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Kangra Nagarkot | |
|---|---|
City | |
 | |
  Kangra Location in Himachal Pradesh, India Show map of Himachal Pradesh Kangra Kangra (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:32°06′11″N76°16′24″E / 32.10306°N 76.27333°E /32.10306; 76.27333 | |
| Country | India |
| State | Himachal Pradesh |
| District | Kangra |
| Established | 1500 B.C |
| Founded by | Susharma Chand (234th ruler) in 1500 BC |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| Area | |
• Total | 15 km2 (5.8 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 733 m (2,405 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 9,528Urban |
| • Rank | 17 in HP |
| • Density | 640/km2 (1,600/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Hindi[1] |
| • Additional official | Sanskrit[2] |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Postal code | 176001 |
| Vehicle registration | HP-36, HP-37, HP-38, HP-39, HP-40, HP-53, HP-54, HP-56, HP-68, HP-83, HP-88, HP-90, HP-94, HP-96, HP-97 |
Kangra is a city and amunicipal council inKangra district in theIndianstate ofHimachal Pradesh. It is also known asNagarkot.[3]
Kangri word in Ladakh/Lahaul means snow on top of mountain. Since snow capped mountains are visible from the city of Kangra, therefore it is named Kangra (town of snow laden peaks).
Historically known asKiraj andTrigarta,[4][5] the town of Kangra was founded byKatochKshatriyaRajputs ofChandervanshi Lineage. The KatochRajas had a stronghold here, with a fort and lavishtemples.
Another ancient name of the city is Bhimagar[6] and it was supposedly founded by Raja Bhim, younger brother of Kuru EmperorYudhishthira of Indraprastha (now Delhi).
The temple ofDevi Vajreshwari was one of the oldest and wealthiest in northern India. It was destroyed, together with the fort and the town, by1905 Kangra earthquake on 4 April 1905, when 1339 people died in this place alone, and about 20,000 elsewhere. In 1855 the headquarters of the district were removed to thecantonment ofDharmsala, which was established in 1849.[3][7][8]
It is said thatMahmud of Ghazni looted theShri Bajreshwari Mata Mandir (Temple). He also looted a fort in the region in 1009, but whether the fort of Kangra was taken or not is not yet historically verified. There were hundreds of well-defended forts that lay between Ghazni and Nagarkot fort, and so it highly unlikely that his looting expedition ever reached Kangra. Also, this claim is negated by historians who have cited various sources to say that the fort was impregnable and remained unconquered until the conquest by EmperorJahangir in 1622.[9][failed verification]
The fort was recaptured by the Katoch Kings after Jehangir's death. Multiple battles ensued between the Sikh emperorMaharaja Ranjit Singh and the Katoch KingSansar Chand Katoch. But, while the war between the Sikhs and Katochs was taking place, the gates ofKangra Fort were left open. TheGurkha army entered the opened gates of Nagarkot fort in 1806. This forced an alliance between the battling Sikhs and Katochs, and both the armies re-captured the fort after a battle in 1809. Kangra stayed with the Katoch Kings until 1810 when Maharaja Ranjit Singh annexed it after Sansar Chand's death. Then after theNepalese Gorkha Captured the Kangra until the British Came theirs.Greater Nepal was there from Tista river upto Kangda river in the west. And after the Sugauli Treaty around 1814, British seized Westernmost part of Nepal, which include present day Uttarakhand and the region from Uttarakhand's western border to Kangda river.These territories merged into British East India.There was no India, Pakistan or Bangladesh even formed.The fort and city were then captured by the British in 1846 and remained occupied until India's independence. Theprincely state of Kangra was merged in India in 1948 by the then titled Raja ofKangra-Lambagraon namely Raja Druv Dev Chand Katoch.[10]
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Kangra has an average elevation of 733 metres (2404 ft). The district of Kangra extends from theJalandhar Doab far into the southern ranges of theHimalaya. It is a town at the confluence of the Baner River and Majhi River, andBeas is an important river here.
| Climate data forKangra Airport (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 24.5 (76.1) | 28.1 (82.6) | 33.7 (92.7) | 38.2 (100.8) | 42.3 (108.1) | 42.0 (107.6) | 40.5 (104.9) | 35.0 (95.0) | 34.4 (93.9) | 33.1 (91.6) | 28.7 (83.7) | 26.4 (79.5) | 42.3 (108.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 18.5 (65.3) | 21.8 (71.2) | 25.1 (77.2) | 30.9 (87.6) | 34.3 (93.7) | 34.7 (94.5) | 31.1 (88.0) | 30.3 (86.5) | 30.8 (87.4) | 29.6 (85.3) | 24.6 (76.3) | 20.7 (69.3) | 27.5 (81.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 5.2 (41.4) | 7.8 (46.0) | 10.4 (50.7) | 15.4 (59.7) | 18.3 (64.9) | 21.1 (70.0) | 21.9 (71.4) | 21.8 (71.2) | 19.6 (67.3) | 14.0 (57.2) | 9.4 (48.9) | 5.4 (41.7) | 14.0 (57.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −2.0 (28.4) | 1.1 (34.0) | 2.8 (37.0) | 8.0 (46.4) | 12.5 (54.5) | 13.6 (56.5) | 18.4 (65.1) | 17.2 (63.0) | 14.0 (57.2) | 9.2 (48.6) | 4.2 (39.6) | −0.6 (30.9) | −2.0 (28.4) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 72.0 (2.83) | 77.9 (3.07) | 85.6 (3.37) | 57.4 (2.26) | 75.7 (2.98) | 202.1 (7.96) | 611.5 (24.07) | 817.5 (32.19) | 205.4 (8.09) | 11.4 (0.45) | 11.3 (0.44) | 39.7 (1.56) | 2,267.4 (89.27) |
| Average rainy days | 4.5 | 5.0 | 6.2 | 4.0 | 5.2 | 7.6 | 19.0 | 20.3 | 8.5 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 84.1 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%)(at 17:30IST) | 63 | 56 | 51 | 40 | 34 | 46 | 76 | 82 | 74 | 59 | 63 | 66 | 59 |
| Source:India Meteorological Department[11] | |||||||||||||
Tea cultivation was introduced into Kangra valley about 1850. ThePalampur fair, established by the government with a view to fostering commerce withcentral Asia, attracts a small concourse of Yarkandi merchants. The Lahulis carry on an enterprising trade withLadakh and countries beyond the frontier, by means of the packsheep andgoats.Rice, tea,potatoes,spices,wool andhoney are the chief exports.
TheKangra Fort is also a popular tourist attraction. It is one of the oldest forts inIndia as well as the oldest inHimachal Pradesh.
It is the home ofMasroor Rock Cut Temple built by thePandavas, also known asHimalayan Pyramids and wonder of the world for being likely contender for theUNESCOWorld Heritage Site.[citation needed]
Many ancient temples such as the Kangra Śvetāmbara Jain Temple,Jawalaji,Chamunda Devi temple,Chintapurni temple,Baba Baroh andBaijnath temple are located here.
Gopalpur Nature Park in Gopalpur village hastea gardens.
Mcleodganj nearDharamshala is the home-in-exile to theDalai Lama.[12] The Bhagsunag Temple is located there. TheHimachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala is also an attraction because of its location in front of the snow-capped mountains and is the highest altitude international cricket ground in the world.[citation needed]
The 2001 Indiacensus[13] states that Kangra had a population of 9,154. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Kangra has an averageliteracy rate of 83%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 85%, and female literacy is 81%. In Kangra, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
As of 2001[update] Indiacensus,[13]
Kangra Airport (IATA airport code DHM) is 10 km to the city's north. It is served byKangra Valley Railway line fromPathankot 94 km away. It is connected by road with other cities in Himachal Pradesh and India. It is 450 km fromDelhi, 36 km from Palampur and 15 km from Dharamshala, 220 km fromChandigarh.
Kangra travel guide from Wikivoyage
