Kangra district

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Kangra

Kangra is the most populous district of the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. Dharamsala is the administrative headquarters of the district.

[edit] Geography

The district is in the western part of Himachal Pradesh, in the low foothills of the Himalayas. The Dhauladhar range adjoins the district on one side. 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.

Religious wheels of Buddhist monastery in Dharamsala

Dharamsala, the district headquarters, is also the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile, headed by the His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Other important towns are Kangra, Nagrota Surian, Barial, Nandpur Bhatoli, Guler, Dehra, Jawalamukhi, Palampur, and Ranital. 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.

[edit] Cilmate

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.^[1]

[edit] People

The population of the district is over 1.3 million. 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 salmar Kameez girls and women take chuenni (or itis called "Chaddru" in local language.

[edit] Economy

This consists mostly of agriculture and farming. Tea 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. Tourism is also an important part of the economy.

[edit] History

Kangra is known for the oldest serving Royal Dynasty in the world Katoch. 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 ^[2]^[3]. 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 western 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.