Sirmaur district 

Sirmaur is the southern most district in the south-eastern region of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is largely mountainous and rural, with 90% of its population living in villages. Some of its popular towns include Nahan (the capital), Paonta Sahib and Suketi, the latter famous for the Shivalik Fossil Park where fossils over 85 million years old have been found.

Geography

There are six tehsils in this district, namely Nahan, Renuka, Shillai, Rajgarh, Pachhad and Paonta Sahib. The Giri River divides the district into two almost equal parts: Giripar and Giriwar. The major towns are Nahan, Paonta Sahib, Rajgarh and Shillai.

The river Giri is the biggest river in the district which originates from Kotkhai/Jubbal Tehsil of Shimla district and flows down in the south-east direction. It ultimately joins the river Yamuna near Paonta Sahib. Lot of tributaries join this river in its long course, most important of them being Jalal river which originates from Dharthi range near Pachhad and joins the Giri River at Dadahu from the right side. The river Giri is very useful as it a big source of livelihood fishermen in this district. Another important river which forms the eastern border of the Sirmour district is the river Tons.

Culture

A majority of the population is Hindu and hence most people worship Hindu deities (devtas) and observe various related customs and rituals. The local language is Sirmauri.
Bishu is a popular fair that is held at several places, and features the Thoda dance. Nati, Gee, Rasa and Budhechu are the popular styles of folk dance in Sirmaur. These are enjoyed at occasions such as weddings and the Diwali festival.

History

Sirmaur was an independent kingdom in India, founded in about 1090 by Raja Rasaloo of Jaisalmer, one of whose ancestors was named Sirmaur. It became an 11 Gun Salute princely state in British India,The premier ruler of the Punjab Hills, located in the region that is now the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh. The state was also known as Nahan, after its main city, Nahan. Sirmaur was ruled by the chiefs of Rajput lineage, who used the title "Maharaja".

Economy

The district's economy is based mainly on agriculture, including potatoes, ginger, tomatoes, apples, mangoes and peaches in the Rajgarh region, known locally as "the Peach Bowl". At Dhaula Kuan near Paonta Sahib there is a government-operated fruit research centre. At the village Lana-cheta, farmers grow mainly grain.
In recent years here has been growth in various light industries including pharmaceuticals and manufacturing in Paonta Sahib. This has been mainly because of the town's location and proximity to other state borders. The state government has also provided subsidies on taxes to entrepreneurs and industrialists to set up their operations in the town.
The district has mineral resources. Kamrau is a small village known locally as the "place of limestone millionaires". Sataun is the largest limestone market of South East Asia.

Places of interest 

There are many small towns and scenic places in Sirmaur District.

Habben Valley

Habben Valley's best known temples are Shirgul Devta, Palu Devta and Tokro Tibba Kali Maa. At Habben there are two well known temples, Tokro Tibba Kali Maa and Palu Devta. Haabbi 1500, a well known Rajoot caste, belongs to these two Devtas. Lord Shirgul Temple is one of the most famous temples in North India. Lord Shirgul is worshipped in Sirmaur, Solan, Shimla, Uttaranchal, and Delhi. Thick Deodar forests are visited by tourists from many parts of India. A trek leads to Churdhar, the Holy place of Lord Shiva.
Churdhar

The Chur Peak in district Sirmaur rises to an elevation of 3647 m above the sea level. The mountain is an important religious place for all Sirmauries. It is one of the Shivalik ranges at a height of 11965 feet, and is the highest peak in southern Himachal Pradesh. Churdhar, also known as Churchandni (Bangle of Snow), is known for its spectacular landscapes. The view from the summit offers a panorama of lowland tracts towards the south and snow-capped ranges, including the peaks of Badrinath and Kedarnath in the Garhwal region, towards the north. It is believed that this is the very place where Hanuman discovered the life-restoring Sanjivini booti, which revived Lakshmana, Lord Rama’s younger brother. Ruins of an ancient town have been discovered at the nearby dundi Devi.
Herbs and alpine flora cover these Himalayan slopes, and fauna include the monal, Himachal’s state bird, along with koklassand kaleej pheasants.

Renuka Ji

Renuka is another place of religious and tourist interest in Sirmaur. It is nearly 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Nahan via a motorable metalled road. Boating is available for visitors at Renuka Lake, an oval-shaped lake with a circumference of 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi). The lake is visited by thousand of pilgrims every year on Kartiki Ekadashi. There is a 1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) patch between the Giri and humming camp where visitors often stay for a couple of days. Nightlong festivities including Kirtans are held by various groups.
To this fair, the brass idol of Parasu Rama is brought from the village Jamu, his permanent abode, in a silver palki accompanied by musical instruments. The deity remains in the temple for three days i.e. sudi, dashmi to dwadashi (from 10th to 12th of the bright half). The hill people pray to pujari with questions during the night when he goes into a trance and turns into an oracle, answering questions and sometimes asking of the questioner some offering or sacrifice to the deity of some other act as a condition precedent to the fulfillment of the favourable prophecy, such as deliverance from a problem or recovery of health from some disease. On Dwadashi, generally, the people offer alms after the holy dip in the Renuka lake.

Haripur Dhar

This place is at an elevation of 2687 m. Maa Bhangayani Temple, Haripurdhar, is a well known temple in Sirmaur. Haripur is the name applied to a mountain called Haripur Dhar. A fort on a peak of this hillwas built on this range of mountain by the rulers of erstwhile Sirmur State. It was primarily meant to guard the state frontiers with the neighbouring Jubbal State as there were constant boundary disputes between the two states and there was an unusual encroachment into each other's territory. It has fallen into disuse and the part which is still habitable is used by the Forest Department as forester’s headquarters.

Bhureshwar Mahadev

Bhureshwar Mahadev is another religious and tourist destination in sirmour district. It is situated on a peak nearer to Sarahan on the Nahan - Solan state highway. There is a legend about this place that from here Mata Parvati and Lord Shiva saw the Kurukshetra War, as described in the Mahabharata. From here Chandigarh can also be seen.

Gurudwara Paonta Sahib

Gurudwara Paonta Sahib, is a noted Gurudwara in Paonta Sahib, District of Sirmour. This Gurdwara was built in memory of Guru Gobind Singh ji, the tenth guru of sikhs ..The Dasam Granth was written here by Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Hence, the Gurdwara enjoys a high historic and religious importance among the followers of the Sikh religion world over.The Gurudwara have a palanquin "Palki" made of pure gold, donated by devotees.

Gurudwara Bhagani Sahib

The Battle of Bhangani was fought between Guru Gobind Singh's army and the combined forces of many Rajas of the Sivalik Hills (pahari rajas), on 18 September in 1686, at Bhangani near Paonta Sahib.[5] It was the first battle fought by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, at the age of 19.
Bichitra Natak, an autobiography generally attributed to Guru Gobind Singh, contains a detailed description of the battle.

This district connects the hills of Uttar Pradesh to the hills of Himachal. Trilokpur is a place nearby that holds a fair, twice in a year, dedicated to the Goddess 'Bala Sundari'. The highest peak of the area is the 'Churdhan peak', which one can visit by passing through the villages of Dadahu, Sangrah, Bhawai, Gandhuri and Nahura. The Renuka Lake is a place of interest for the pilgrims as well as the general tourists and is the most beautiful lake of Himachal. Its shape is said to be that of a sleeping woman. In November, the Renuka Fair is held in honour of the mother of Parshu Ram i.e. Renuka Devi.