Kangra district
Encyclopedia
Kangra is the most populous district of the state of Himachal Pradesh
, India
. Dharamsala
is the administrative headquarters of the district.
is situated in Western Himalayas
between 31°2 to
32°5 N and 75° to 77°45 E. The district has a geographical area of 5,739 km. which constitutes
10.31 % of geographical area of the State. According to 2001 census, the total population
of the district was 13,39,030 which is highest in the state (22.50% of the population). The
district has varying altitude ranging from 427 to 6401m above mean sea level, with some
plain areas touching Gurdaspur
district of Punjab
in the West and Una district of H.P. in the
South. In the East it touches Mandi district, in North with Kullu and Chamba. The district
has considerable diversity in its soils, physiography, land use pattern and cropping system.
On the basis of these, the district has further been divided into five-sub -situations i.e. Pir Panjal, Dhauladhar
, Kangra Shiwalik, Kangra Valley
and Beas
Basin.
The Beas
is one of the larger rivers of this district, and contributes to the fertility of the land here. The district is bounded by the Himachal Pradesh districts of Chamba
to the north, Lahul and Spiti
to the northeast, Kullu
to the east, Mandi
to the southeast, and Hamirpur
and Una
to the south. The district shares a border with the states of Punjab on the southwest, and Jammu and Kashmir
on the northwest. Due to the hilly terrain, not very much of the land is cultivated. The region is covered with uniform patches of barren land, as well as small forests.There is a reasonably good network of roads across the district.
Dharamsala, the district headquarters, is also the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile, headed by the His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Jwalamukhi, also known as Jwala ji, is famous for an ancient temple of the goddess of the same name, and features holy flames that run on natural gas
. Other important temples include Brajeshwari Devi temple, Chamunda Devi temple
, Chintpurni temple
and Baijnath's Shiva temple
. There are also important Buddhist temples in Dharamshala, Sidhbari
, Rewalsar and the Tibetan Colony
in Bir
. Historical villages of Pragpur and Garli are also located here.
Masroor Temple Also Named As Ajanta Alora Of Himachal Pradesh.
altitude, while area of Bara Bhangal are at the altitude of 5500 m. Indora block of Kangra
district falls in sub-humid sub-tropical zone where annual precipitation works out about
1000 mm and mean temperature of about 24°C, Dehragopipur and Nurpur blocks fall under
humid sub-tropical zone where the annual rainfall is between 900–2350 mm and mean
temperature about 2° to 24°C. Palampur and Dharamsala fall under wet temperate zone
where the temperature ranges from 15 to 19°C and annual rainfall is about 2500 mm. (avg.
of last fifty five years). Other parts of the Kangra district fall under hill area where the mean
annual temperature varies from 13 to 20°C and annual rainfall is 1800– 3000 mm.
The winter lasts from mid-December to mid-February, during which the temperature ranges from 0 to 20 °C. The winds cause winter rains. Summers last from April until June, and are hot (temp 25 to 38 °C) and dry. They are generally followed by a wet monsoon
which ends in autumn.
has a population
of 1,507,223 , roughly equal to the nation of Gabon
or the US state of Hawaii
. This gives it a ranking of 331st in India (out of a total of 640
). The district has a population density of 263 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate
over the decade 2001-2011 was 12.56 %. Kangra has a sex ratio
of 1013 females
for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate
of 86.49 %.
The native people are the Kangri people and the native language is Kangri
, which is very similar to Punjabi
. The majority of the people are Hindu
, although many Tibetan people
who follow Buddhism
have also settled here recently.
The traditional dress for men was the kurta
, pyjamas, and a woolen jacket used in winter. Women generally wear the salwar kameez and with the salwar Kameez girls and women take chuenni ("Chaddru" in local language.)
cultivation plays a vital in the economy. The "Kangra Tea" is famous world over.
The town of Palampur
is covered with lush green tea estates.The Palampur also have some beautiful places like naguel cafe, masand park and Bandla.Tourism
is also an important part of the economy.
. Kangra became a district of British India in 1846, when it was ceded to British India at the conclusion of the First Anglo-Sikh War
. The British district included the present-day districts of Kangra, Hamirpur
, Kullu
, and Lahul and Spiti
. Kangra District was part of the British Province of Punjab
. The administrative headquarters of the district were initially at Kangra, but were moved to Dharamsala
in 1855 .
This area was significantly damaged by an earthquake
on April 4, 1905.
Upon Indian Independence in 1947, Punjab province was partitioned between India
and Pakistan
, and the eastern portion, including Kangra, became the Indian state of Punjab. Lahul and Spiti became a separate district in 1960, and Kullu in 1962. In 1966, Kangra and Una
districts were added to Himachal Pradesh, which became a union territory
of India, and an Indian state in 1971. Hamirpur District was separated from Kangra in 1972.
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...
, 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...
. Dharamsala
Dharamsala
Dharamshala or Dharamsala is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district....
is the administrative headquarters of the district.
Geography
Kangra district of Himachal PradeshHimachal 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...
is situated in Western 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...
between 31°2 to
32°5 N and 75° to 77°45 E. The district has a geographical area of 5,739 km. which constitutes
10.31 % of geographical area of the State. According to 2001 census, the total population
of the district was 13,39,030 which is highest in the state (22.50% of the population). The
district has varying altitude ranging from 427 to 6401m above mean sea level, with some
plain areas touching Gurdaspur
Gurdaspur
Gurdaspur is a city in the state of Punjab, situated in the northwest part of the Republic of India. It is located in the center of and is the administrative head of Gurdaspur District. It was the location of a fort which was famous for the siege it sustained in 1712 from the Mughals...
district of 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...
in the West and Una district of H.P. in the
South. In the East it touches Mandi district, in North with Kullu and Chamba. The district
has considerable diversity in its soils, physiography, land use pattern and cropping system.
On the basis of these, the district has further been divided into five-sub -situations i.e. Pir Panjal, Dhauladhar
Dhauladhar
The Dhauladhar range is a southern branch of the main Outer Himalayan chain of mountains. It rises spectacularly from the Indian plains to the north of Kangra and Mandi...
, Kangra Shiwalik, 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:...
and Beas
Beas River
The Beas River is a river in the northern part of India. The river rises in the Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows for some 470 km to the Sutlej River in the Indian state of Punjab....
Basin.
The Beas
Beas River
The Beas River is a river in the northern part of India. The river rises in the Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows for some 470 km to the Sutlej River in the Indian state of Punjab....
is one of the larger rivers of this district, and contributes to the fertility of the land here. The district is bounded by the Himachal Pradesh districts of Chamba
Chamba district
Chamba is the northwestern district of Himachal Pradesh, in India, with its headquarters in Chamba town. The towns of Dalhousie and Khajjhiar are popular hill stations and vacation spots for the people from the plains of northern India....
to the north, Lahul and Spiti
Lahul and Spiti
The district of Lahaul-Spiti in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh consists of the two formerly separate districts of Lahaul and Spiti. The present administrative centre is Keylong in Lahaul...
to the northeast, Kullu
Kullu district
Kullu is a district in Himachal Pradesh, India. The district stretches from the village of Rampur in the south to the Rohtang Pass in the North....
to the east, Mandi
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...
to the southeast, and Hamirpur
Hamirpur District, Himachal Pradesh
Hamirpur district is one of the 12 districts of the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. The headquarters of the district is in the Hamirpur town...
and Una
Una district
Una is one of the districts of Himachal Pradesh, India, and shares its border with the Hoshiarpur District of Punjab. The terrain is generally a plain with low hills...
to the south. The district shares a border with the states of Punjab on the southwest, and Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
on the northwest. Due to the hilly terrain, not very much of the land is cultivated. The region is covered with uniform patches of barren land, as well as small forests.There is a reasonably good network of roads across the district.
Dharamsala, the district headquarters, is also the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile, headed by the His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Jwalamukhi, also known as Jwala ji, is famous for an ancient temple of the goddess of the same name, and features holy flames that run on natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
. Other important temples include Brajeshwari Devi temple, Chamunda Devi temple
Chamunda
Chamunda , also known as Chamundi, Chamundeshwari and Charchika, is a fearsome aspect of Devi, the Hindu Divine Mother and one of the seven Matrikas . She is also one of the chief Yoginis, a group of sixty-four or eighty-one Tantric goddesses, who are attendants of the warrior goddess Durga...
, Chintpurni temple
Chintpurni
Chintpurni is a place of pilgrimage in India. Chintpurni is located in Una district Himachal Pradesh state, surrounded by the western Himalaya in the north and east in the smaller Shiwalik range bordering the state of Punjab....
and Baijnath's Shiva temple
Baijnath Temple
The Baijnath Temple is located in Himachal Pradesh, India, and is over 1,000 years old. It was dedicated to Shiva....
. There are also important Buddhist temples in Dharamshala, Sidhbari
Sidhbari
Sidhbari is a small town, situated in the foothills of Dhauladhar mountains, in Kangra district of the state of Himachal Pradesh, India.-Overview:...
, Rewalsar and the Tibetan Colony
Bir Tibetan
Chowgan, also known as Bir Tibetan Colony is a Tibetan refugee settlement on the outskirts of the Himalayan village of Bir in the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India....
in Bir
Bir, Himachal Pradesh
Bir is a village located in the west of the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India.Bir is a noted centre for spiritual studies and meditation and a popular destination for adventure sports such as paragliding and trekking...
. Historical villages of Pragpur and Garli are also located here.
Masroor Temple Also Named As Ajanta Alora Of Himachal Pradesh.
Administrative divisions
| Sub-Divisions | |||
| 1. Dharamsala Dharamsala Dharamshala or Dharamsala is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district.... |
2. Kangra | 3. Palampur Palampur Palampur is a green hill station and a municipal council in the Kangra Valley in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, surrounded on all sides by tea gardens and pine forests before they merge with the Dhauladhar ranges. Palampur is the tea capital of northwest India but tea is just one aspect that... |
4. Baijnath |
| 5. Nurpur Nurpur Nurpur is a city and a municipal council in Kangra district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It was formerly a Kingdom ruled by the Pathania clan of Rajputs, since the 11th century AD. The capital of the Kingdom was at Pathankot, now in Punjab.... |
6. Dehra Dehra Dehra was a town of British India, currently a tehsil in Kangra district in Himachal state, India.The River Beas divides the town into Dehra & Gopipur.... |
7. Jawali Jawali Jawali, Maharashtra is small village located in Mahadeva Mountain range of Phaltan Tehsil of Satara district of Indian state of Maharashtra.... |
8. Jaisinghpur Jaisinghpur Jaisinghpur , is a small town and Tehsil in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. Population of Jaisinghpur Town is 1,273 and overall population of Jaisinghpur tehsil is 58,623. It was named after the name of Katoch king of Princely ordered state Kangra-Lambagraon, Maharaja Jai Singh. It is... |
| Tehsils | |||
| 1. Nurpur Nurpur Nurpur is a city and a municipal council in Kangra district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It was formerly a Kingdom ruled by the Pathania clan of Rajputs, since the 11th century AD. The capital of the Kingdom was at Pathankot, now in Punjab.... |
2. Indora Indora Indora is a Town and teshil head office under district Kangra, state Himachal Pradesh in the northern part of India. It is surrounded by many farm houses especially of wheat and rice. With orchards of mangoes, guava, oranges and lychee are surrounding it. Indora and Indpur are famous for these... |
3. Fatehpur Fatehpur Fatehpur may refer to:Places in India*Punjab** Fatehpur Jattan, village in district Fatehgarh Sahib** Fatehpur Rayian, village in district Fatehgarh Sahib** Fatehpur Bhangala, village in district Rupnagar* Uttar Pradesh... |
4. Jawali Jawali Jawali, Maharashtra is small village located in Mahadeva Mountain range of Phaltan Tehsil of Satara district of Indian state of Maharashtra.... |
| 5. Shahpur | 6. Dharamshala | 7. Kangra | 8. Baroh |
| 9. Dehra Gopipur | 10. Jaswan Jaswan Jaswan was a precolonial Indian state centred at Rajpura, in modern-day Himachal Pradesh. It was founded in 1170 by Raja Purab Chand, a scion of the ancient royal family of Kangra. It remained a bastion of the Sikh Empire for most of its history.... |
11. Jawalamukhi Jawalamukhi Jawalamukhi is a town and a nagar panchayat in Kangra district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.-Geography:Jawalamukhi is located at . It has an average elevation of 610 metres .-Demographics:... |
12. Khundian |
| 13. Jaisinghpur Jaisinghpur Jaisinghpur , is a small town and Tehsil in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. Population of Jaisinghpur Town is 1,273 and overall population of Jaisinghpur tehsil is 58,623. It was named after the name of Katoch king of Princely ordered state Kangra-Lambagraon, Maharaja Jai Singh. It is... |
14. Baijnath | 15. Rakkar | 16. Palampur Palampur Palampur is a green hill station and a municipal council in the Kangra Valley in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, surrounded on all sides by tea gardens and pine forests before they merge with the Dhauladhar ranges. Palampur is the tea capital of northwest India but tea is just one aspect that... |
| 17. Nagrota Bagwan Nagrota Bagwan Nagrota Bagwan is a town and a municipal committee in Kangra district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.-Demographics: India census, Nagrota Bagwan had a population of 5655. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Nagrota Bagwan has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than... |
| Sub-Tehsils | |||
| 1. Harchakian | 2. Thural | 3. Dheera | 4. Multhan |
| Nagar-Parishads | |||
| 1. Dharamshala | 2. Palampur Palampur Palampur is a green hill station and a municipal council in the Kangra Valley in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, surrounded on all sides by tea gardens and pine forests before they merge with the Dhauladhar ranges. Palampur is the tea capital of northwest India but tea is just one aspect that... |
3. Nurpur Nurpur Nurpur is a city and a municipal council in Kangra district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It was formerly a Kingdom ruled by the Pathania clan of Rajputs, since the 11th century AD. The capital of the Kingdom was at Pathankot, now in Punjab.... |
4. Kangra |
| Nagar-Panchayats | ||
| 1. Jawalamukhi Jawalamukhi Jawalamukhi is a town and a nagar panchayat in Kangra district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.-Geography:Jawalamukhi is located at . It has an average elevation of 610 metres .-Demographics:... |
2. Nagrota Bagwan Nagrota Bagwan Nagrota Bagwan is a town and a municipal committee in Kangra district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.-Demographics: India census, Nagrota Bagwan had a population of 5655. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Nagrota Bagwan has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than... |
3. Dehra Dehra Dehra was a town of British India, currently a tehsil in Kangra district in Himachal state, India.The River Beas divides the town into Dehra & Gopipur.... |
| Cantonment Boards |
| 1. Yol Yol Yol is a 1982 Yılmaz Güney film. The screenplay was written by Yılmaz Güney, and it was directed by his assistant Şerif Gören, who strictly followed Güney's instructions, as Güney was in prison at the time. Later, when Güney escaped from prison, he took the negatives of the film and edited it in... |
| Development Blocks | |||
| 1. Nurpur Nurpur Nurpur is a city and a municipal council in Kangra district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It was formerly a Kingdom ruled by the Pathania clan of Rajputs, since the 11th century AD. The capital of the Kingdom was at Pathankot, now in Punjab.... |
2. Indora Indora Indora is a Town and teshil head office under district Kangra, state Himachal Pradesh in the northern part of India. It is surrounded by many farm houses especially of wheat and rice. With orchards of mangoes, guava, oranges and lychee are surrounding it. Indora and Indpur are famous for these... |
3. Nagrota Surian | 4. Fatehpur Fatehpur Fatehpur may refer to:Places in India*Punjab** Fatehpur Jattan, village in district Fatehgarh Sahib** Fatehpur Rayian, village in district Fatehgarh Sahib** Fatehpur Bhangala, village in district Rupnagar* Uttar Pradesh... |
| 5. Pragpur | 6. Dehra Dehra Dehra was a town of British India, currently a tehsil in Kangra district in Himachal state, India.The River Beas divides the town into Dehra & Gopipur.... |
7. Kangra | 8. Rait Rait Rait is a small village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It lies north-west of Errol, in the Gowrie area west of Dundee. The former parish church, now ruined, was built in the middle ages, and abandoned in the 17th century when the parish of Rait was merged with Kilspindie. The remains of a... |
| 9. Nagrota Bagwan Nagrota Bagwan Nagrota Bagwan is a town and a municipal committee in Kangra district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.-Demographics: India census, Nagrota Bagwan had a population of 5655. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Nagrota Bagwan has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than... |
10. Bhawarna Bhawarna Bhawarna is a town in Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India. from Palampur. The postal code for Bhawarna is 176083.The town market, up to the late 1990s, was one of the favorite destinations for marriage shopping, as transportation facilities were limited and people preferred the nearest market... |
11. Lambagaon | 12. Baijnath |
| 13. Panchrukhi | 14. Sulah | 15. Dharamshala |
Cilmate
Kangra district is having a topography that some of the parts like Milawan at 400 maltitude, while area of Bara Bhangal are at the altitude of 5500 m. Indora block of Kangra
district falls in sub-humid sub-tropical zone where annual precipitation works out about
1000 mm and mean temperature of about 24°C, Dehragopipur and Nurpur blocks fall under
humid sub-tropical zone where the annual rainfall is between 900–2350 mm and mean
temperature about 2° to 24°C. Palampur and Dharamsala fall under wet temperate zone
where the temperature ranges from 15 to 19°C and annual rainfall is about 2500 mm. (avg.
of last fifty five years). Other parts of the Kangra district fall under hill area where the mean
annual temperature varies from 13 to 20°C and annual rainfall is 1800– 3000 mm.
The winter lasts from mid-December to mid-February, during which the temperature ranges from 0 to 20 °C. The winds cause winter rains. Summers last from April until June, and are hot (temp 25 to 38 °C) and dry. They are generally followed by a wet monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
which ends in autumn.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census2011 census of India
The 15th Indian National census was conducted in two phases, houselisting and population enumeration. Houselisting phase began on April 1, 2010 and involved collection of information about all buildings...
has a population
Demographics of India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...
of 1,507,223 , roughly equal to the nation of Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
or the US state of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. This gives it a ranking of 331st in India (out of a total of 640
Districts of India
A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...
). The district has a population density of 263 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate
Family planning in India
Family planning in India is based on efforts largely sponsored by the Indian government. In the 1965-2009 period, contraceptive usage has more than tripled and the fertility rate has more than halved , but the national fertility rate is still high enough to cause long-term population growth...
over the decade 2001-2011 was 12.56 %. Kangra has a sex ratio
Sex ratio
Sex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. The primary sex ratio is the ratio at the time of conception, secondary sex ratio is the ratio at time of birth, and tertiary sex ratio is the ratio of mature organisms....
of 1013 females
Women in India
The status of women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia. From equal status with men in ancient times through the low points of the medieval period, to the promotion of equal rights by many reformers, the history of women in India has been eventful...
for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate
Literacy in India
Literacy in India is key for socio-economic progress, and the Indian literacy rate grew to 74.04% in 2011 from 12% at the end of British rule in 1947. Although this was a greater than sixfold improvement, the level is well below the world average literacy rate of 84%, and India currently has the...
of 86.49 %.
The native people are the Kangri people and the native language is 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...
, which is very similar to 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...
. The majority of the people are Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
, although many Tibetan people
Tibetan people
The Tibetan people are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
who follow Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
have also settled here recently.
The traditional dress for men was the kurta
Kurta
A kurta is a traditional item of clothing worn in Afghanistan, Pakistan , Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. It is a loose shirt falling either just above or somewhere below the knees of the wearer, and is worn by both men and women...
, pyjamas, and a woolen jacket used in winter. Women generally wear the salwar kameez and with the salwar Kameez girls and women take chuenni ("Chaddru" in local language.)
Economy
This consists mostly of agriculture and farming. TeaTea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
cultivation plays a vital in the economy. The "Kangra Tea" is famous world over.
The town of Palampur
Palampur
Palampur is a green hill station and a municipal council in the Kangra Valley in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, surrounded on all sides by tea gardens and pine forests before they merge with the Dhauladhar ranges. Palampur is the tea capital of northwest India but tea is just one aspect that...
is covered with lush green tea estates.The Palampur also have some beautiful places like naguel cafe, masand park and Bandla.Tourism
Tourism in India
Tourism in India is the largest service industry, with a contribution of 6.23% to the national GDP and 8.78% of the total employment in India. India witnesses more than 5.5 million annual foreign tourist arrivals and 740 million domestic tourism visits...
is also an important part of the economy.
History
Kangra is known for the oldest serving Royal Dynasty in the world KatochKatoch
Katoch is the name of a Rajput clan belonging to the Chandervanshi kshatriya lineage. Their traditional areas of residence was Trigarta Kingdom, Jalandhar, Multan i.e...
. Kangra became a district of British India in 1846, when it was ceded to British India at the conclusion of the First Anglo-Sikh War
First Anglo-Sikh War
The First Anglo-Sikh War was fought between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company between 1845 and 1846. It resulted in partial subjugation of the Sikh kingdom.-Background and causes of the war:...
. The British district included the present-day districts of Kangra, Hamirpur
Hamirpur District, Himachal Pradesh
Hamirpur district is one of the 12 districts of the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. The headquarters of the district is in the Hamirpur town...
, Kullu
Kullu district
Kullu is a district in Himachal Pradesh, India. The district stretches from the village of Rampur in the south to the Rohtang Pass in the North....
, and Lahul and Spiti
Lahul and Spiti
The district of Lahaul-Spiti in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh consists of the two formerly separate districts of Lahaul and Spiti. The present administrative centre is Keylong in Lahaul...
. Kangra District was part of the British Province of Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
. The administrative headquarters of the district were initially at Kangra, but were moved to Dharamsala
Dharamsala
Dharamshala or Dharamsala is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district....
in 1855 .
This area was significantly damaged by an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
on April 4, 1905.
Upon Indian Independence in 1947, Punjab province was partitioned between 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...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, and the eastern portion, including Kangra, became the Indian state of Punjab. Lahul and Spiti became a separate district in 1960, and Kullu in 1962. In 1966, Kangra and Una
Una district
Una is one of the districts of Himachal Pradesh, India, and shares its border with the Hoshiarpur District of Punjab. The terrain is generally a plain with low hills...
districts were added to Himachal Pradesh, which became a union territory
Union Territory
A Union Territory is a sub-national administrative division of India, in the federal framework of governance. Unlike the states of India, which have their own elected governments, union territories are ruled directly by the federal government; the President of India appoints an Administrator or...
of India, and an Indian state in 1971. Hamirpur District was separated from Kangra in 1972.
See also
- Kangra ValleyKangra ValleyKangra 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:...
- Kangra Valley RailwayKangra Valley RailwayThe Kangra Valley Railway lies in the sub-Himalayan region and covers a distance of . from Pathankot to Jogindernagar. The Kangra valley railway comes under the Firozpur division of Northern Railway...
- Kangra FortKangra FortThe Kangra Fort , , is located 20 kilometers from the town of Dharamsala on the outskirts of the town of Kangra, India. The fort was first mentioned in Alexander the Great's war records, referring to the 4th century BC.-History:...
- Kangra photo gallery
Further reading
- Hutchinson, J. & J. PH Vogel (1933). History of the Panjab Hill States, Vol. I. 1st edition: Govt. Printing, Pujab, Lahore, 1933. Reprint 2000. Department of Language and Culture, Himachal Pradesh. Chapter V Kangra State, pp. 99-198.
