47 mm/year. Geographical statistics of India show that almost 54% of the land is vulnerable...
. The after-effects of the earthquake of 1905 are still visible at nearby fort Kila Karanpur.
Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Joginder Nagar had a population of 5,046. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%.
Joginder Nagar has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 84%, and female literacy is 74%.
In Joginder Nagar, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The majority of Joginder Nagar's population consists of natives of Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
and Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
who work in Shanan Power House currently under charge of Punjab State Electricity Board.
The major religions followed in the town are Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
and Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
, along with a small percentage of Christians and Muslims.
A majority of Tibetan Buddhists and monks live in the settlements near village Chauntra
Chauntra
Chauntra is a village situated at an altitude of above sea level in District Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. The settlement is along the National Highway 20 connecting Mandi with Pathankot...
.
The major languages spoken in the area are Hindi and dialects of Pahari
Pahari languages
The Pahari languages are a geographic group of Indic languages spoken in the lower ranges of the Himalayas, from Nepal in the east to the Indian states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir in the west.-Classification:The Pahari languages fall into three groups:*Eastern, consisting...
.
The dialect of western pahari used in the region varies from Mandyali
Mandeali
Mandeali is a Western Pahari language spoken in northern India, predominantly in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh by the people of the Mandi valley. Other spellings for the name are Mandiyali and Mandiali; it is also called Mandalgarhi ~ Mandigyahri....
to Kangri
Kangri language
Kangri is a dialect spoken in northern India, predominantly in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, by the people of the Kangra Valley. It is an Indo-Aryan dialect, related to Dogri and classified as one of the Western Pahari group of languages, with deep vocabulary impact from Punjabi, which...
because of closeness to Kangra district
Kangra district
Kangra is the most populous district of the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. Dharamsala is the administrative headquarters of the district.-Geography:Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh is situated in Western Himalayas between 31°2 to...
.
The other languages spoken and understood by majority of population are Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
and English.
Access
- Distance from Mandi: 56 km.
- Distance from ChandigarhChandigarhChandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...
: 259 km. - Distance from ShimlaShimlaShimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
: 210 km. - Distance from Pathankot: 163 km.
- Nearest broad gauge train station: Pathankot (163 km).
- Nearest airport: Gaggal AirportGaggal Airport-External links:* at Airports Authority of India web site...
(60 km).
Education
The town and neighbouring villages have easy access to education. The oldest schools in the town are Government Senior Secondary School, Government Senior Secondary School (Girls) and Bhartiya Public Senior Secondary SchoolBhartiya Public Senior Secondary School
- History :Bhartiya Public Senior Secondary School, earlier known as Bhartiya Public High School, is situated in the main market of Joginder Nagar, a small town in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. The school was established in 1982....
(earlier Bhartiya Public High School andArya Samaj Mandir).
There have been several advances in education since 2003 and many new private schools have come up in area, some noteworthy being Shanti Niketan Senior Secondary School, Gurukul Public Senior Secondary School, Crescent Senior Secondary School, Ascent Senior Secondary School and New Crescent Senior Secondary School. The increase in competition between schools has led to increase in facilities provided by schools (e.g. Commution) and hence children in a much wider region now have access to better education.
There has been reasonable progress in the higher education sector in the area and but most of higher education aspirants prefer to move to bigger cities and other states for graduation and post-graduation.
A university has been established under Tibetan Children's Villages project near the Tibetan settlement in village Chauntra, exclusively for Tibetan students in exile. The university provides education for Tibetan students in various disciplines including Tibetan language
Tibetan language
The Tibetan languages are a cluster of mutually-unintelligible Tibeto-Burman languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering the Indian subcontinent, including the Tibetan Plateau and the northern Indian subcontinent in Baltistan, Ladakh,...
, Tibetan culture
Tibetan culture
Tibetan culture developed under the influence of a number of factors. Contact with neighboring countries and cultures- including Nepal, India and China - have influenced the development of Tibetan culture, but the Himalayan region's remoteness and inaccessibility have preserved distinctive local...
and various forms of arts and science.
Important institutions are
- Ayurveda University (proposed, one campus also at Paprola)
- Rajeev Gandhi Memorial Degree College
- HP Revenue Training Institute
- Govt. B. Pharma College (being mentored at Herbal Garden)
- Himalayan Group of Institution's Nursing College
- Ayurvedic Research Institute & Herbal Garden
- Private B.Ed. College
- Industrial Training Institute
- Prajapati Brahmakumari Ishwariya Vishwavidyalaya Rajyoga & Meditation Center
Places of interest
- Haulage-way Trolley: Haulage-way trolley, that goes from 4,300 feet to up to 8,000 feet using cable wire and runs on railway track.
- Winch Camp: Highest hill station of Joginder Nagar at 2400 metres. A trolley track goes from Winch camp (8,000 feet) to Head-gear (8,300 feet) and then haulage way descends down to Barot.
- BarotBarotBarot is a picnic spot and tourist location in Mandi district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is situated 40 km from Jogindernagar and 66 km from Mandi, the district headquarters. The road to Barot branches off at Jogindernagar-Mandi high ways and from Jogindernagar the...
: The main reservoirs on Uhl river for Shanan and Bassi hydel projects. - Bir-Billing: There are lots of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in Bir. Billing (8,600 ft.) is the hang-gliding take-off spot for ParaglidingParaglidingParagliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure...
Pre-World Cup. - Shanan Power HouseShanan Power HouseWith a vision to construct 5 hydro-electric power stations utilizing the water of Uhl river, British Engineer Colonel B.C. Batty and his team in collaboration with the then ruler of Joginder Nagar region, Raja Karan Sen, designed and created the Shanan Power House, which is situated 2 km from...
: One of India's first hydroelectric power projects was built in 1932. - Narrow-gauge Railway: The narrow-gauge railway, from Pathankot to Joginder Nagar. This railway line has been nominated for inclusion in UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
's cultural heritage list. - Bassi Power House: The generation cost of this power house is cheapest in the India.
- Banderi Temple and Kila Karanpur: Banderi temple is situated on the hill to the north-west of Joginder Nagar. Kila Karanpur is abandoned fort of Raja Karan Sen, son of Raja Joginder Sen.
- Macchyal lake: Holy lake held sacred to Machinder Devta i.e. Fish God.
- Jhatingri: Para-gliding take-off spot amongst thick forests.
- Ayurvedic Research InstitutesAyurvedaAyurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...
: The largest Herbal Garden and institute for research on Ayurvedic medicines and plants in North IndiaNorth IndiaNorth India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
. - Dhelu: Paragliding spot where joyrides are enjoyed.
- Lakshminarayana TempleLakshminarayana TempleLakshminarayana Temple may refer to several temples in Karnataka, India:*Lakshminarayana Temple, Adagur in Hassan district*Lakshminarayana Temple, Hosaholalu in Mandya district....
:A very old temple said to be built by Pandavas dedicated to Lord Lakshminarayana,