28-788: The Pir Panjal Range ( Urdu pronunciation: [piːɾ pənd͡ʒːɑːl] ; Kashmiri pronunciation: [piːr pãːt͡saːl] pronunciation ) is a range of mountains in the Lower Himalayan region located in the Western Himalayas of northern Indian subcontinent . It runs southeast to northwest between the Beas and Neelam/Kishanganga rivers, in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir , with its northwestern end extending into territory administered by Pakistan. The Himalayas show
56-636: A 4,414 metres (14,482 ft) mountain pass in the Chamba district connecting Chamba with the Pangi valley of Himachal Pradesh , India. Rohtang La (altitude 3,978 m (13,051 ft)) is a mountain pass on the eastern Pir Panjal range connecting Manali in the Kullu Valley to Keylong in the Lahaul Valley. The Jawahar Tunnel is a 2.5 km (1.6 mi) long tunnel through Pir Panjal mountain under
84-858: A gradual elevation towards the Dhauladhar and Pir Panjal ranges. Pir Panjal is the largest and westernmost range of the Lesser Himalayas. Near the bank of the Sutlej River , it dissociates itself from the main Himalayan range and forms a divide between the Beas and Ravi rivers on one side and the Chenab on the other. Further west, the Pir Panjal range forms the southwestern boundary of the Kashmir Valley , separating it from
112-423: A new wider and longer tunnel has been planned at a lower elevation. Construction of a new 8.45 km (5.25 mi) long twin-tube Banihal Qazigund Road Tunnel started in 2011 and was commissioned in 2021. The new tunnel is at a lower elevation than the existing Jawahar tunnel and has reduced the road distance between Banihal and Qazigund by 16 km (9.9 mi). It is also less prone to snow avalanches as it
140-632: Is Shopian . The Munawar Pass (altitude 3,600 m (11,800 ft)) is a pass north of Peer Ki Gali, overlooking Rajouri. The Banihal pass (2,832 m (9,291 ft)) lies at the head of the Jhelum River at the southern end of the Kashmir Valley. Banihal and Qazigund lie on either side of the pass. The Sinthan pass connects the Kashmir valley with Kishtwar in the Jammu region. The Saach Pass ,
168-628: Is at a lower elevation. The Atal Tunnel has been built under the Rohtang Pass in the eastern Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas on the Leh-Manali Highway . With 8.8 km (5.5 mi) length, the tunnel is the second longest road tunnel in India and has reduced the distance between Manali and Keylong by about 60 km (37 mi). The tunnel is at 3,100 metres (10,171 ft) elevation whereas
196-514: Is mini Switzerland in Chamba. Bhalei Mata Temple is famous in Chamba. It is 35 km from Chamba. Chhudra is 25 km from Chamba. Chamba is famous for its vivid festivals. The Suhi Mata festival is held for four days in March/April every year in memory of princess Sui. She is known to have sacrificed her life for the cause of her people, that is, the people of Chamba. At the time of the harvest of
224-492: Is the Bhuri Singh Museum at Chamba which came into existence on 14 September 1908. It is named after Raja Bhuri Singh who ruled Chamba from 1904 to 1919. Bhuri Singh donated his family collection of paintings to the museum. The embroidered Chamba-Rumals are related in style since their drawings were made by pahari painters though the embroidery was done by the household ladies. Salooni is 56 km from Chamba. Khajjiar
252-499: Is the northwestern district of Himachal Pradesh , in India , with its headquarters in Chamba town. The towns of Dalhousie , Khajjhiar and Churah Valley are popular hill stations and vacation spots for the people from the plains of northern India. In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Chamba one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640 ). It is one of
280-530: The Banihal pass connects Banihal with Qazigund on the other side of the mountain. The Jawahar Tunnel was named after the first Prime Minister of India was constructed in the early 1950s and commissioned in December 1956 to ensure snow-free passage throughout the year. It is at elevation of about 2,100 m (6,900 ft). It was designed for 150 vehicles per day but now used by more than 7,000 vehicles per day. Therefore,
308-547: The Himachal Range, various hill Stations have developed in the region. 28°45′N 83°30′E / 28.750°N 83.500°E / 28.750; 83.500 This Indian location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Pakistan location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Nepalese location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Chamba district Chamba district
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#1732844782734336-703: The Himalaya through the Middle Hills, gathering immediately north of the Himachal Range and cutting through in major gorges as the Karnali in the west, the Gandaki or Narayani in central Nepal, and the Kosi in the east. With temperatures persisting around forty degrees Celsius in the plains of India from April until the onset of the summer monsoon in June, but ten to fifteen degrees cooler atop
364-555: The Mahabharata regions in western Punjab and southern Kashmir. Scholar Dineshchandra Sircar has analysed the geography described in the Shakti ‐sangama Tantra , where this is indeed the case. Scholar M. A. Stein believes that the concept of deity must have been translated into that of a Pir after the region was Islamised. Deo Tibba (6,001 m (19,688 ft)) and Indrasan (6,221 m (20,410 ft)) are two important peaks at
392-611: The Rohtang pass is at 3,978 metres (13,051 ft) elevation. Lying on the Manali-Leh axis, this is one of the two routes to Ladakh. The Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel , an 11.215 kilometres (6.969 mi) railway tunnel, passes through the Pir Panjal Range in Jammu and Kashmir. It connects Quazigund and Banihal and is a part of the Udhampur -Srinagar- Baramulla railway project. The tunnel
420-464: The complex. The temple of Radha Krishna, Shiva Temple of Chandergupta and Gauri Shankar Temple are among these. The ancient temple of Vajreshwari is believed to be 1000 years old and is dedicated to Devi Vajreshwari-Goddess of lightning. The Sui Mata temple can be divided into three parts which can physically spread apart. The Hari Rai temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and dates back to 11th century. Reference of Chamba town would be incomplete without
448-442: The crest, extending north through lower valleys and other "hills" until population thins out above 2,000 m and cereal -based agriculture increasingly gives way to seasonal herding and cold-tolerant crops such as potatoes . Most ethnic groups found along the Himachal Range and northward into the Middle Hills have Tibeto-Burman affinities including Nepalese origins of Newar , Magar , Gurung , Tamang , Rai and Limbu , however
476-485: The decade 2001–2011 was 12.58%. Chamba has a sex ratio of 989 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 73.19%. 6.96% of the population lived in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes made up 21.52% and 26.10% of the population respectively. The Gaddis , the largest Scheduled Tribe in Himachal Pradesh, mainly live in Chamba district. Languages of Chamba district (2011) The majority of
504-650: The eastern end of the mountain range. They can be approached from both the Parvati -Beas Valley (Kulu District), Upper Belt of Chamba Himachal Pradesh and the Chandra (Upper Chenab) Valley ( Lahaul and Spiti District) in Himachal Pradesh. The hill station of Gulmarg in Kashmir lies in this range. Haji Pir Pass (altitude 2,637 m (8,652 ft)) on the western Pir Panjal range on the road between Poonch and Uri in Indian-administered Kashmir . Despite taking
532-561: The hills of Jammu region, forming a divide between the Jhelum and Chenab rivers. The Pir Panjal range is named after the Pir Panjal Pass , whose original name as recorded by Srivara , is Panchaladeva ( IAST : Pāñcāladeva , meaning the deity of Panchala ). Panchala is a country mentioned in the Mahabharata in the northwest Uttar Pradesh . However, there are also traditions that place
560-456: The lap of the Himalayas. The unique architect of houses and temples, splendid wood and metal craft, world fame Chamba Rumal and Chappal and the pahari paintings are some salient features of this one thousand years young town. The Chamba town has a number of temples, Palaces and stylised buildings. Laxmi Narayana Temple, which is the main temple of Chamba town, was built by Sahil Varman in the 10th century AD. There are several other temples within
588-438: The maize crop, which is the main crop of this region, to express happiness and to enjoy after a hard toil, locals celebrate Minjar festival. This week long fare/ Mela is the most popular Mela of Chamba. The temple was built by Sahil Varman in the honour of his daughter Champavati who is worshipped as a goddess in Chamba. This journey of one thousand years is a repository a civilised, cultured and developed society which existed in
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#1732844782734616-527: The majestic Chaugan. It is the heart and hub centre of all activities in Chamba. Tradition is silent as to its use as a polo ground and the name is etymologically distinct from Chaugan, the Persian name of Polo, being of Sanskrit origin and meaning 'four-sided'. Initially the five Chaugan were a single patch of meadow. To mark the completion of 1000 years of this town, the Government of Himachal Pradesh had celebrated
644-562: The most populous ethnic group is Indo-European Hindus called Paharis , mainly of the upper Brahman , and Kshatriya , or Chhetri castes. Lower terrain south of the escarpment was historically malarial and inhabited by apparently aboriginal peoples with evolved immunity, notably the Tharu and Maithili people . The Himachal Range is an important hydrographic barrier crossed by relatively few rivers. Drainage systems have evolved candelabra configurations with numerous tributaries flowing south from
672-913: The north and the Sivalik Hills to the south. It extends from the Indus River in Pakistan to the Brahmaputra Valley in North East India traversing across North India , Nepal and Bhutan . The sub-range has an average elevation of 3,700–4,500 m (12,100–14,800 ft). Southern slopes of the Himachal Range are steep and nearly uninhabited due to a major fault system called the 'Main Boundary Thrust". The crest and northern slopes slope gently enough to support upland pastures and terraced fields. Nepal's densely populated Middle Hills begin along
700-466: The pass twice in military operations (in 1948 and 1965 ), India left the pass under Pakistani control. The Pir Panjal Pass (also called Peer Ki Gali ) connects the Kashmir valley with Rajouri and Poonch via the Mughal Road. It is the highest point of the Mughal Road at 3,490 m (11,450 ft) and lies to the southwest of the Kashmir Valley. The nearest town to the pass in the Kashmir valley
728-484: The people of the district are native speakers of languages in the Himachali group . These primarily include Chambeali (the first language reported by 23% of the population in the 2011 census), Gaddi or Bharmauri (22%), Churahi (14%), Pangwali (3.5%) and Bhateali (2.9%). Other languages spoken are Hindi (2.9%), Gujari (1.9%), Kashmiri (1.3%) and Punjabi (1.1%). A yet another place of interest in Chamba town
756-527: The two districts in Himachal Pradesh currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF). According to the 2011 census Chamba district has a population of 519,080, roughly equal to the nation of Cape Verde . This gives it a ranking of 544th in India (out of a total of 640 ). The district has a population density of 80 inhabitants per square kilometre (210/sq mi) . Its population growth rate over
784-569: Was commissioned on 26 June 2013 for regular service. It is India's longest railway tunnel. 33°53′36″N 74°29′19″E / 33.89333°N 74.48861°E / 33.89333; 74.48861 Lesser Himalayas The Lower Himalayan Range also called the Lesser Himalayas or Himachal is one of the four parallel sub-ranges of the Himalayas . It has the Great Himalayas to
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