Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh

Bilaspur
बिलासपुर
city
Bilaspur
Bilaspur

Location in Himachal Pradesh, India

Coordinates: 31°20′N 76°45′E / 31.33°N 76.75°E / 31.33; 76.75Coordinates: 31°20′N 76°45′E / 31.33°N 76.75°E / 31.33; 76.75
Country  India
State Himachal Pradesh
District Bilaspur
Government
 • Zonal Headquarters Mandi
Elevation 673 m (2,208 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Total 13,654
 • Rank 13 in Himachal Pradesh
Languages
 • Official Hindi
 • Regional Pahari
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN 174001
Telephone code 01978
Vehicle registration HP-23, HP-24, HP-69
Website hpbilaspur.nic.in

Bilaspur is a city and a municipal council in Bilaspur district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India.

History

Princely flag of Bilaspur

Bilaspur was the capital of a state of the same name founded in the 7th century, also known as Kahlur. The ruling dynasty were Chandela Rajputs, who claimed descent from the rulers of Chanderi in present-day Madhya Pradesh. The town of Bilaspur was founded in 1663. The state later became a princely state of British India, and was under the authority of the British province of Punjab.

On 13 May 1665, Guru Tegh Bahadur went to Bilaspur to attend the mourning and funeral ceremonies for Raja Dip Chand of Bilaspur. Rani Champa of Bilaspur made an offer to the Guru of a piece of land in her state, which the Guru accepted at the cost of 500 rupees. The land consisted of the villages of Lodhipur, Mianpur, and Sahota. Guru Tegh Bahadur broke ground on a new settlement on 19 June 1665, which he named Nanaki after his mother.

In 1932, the state became part of the newly created Punjab States Agency, and in 1936 the Punjab Hill States Agency was separated from the Punjab States Agency. On 12 October 1948 the local ruler, HH Raja Sir Anand Chand, acceded to the Government of India.

Bilaspur became a separate state of India under a chief commissioner, and on 1 July 1954, Bilaspur State was made a district of Himachal Pradesh state by an act of the Indian Parliament. When the Sutlej River was dammed to create the Govind Sagar, the historic town of Bilaspur was submerged, and a new town was built upslope of the old.[1]

Geography

Bilaspur is located at 31°20′N 76°45′E / 31.33°N 76.75°E / 31.33; 76.75,[2] with an average elevation of 673 m (2,208 ft). It lies at the foot of the Bandla Hills, near the reservoir of Govind Sagar on the Sutlej River. It is the first major town after entering Himachal Pradesh on the way to Manali.

Climate

Bilaspur experiences warm summers and cool winters but is protected from the temperature extremes of the surrounding mountains by its situation in a valley. The monsoon, from July to September, is a period of high rainfall. From October to November, the lake is completely full. The highest temperature months are May and June when the temperature is typically around 37 °C (99 °F) and 38 °C (100 °F), sometimes exceeding 40 °C (104 °F).

Demographics

As of the 2001 Indian census,[3] Bilaspur had a population of 13,058. Males constituted 56.25% of the population and females 43.75%. Bilaspur has an average literacy rate of 91%, higher than the national average of 74%. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age. Most people live in villages and are farmers or government employees.

Transportation

Buses are the only mode of public transport to the district and run from all major towns within the state as well as from those outside it. Bilaspur lies on the Chandigarh-Manali NH-205 highway. It is 86 km (53 mi) away from Shimla, the state capital, and 405 km (252 mi) from Delhi. The nearest major airport with daily scheduled flights from major cities is in Chandigarh, which is 141 km (88 mi). Manali, a major tourist attraction in Himachal Pradesh, is located 195 km (121 mi) from Bilaspur. Mandi, 70 km (43 mi) away, contains the Zonal headquarters of the district. Most of the long route buses that service Bilaspur are run by the state owned HRTC; local routes are operated by private bus operators.

Landmarks

Notable People from Bilaspur

Panoramic view of Bilaspur city of Bilaspur District Himachal Pradesh, India
View of bilaspur with Govind Sagrar Lake completely fill

See also

References

  1. ↑ History of the PUNJAB Hill States, Volume 2, J. Hutchinson and J. Ph. Vogel, P - 513, 1933, by Superintendent, Government Printing, Lahore, Punjab
  2. 1 2 Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Bilaspur
  3. ↑ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
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