Bilaspur district is a district of Himachal Pradesh, India. Its capital is in the town of Bilaspur. The district has an area of 1,167 km2, and a population of 381,956. As of 2011 it is the third least populous district of Himachal Pradesh (out of 12), after Lahul and Spiti and Kinnaur.
The district has the famous Govind Sagar Lake on the Sutlej River which acts as the reservoir for the Bhakra and Nangal Dam project.
History
The area that is now Bilaspur District was formerly known as Kahlur, a princely state of British India. The ruler acceded to the Government of India on 12 October 1948, and Bilaspur was made an Indian state under a chief commissioner. The state of Bilaspur was merged with Himachal Pradesh on 1 July 1954 and became Bilaspur District.
Bilaspur was the capital of a state founded in the 7th century, and known as Kahlur after its earlier capital, or as Bilaspur after its later capital. The ruling dynasty was 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 for Rajput Chandel King Raja Dip Chand of Bilaspur. There Rani Champa of Bilaspur gave the Guru a piece of land in her state. The land consisted of the villages of Lodhipur, Mianpur and Sahota. Here on the mound of Makhowal, Guru Tegh Bahadur raised a new habitation. The ground was broken on 19 June 1665, by Baba Gurditta Randhawa. The new village was named after the Guru's mother, Nanaki. Chakk Nanaki later became famous as Anandpur Sahib.
In 1932 state was made part of the newly created Punjab States Agency, and in 1936 the Punjab Hill States Agency was separated from the Punjab States Agency. India became independent in 1947, and on 12 October 1948 the ruler, HH Raja Sir Anand Chandel, the last ruler of the princely estate of Bilaspur 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. The historic town was submerged in 1954 when the Sutlej River was dammed to create the Govind Sagar, and a new town was built upslope of the old.
Most of the Rajputs in Bilaspur are Chandels, that is they belong to different branches of the ruling family. These families are numerous, and all enjoyed jagir pensions from state amounting in aggregate to Rs. 40,000 a year in 1933. They are called 'the Mian families', and the chief names are: Ajmerchandia, Kaliyanchandia, Tarahandia and Sultanchandia.History of the PUNJAB Hill States, Volume 2, J. Hutchinson and J.Ph. Vogel, P - 513, 1933, by Superintendent, Government Printing, Lahore, Punjab
Geography
Bilaspur district has a total area of 1,161 square kilometers, making it the smallest district in Himachal Pradesh. It covers the same territory as the princely state did in 1947, and there have been no changes in its boundaries since then.
The district lies in the outer foothills of the Himalayas, at the point where they meet the Punjab plains. There are no major mountains in the district, and the overall elevation isn't especially high, but the terrain is very hilly. Flat land is restricted to narrow areas along rivers and streams. The main river in Bilaspur district is the Satluj, which flows through the middle of the district for about 90 km and divides it into two approximately equal parts. All the other streams in the district eventually flow to the Satluj.
Since the construction of the Bhakra Dam, another major feature of the district is the Gobind Sagar lake. Its formation submerged about 30,000 acres of land belonging to 256 villages. 14 villages were completely submerged.
Topography The district's terrain is essentially a series of hills and valleys. There are no large plains, and flat land is mostly restricted to areas along streams. Elevation varies from 290 m above sea level at the lowest point to about 1,980 m at the highest point. In general, the lower areas are in the west, near the border with Punjab's Hoshiarpur district; while the higher areas are in the east, towards the border with Solan district.
Hills Hills surround Bilaspur district on all sides and dominate the local landscape. Combined with the Satluj river, these hills historically formed strong natural defenses. Seven main ranges of hills (known as dhars) stand out in particular, hence the region's historical nickname Sat-dhar-Kahlur — "Kahlur of the seven hills".
Valleys Valleys in the district are fairly small and mostly restricted to the immediate vicinity of streams. However, they are especially important from a human perspective because they have the best farmland, and they are by far more extensively cultivated and more densely populated than the hills themselves.
The Satluj valley has never been wide in this area, but patches of flat land exist all along its course through the district. The area downstream from Bilaspur used to have the most extensive of these, but since the construction of the Bhakra Dam much of the valley is underwater. The Chaunta valley, which is now submerged under Gobind Sagar, was an especially large section of the Satluj valley. Another important valley is the Danwin valley, which is between the Bandla and Bahadurpur hills and is about 10 km long and 5 km wide. This area is an important producer of various agricultural goods, particularly maize, rice, sugarcane, ginger, and wheat.
Hydrology Rivers Rivers supply about 40% of the irrigation used in the district; the other 60% comes from springs.
Satluj river
The Satluj is the main river in Bilaspur district. It enters the district at the village of Kasol in the northeast and flows for 90 km before exiting the district at the village of Neila in the southwest and continuing into Punjab. There are several bends in its course below Bilaspur. Its main left-bank tributaries (coming from the southeast) in the district are the Ali, Ghamrola, and Ghamber streams; its main right-bank tributaries (coming from the northwest) are the Moni and Ser.
The Satluj is a deep and fast-flowing river, typically flowing at a rate of about 8 km/h. Its water is cold, and it is home to many fish. Its average width in the district is about 45 m. During the winter, between October and March, the river's water level is lower. Beginning in April, it rises again as snowmelt in the mountains supplies it with more water. The water rises even more during the rainy season.
Ali stream The Ali stream rises in neighboring Solan district and enters Bilaspur district near the villages of Kothi Harrar and Manothi. It traverses the district for 35 km before joining the Satluj at a point known as the Beri Ghat. This is about 3 km north of Bilaspur, between the villages of Kherian and Talwar. The Ali is a perennial stream, but since its headwaters generally don't receive snowfall, the stream's water level is usually low, especially in the summer. During the rainy season, though, it gets much larger so as to be impassable. In these conditions, people cross it by using inflated animal skins, as with the Satluj. There is also a bridge at Ghaghas, 14 km from Bilaspur.
Ghamber khad After arising in the Shimla hills, the Ghamber passes through the Sabathu and Bhagal regions before entering Bilaspur district at the village of Neri. It then traverses the district for 13 km before joining the Satluj near the villages of Dagran and Nerli. The Ghamber has a deep bed and is only sparingly used for irrigation. The Bilaspur-Nalagarh road crosses this stream. During the rainy season, the stream floods and becomes unfordable and traffic must be halted for hours at a time. Various fish live in the Ghamber, and it is a popular site for sport fishing. In general, the fish tend to be small (less than 10 lbs) for most of its course, but much larger ones can be caught closer to the confluence with the Satluj. At this end, the Ghamber is not fordable in any weather.
Ser khad Also known as the Sir or Seer khad, this stream is the largest right-bank tributary of the Satluj in the district. It originates in neighboring Mandi district and enters Bilaspur district at the village of Hatwar. Two other khads, the Sukar and Saryali, originate in Hamirpur district and drain part of western Bilaspur district before joining the Ser khad at Balghar. The Ser khad ultimately joins the Satluj between the villages of Seri and Matla, downstream from Bilaspur. It powers many water mills, but because of its deep bed it isn't useful for irrigation. In rainy weather, it runs so fast that it can't be forded.
Lakes and tanks
There are no natural lakes in Bilaspur district, but the artificial Gobind Sagar is one of the largest lakes in India. It stores a huge volume of water, which is used for both irrigation and electricity generation. It is formed by the Bhakra Dam, which was completed in 1963. The lake is 90 km long and its total area is 168 km2. About 90% of this area belongs to Bilaspur district; the remainder belongs to Una district. The lake's water level fluctuates. It is designated as a waterfowl refuge, and about 50 species of fish live in its waters. Gobind Sagar is a popular tourist destination, and it is also a site for various recreational activities like fishing, swimming, sailing, rowing, and water-skiing.
Many tanks also exist in the district. In the local language, a tank is called a toba. Some of the more prominent tanks in the district are Riwalsar, near the village of Panol; the Jagat Khana tank, built in 1874 and with a capacity of 9,000 cubic meters; the Swarghat tank, also built in 1874 (which was a time of famine); the tanks at Naina Devi, Jamthal, and Kasol; and Toba Sanghwana ("the lion tank"), also called Toba Kolanwala ("the lotus tank") and with a capacity of 53,000 cubic meters.
Springs Various springs are scattered throughout the district. They provide an important source of water for drinking, irrigation, washing, and bathing. Some of them are considered sacred, or otherwise reputed to have medicinal properties. These include the Markand spring, near Bilaspur; the Luhnd spring, at the village of Dadrana near Swarghat; and the Bassi spring, at the village of Bassi. The Bassi spring, for example, draws pilgrims particularly during the summer and is the site of a fair.
Climate The climate of Bilaspur district is generally somewhat milder than that of the Punjabi plains below. There are four seasons: summer, monsoon, post-monsoon, and winter. Summers are hot and last from March until the end of June. Temperatures rise throughout the summer and typically peak in June. The rainy season lasts from early July to mid-September. With the coming of the monsoon rains, daytime temperatures drop significantly, although nighttime temperatures stay about the same until mid-September when they drop too. About 70% of the rainfall comes during the monsoon season. The post-monsoon season is the months of October and November, and winter lasts from December to February. Cold waves happen throughout the winter, and December is the coldest month. Also during the winter, there is fog along banks of the Satluj.
Flora and fauna Forests
As of 1975, various types of subtropical forest occupy about 500 square kilometers in Bilaspur district, or about 42% of its total area. They are neither particularly rich or very large, and are mostly found on the rocky upper parts of ridges. The main forest types are scrub forests, bamboo forests, chir pine forests, and oak forests. Chir forests are mainly found in the northern and eastern parts of the district, while the south and west is occupied by scrub forest.