Shamirpur

History of Kangra

This region, commonly named as Dev Bhumi is believed to be the abode of gods. There is a mention of Trigarta (Kangra) kingdom in Mahabharata. Sir Lepel Griffin refers to the Rajput dynasties of the hills of whom the Katochs’ are the oldest. In Mahabharata there is a mention of King Susharama Chandra, who sided with the Kaurvas. He is said to be the founder of this dynasty. At that time, Kangra was probably named as Bhim Kot. The reference to prosperous Kingdom of Trigarta (Kangra) is also found in the Panani literature. The mention of Kangra (Nagarkot) was found in the works of Ferishta. At some later period, perhaps that of the Muhammadan invasion, the Katoch princes were driven into the hills, where Kangra already existed as one of their chief fortress. In spite of constant invasions, the little Hindu kingdoms, secure within their Himalayan glens, long held out against the aggressive Muhammadan power. In 1009, the riches of the Nagarkot temple attracted the attention of Mahmud of Ghazni, who defeated the Hindu princes at Peshawar, seized the fort of Kangra and plundered the shrine of an immense booty in gold, silver and jewels. From this time, Kangra does not reappear in general history till 1360, when the emperor Firoz Tughlak again led a force against it. The Raja gave in his submission, and was permitted to retain his dominions; but the Muhammadans once more plundered the temple. In 1556, Akbar launched an expedition into the hills, and occupied the fort of Kangra. Kangra passed to the British at the end of the first Sikh War in 1846 and there were several revolts against the British. Ram Singh, a Pathania Rajput, invaded the British garrison at Shahpur. The British immediately rushed their forces, which surrounded Shahpur fort. Ram Singh finding himself at a disadvantageous position sneaked into the nearby forest to rearm himself. After the outbreak of the Mutiny in 1857, some disturbances took place in the Kulu subdivision; but the vigorous measures of precaution adopted by the local authorities, and the summary execution of the six ring leaders and imprisonment of others on the occasion of the first over act of rebellion, effectually subdued any tendency to lawlessness. The disarming of the native troops in the forts of Kangra and Nurpur was effected quietly and without opposition. The national movement in Kangra district was spearheaded by Comrade Ram Chandra, Thakur Panchan Chandra and Baba Kanshi Ram. Baba Kanshi Ram did a great deal for liberation movement in Kangra district. He was responsible for the liberation wave in hills. He was given the title of "Hill Gandhi" by Jawahar Lal Nehru for his work and "Bulbule Hills" for his melodious throat by Sarojini Naidu. With the freedom of British India, Kangra district automatically threw away the foreign yoke and entered into the era of democracy.

Artifacts

The focal theme of painting in this region is Sringar (the erotic sentiment). The subjects seen in painting exhibit the taste and the traits of the life style of the society of that period. Bhakti cult was the driving force and the love story of Radha and Krishna was the main source of spiritual experience, which was also the base for the visual expression. Bhagvata Purana and the love poems Gita-Govinda of Jaidev were the most popular subjects dealing with the legends and the amorous plays of Radha and Krishna symbolising soul’s devotion to God. In some miniatures, the blue-god Krishna is seen dancing in the lush woodlands and every maiden’s eye are drawn to him. Krishna subjects, known commonly as Krishna-lila predominate, while the themes of love, inspired by the nayaks and nayikas and baramasa enjoyed great favour. The sentiment of love remained the inspiration and the central theme of Pahari painting.

Geography

The Kangra valley represents a longitudinal trough which is at the foothills of Dhauladhar range. The literal meaning of Dhauladhar is 'The White Peak' whose mean elevation is 4550 meters. The range has a very steep rise, and rises 3600 meters above the Kangra valley. The largest but the lesser known of the Himalayan ranges is the Pir Panjal. It branches off the Great Himalayan Range near the bank of the Sutlej. Rohtang Pass, a major tourist destination which greets you at a height of 4800 meters, lies in the Pir Panjal along with a number of glaciers and passes.

Shamirpur is hilly area surrounded with valleys. Most of the people are dependent on farming. Hhhnivm at the top of the village near Kalka mandir is situated the darnggwal, the Chaudhary community. The beauty of the place is undefined. It is the place where caste and culture go hand in hand. Supportive, loving and caring people live here. People living in Shamirpur are happy with their small and busy lifestyle. Neither they want any kind of change in their lifestyle nor in their surroundings. Nature itself is the real beauty of Shamirpur. It is a very cozy, homely and a must to visit place.

Nature

When you reach the top of samirpur you will see beautiful landscapes covered with a variety of trees, animals, birds, insects living in these landscapes many of which are unknown . Mostly in samirpur you will find baniyan trees (Ficus benghalensis). Other than baniyan trees you can find pine trees (Pinus) and mango tree (Mangifera indica), neem (Azadirachta indica) and some more common varieties of plants there. In samirpur there is also a wide variety of wild flowers. In birds you can easily see eagles in sky of samirpur flying fearlessly, hunting. You can feel them so close to you there, besides this you can find parrots, little sparrows and many more beautiful birds there. In animals you can find there cats, dogs, and other domestic animals like cow, sheep, goat, hens etc. In samirpur you also can see small springs everywhere and frogs, insects living near those small spring.

Life Style

Shamirpur is a small village located in Himachal Pradesh. The lifestyle of the people is quite simple and the people living over there belong to the middle-class family. The people are very warm welcoming and cheerful. Their economic conditions are quite sufficient enough to support their families. Also they have started adopting the western style of living to some extent. Occupation consists of mainly primary and secondary sector.

PAST LIFESTYLE During the 1990s people of shamirpur were economic and educationally backward. There were no means of transportation available that could connect the village with the developed world. The main occupation was agriculture. The social conditions of women were pathetic as the people had backward thinking and they didn’t consider women a human! Also there was no ban on child marriages. They didn’t have schools till primary or secondary sections. There were no proper clinics or pharmacies as a result of this there were no proper health care. PRESENT LIFESTYLE Today Shamirpur has developed quite a lot. Now there are schools that offer education till primary and secondary sections. Also with the establishment of these schools there is scope of jobs available to the roots. Today they have job security which has helped in changing their backward mentality. Because of this the social conditions of women are improving and because of the efforts made by the government there is a ban on child marriage. Also women are becoming more financially independent. Also each house has at least one member working either in government offices or a retired government employee. Transportation has increased. People have their own private vehicles either a bicycle or a bike. Now Shamirpur is accessible by buses also. People have started working outside of Shamirpur. Few houses have computers and have started connecting with the outside world and have started adapting the western lifestyle. Few girls are seen wearing jeans and shirts. Many shops have also opened there and also pharmacies and clinics have started being established. FUTURE LIFESTYLE With the advancement in the economic, educational and social conditions of people of Shamirpur would no longer remain a backward area with a backward mind-set. It will also have hospitals and pharmacies available for 24 hours. There will be school and colleges providing better education level and the job scale too would increase. Also the women too would be allowed to wear western dresses of their own choice. They would have proper roads that are smooth. Then there should be a planned architectural housing society so that people can leave with harmony with the nature. Also people might get involved with the tertiary sector. New computer centres should open up and help them to connect with the world and help them to increase their knowledge!

Socio-Economy

The Economy of Kangra District consists mostly of agriculture and farming. Tea cultivation plays a vital in the economy. "Kangra Tea" is famous worldwide for its rich aroma, colour and taste. A few other industries that have been established in the region, including water packaging, construction materials, and potato chips.

architecture

Architecture of Shamirpur •Dwellings and structures that have responded to the topography and local climate of the region •They have been built using locally available resources •They have emerged from hard necessities of the place and the lifestyle •They are built by user themselves without professional architects •They represent a far less degree of specialization •They are dwellings that are a product of traditional customs and practices Factors influencing vernacular architecture are •Topography •Climate •Materials and Resources •Users and lifestyle •Construction Technology •Culture and Traditions Shamirpur Land and People Shamirpur is a small Village/hamlet in Kangra Tehsil in Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh State, India. It comes under Shamirpur Panchayath. It is located 14 km towards South from District headquarters Dharamsala. 164 km from State capital Shimla. •Shamirpur Pin code is 176214 and postal head office is Tiara. •Shamirpur is surrounded by Nagrota Bagwan Tehsil towards East, Rait Tehsil towards North, Dharamshala Tehsil towards North, Gopalpur Tehsil towards East . •Dharamsala, Hamirpur, Chamba, Dalhousie are the nearby Cities to Shamirpur.

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