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).
Another ancient name of the city is Bhimagar[6] and it was supposedly founded by Raja Bhim, younger brother of Kuru Emperor Yudhishthira of Indraprastha (now Delhi).
The temple of Devi Vajreshwari was one of the oldest and wealthiest in northern India. It was destroyed, together with the fort and the town, by 1905 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 the cantonment of Dharmsala, which was established in 1849.[3][7][8]
Invasions of Nagarkot
It is said that Mahmud of Ghazni looted the Shri 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 Emperor Jehangir in 1622.[9]
The Katoch-Sikh battles and alliances against the Kingdom of Nepal
The fort was recaptured by the Katoch Kings after Jehangir's death. Multiple battles ensued between the Sikh king Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Katoch King Sansar Chand Katoch. But, while the war between the Sikhs and Katochs was taking place, the gates of Kangra fort were left open. The Gurkha 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 1828 when Maharaja Ranjit Singh annexed it after Sansar Chand's death. Then after the Nepalese Gorkha Captured the Kangra until the British Came theirs. The fort and city were then captured by the British in 1846 and remained occupied until India's independence. The princely state of Kangra was merged in India in 1948 by the then titled Raja of Kangra-Lambagraon namely Raja Druv Dev Chand Katoch.[10]
Kangra has an average elevation of 733 metres (2404 ft). The district of Kangra extends from the Jalandhar Doab far into the southern ranges of the Himalaya. It is a town at the confluence of the Baner River and Majhi River, and Beas is an important river here.
Economy
Tea cultivation was introduced into Kangra valley about 1850. The Palampur fair, established by the government with a view to fostering commerce with central Asia, attracts a small concourse of Yarkandi merchants. The Lahulis carry on an enterprising trade with Ladakh and countries beyond the frontier, by means of the pack sheep and goats. Rice, tea, potatoes, spices, wool and honey are the chief exports.
The 2001 India census[12] states that Kangra had a population of 9,154. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Kangra has an average literacy 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.
Kangra Airport (IATA airport code DHM) is 10 km to the city's north. It is served by Kangra Valley Railway line from Pathankot 94 km away. It is connected by road with other cities in Himachal Pradesh and India. It is 450 km from Delhi, 36 km from Palampur and 15 km from Dharamshala, 220 km from Chandigarh.
^(PDF). Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India. pp. 33–34. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
^Pratibha Chauhan (17 February 2019). "Bill to make Sanskrit second official language of HP passed". The Tribune. Shimla. from the original on 18 February 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
^"McLEODGANJ | DHARAMSALA | LITTLE LHASA| HIMALAYAS | DALAI LAMA | DHARAMSALA INFORMATIVE AND COMMUNITY WEBSITE| TRAVEL |DHARAMSHALA| kANGRA| HIMACHAL PRADESH | INDIA". www.mcllo.com. from the original on 28 September 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
^ ab. Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
Further reading
Chakrabarti D.K. (1984). The Antiquities of Kangra. Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Private Limited.
External links
Wikiquote has quotations related to Kangra, Himachal Pradesh.
Kangra travel guide from Wikivoyage
May 14, 2023
kangra, himachal, pradesh, this, article, about, municipality, india, namesake, district, kangra, district, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, materi. This article is about the municipality now in India For its namesake district see Kangra district This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Kangra Himachal Pradesh news newspapers books scholar JSTOR August 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message Kangra is a city and a municipal council in Kangra district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh It is also known as Nagarkot 3 Kangra NagarkotCityKangraLocation in Himachal Pradesh IndiaShow map of Himachal PradeshKangraKangra India Show map of IndiaCoordinates 32 06 11 N 76 16 24 E 32 10306 N 76 27333 E 32 10306 76 27333 Coordinates 32 06 11 N 76 16 24 E 32 10306 N 76 27333 E 32 10306 76 27333CountryIndiaStateHimachal PradeshDistrictKangraFounded bySusharma Chand 234th ruler in 1500 BCGovernment TypeMunicipalityArea Total15 km2 6 sq mi Elevation733 m 2 405 ft Population 2011 Total9 528 Urban Rank17 in HPLanguages OfficialHindi 1 Additional officialSanskrit 2 Time zoneUTC 5 30 IST Vehicle registrationHP 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 Contents 1 Meaning of Kangra 2 History 2 1 Invasions of Nagarkot 2 2 The Katoch Sikh battles and alliances against the Kingdom of Nepal 3 Geography 4 Economy 5 Visitor attractions 6 Demographics 6 1 Demographics 7 Transport 8 See also 9 References 10 Further reading 11 External linksMeaning of Kangra EditKangri 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 History EditSee also Kangra Lambagraon and History of the Punjab Historically known as Kiraj and Trigarta 4 5 the town of Kangra was founded by Katoch Kshatriya Rajputs of Chandervanshi Lineage The Katoch Rajas had a stronghold here with a fort and lavish temples Another ancient name of the city is Bhimagar 6 and it was supposedly founded by Raja Bhim younger brother of Kuru Emperor Yudhishthira of Indraprastha now Delhi The temple of Devi Vajreshwari was one of the oldest and wealthiest in northern India It was destroyed together with the fort and the town by 1905 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 the cantonment of Dharmsala which was established in 1849 3 7 8 Invasions of Nagarkot Edit It is said that Mahmud of Ghazni looted the Shri 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 Emperor Jehangir in 1622 9 The Katoch Sikh battles and alliances against the Kingdom of Nepal Edit The fort was recaptured by the Katoch Kings after Jehangir s death Multiple battles ensued between the Sikh king Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Katoch King Sansar Chand Katoch But while the war between the Sikhs and Katochs was taking place the gates of Kangra fort were left open The Gurkha 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 1828 when Maharaja Ranjit Singh annexed it after Sansar Chand s death Then after the Nepalese Gorkha Captured the Kangra until the British Came theirs The fort and city were then captured by the British in 1846 and remained occupied until India s independence The princely state of Kangra was merged in India in 1948 by the then titled Raja of Kangra Lambagraon namely Raja Druv Dev Chand Katoch 10 Geography Edit A map of the Punjab region Kangra has an average elevation of 733 metres 2404 ft The district of Kangra extends from the Jalandhar Doab far into the southern ranges of the Himalaya It is a town at the confluence of the Baner River and Majhi River and Beas is an important river here Economy EditTea cultivation was introduced into Kangra valley about 1850 The Palampur fair established by the government with a view to fostering commerce with central Asia attracts a small concourse of Yarkandi merchants The Lahulis carry on an enterprising trade with Ladakh and countries beyond the frontier by means of the pack sheep and goats Rice tea potatoes spices wool and honey are the chief exports Visitor attractions Edit Ambika Mata temple Kangra Fort The Kangra Fort is also a popular tourist attraction It is one of the oldest forts in India as well as the oldest in Himachal Pradesh Rock Cut Temple Masroor It is the home of Masroor Rock Cut Temple built by the Pandavas also known as Himalayan Pyramids and wonder of the world for being likely contender for the UNESCO World Heritage Site citation needed Many ancient temples such as the Jawalaji Chamunda Devi temple Chintapurni temple Baba Baroh and Baijnath temple are located here Gopalpur Nature Park in Gopalpur village has tea gardens Mcleodganj near Dharamshala is the home in exile to the Dalai Lama 11 The Bhagsunag Temple is located there The Himachal 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 Demographics EditThe 2001 India census 12 states that Kangra had a population of 9 154 Males constitute 50 of the population and females 50 Kangra has an average literacy 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 Demographics Edit As of 2001 update India census 12 Number of Households 1 924 Average Household Size per Household 5 0 Population Total 10 185 Population Urban 10 185 Proportion of Urban Population 100 Population Rural 0 Sex Ratio 997 Population 0 6 Years 902 Sex Ratio 0 6 Years 797 SC Population 660 Sex Ratio SC 1050 Proportion of SC 7 0 ST Population 10 Sex Ratio ST 150 0 Proportion of ST 0 Literates 7 567 Illiterates 1 589 Literacy Rate 92 0Transport EditKangra Airport IATA airport code DHM is 10 km to the city s north It is served by Kangra Valley Railway line from Pathankot 94 km away It is connected by road with other cities in Himachal Pradesh and India It is 450 km from Delhi 36 km from Palampur and 15 km from Dharamshala 220 km from Chandigarh See also EditKangra Valley Railway Kangra Fort Kangra paintingReferences Edit Report of the Commissioner for linguistic minorities 52nd report July 2014 to June 2015 PDF Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities Ministry of Minority Affairs Government of India pp 33 34 Archived from the original PDF on 28 December 2017 Retrieved 16 February 2016 Pratibha Chauhan 17 February 2019 Bill to make Sanskrit second official language of HP passed The Tribune Shimla Archived from the original on 18 February 2019 Retrieved 18 February 2019 a b Kangra Town Archived 1 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine The Imperial Gazetteer of India v 14 p 397 Blankinship Khalid Y The End of Jihad State pp132 Misra Shyam Manohar Yasoverman of Kanau pp56 Early Aryans to Swaraj by S R Bakshi page 40 Kangra District Archived 10 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine The Imperial Gazetteer of India v 14 p 380 Dharamsala Archived 14 April 2021 at the Wayback Machine The Imperial Gazetteer of India v 11 p 301 An Official Web Site of District Kangra Himachal Pradesh Archived from the original on 1 November 2015 Retrieved 23 August 2015 Official website Archived from the original on 9 January 2012 McLEODGANJ DHARAMSALA LITTLE LHASA HIMALAYAS DALAI LAMA DHARAMSALA INFORMATIVE AND COMMUNITY WEBSITE TRAVEL DHARAMSHALA kANGRA HIMACHAL PRADESH INDIA www mcllo com Archived from the original on 28 September 2019 Retrieved 4 February 2020 a b Census of India 2001 Data from the 2001 Census including cities villages and towns Provisional Census Commission of India Archived from the original on 16 June 2004 Retrieved 1 November 2008 Further reading EditChakrabarti D K 1984 The Antiquities of Kangra Delhi Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Private Limited External links Edit Wikiquote has quotations related to Kangra Himachal Pradesh Kangra travel guide from Wikivoyage Kangra photo gallery Official Website of Kangra Plastic Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kangra Himachal Pradesh amp oldid 1147339088, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
