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Kinnaur district

Coordinates: 31°35′N 78°25′E / 31.583°N 78.417°E / 31.583; 78.417
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31°35′N 78°25′E / 31.583°N 78.417°E / 31.583; 78.417 Kinnaur district is one of the twelve administrative districts of the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India.[1] Kinnaur is located in the northeast corner of Himachal Pradesh, bordering Tibet to the east. It has three high mountain ranges, namely Zanskar and the Himalayas, that enclose the valleys of Baspa, Satluj, Bhaba and Spiti rivers as well as their tributaries. The slopes are covered with thick wood, orchards, fields and hamlets. The district is divided into three administrative areas (Kalpa, Nichar (Bhabanagar), and Pooh) and has six tehsils. The administrative headquarters of the district is at Reckong Peo. The revered Kinnaur Kailash mountain, one of the Panch Kailash sites, is situated in Kinnaur. As of 2011, it is the second least populous district of Himachal Pradesh (out of 12 districts), after Lahaul and Spiti.[2]

Kinnaur district
District of Himachal Pradesh
Clockwise from top-left: Kamru Fort, Chandika Devi Temple, Reckong Peo, Nako Lake, Kinnaur Kailash, view of Kalpa
Location in Himachal Pradesh
Location in Himachal Pradesh
Country India
State Himachal Pradesh
HeadquartersReckong Peo
TehsilsKalpa, Pooh, Sangla, Moorang, Hangrang, Bhaba Nagar.
Area
 • Total
6,401 km2 (2,471 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
84,121
 • Density13/km2 (34/sq mi)
 • Urban
0.00%
Demographics
 • Literacy88.37%(male), 71.34%(female)
 • Sex ratio819[3]
Time zoneUTC+05:30 (IST)
Vehicle registrationHP-25, HP-26, HP-27
Major highwaysNational Highway 5 (India)
Websitehpkinnaur.nic.in

The district was opened to outsiders in 1989. The old Hindustan-Tibet Road passes through the Kinnaur valley along the bank of river Sutlej and finally enters Tibet at Shipki La pass. Kinnaur is the second richest district in terms of per capita income after Solan in Himachal Pradesh.

History

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Over the 10th-11th centuries A.D., Kinnaur was a part of the Guge kingdom. The Guge kingdom broke apart in the 12th century, and the Bushahr state arose in the Western Himalayas, taking over most parts of present-day Kinnaur. The Bushahr state originated in the Kamru village of Sangla valley. However, the uppermost part of Kinnaur remained under Tibetan influence until the late 17th century, when it was handed over to the Bushahr state by the Tibetans as a reward for assistance in the Tibet-Ladakh-Mughal War. The Bushahr state shifted its capital to Sarahan, and later still to Rampur, which caused this state to be known eventually as 'Rampur-Bushahr'. Rampur-Bushahr was attached by the Gurkhas in the early 19th century. After the British gained supremacy in the region soon afterwards, this state became a princely state owing suzerainty to the British crown, until India's Independence in 1947. On 15 April, 1948, Rampur-Bushahr became a part of the Republic of India, and a part of an administrative unit called the Mahasu district. In 1960, the region under the erstwhile Rampur-Bushahr state was separated from Mahasu district and made into a new district called the Kinnaur district.[4]

Geography

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With a mountainous area, ranging in altitude from 2,320 to 6,816 metres (7,612 to 22,362 ft), Kinnaur is one of the smallest districts in India by population.

It is known for the Kinnaur Kailash (also pronounced as 'Kinner Kailash'), a mountain sacred to Hindus, close to the Chinese border.

Demographics

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According to the 2011 census, Kinnaur district has a population of 84,121.[5] This gives it a ranking of 620th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 13 inhabitants per square kilometre (34/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 7.61%. Kinnaur has a sex ratio of 819 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 80%. The entire population was rural. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 17.53% and 57.95% of the population respectively.[5]

Religions in Kinnaur district (2011)[6]
Religion Percent
Hinduism
 
 76.95%
Buddhism
 
 21.50%
Christianity
 
 0.58%
Islam
 
 0.53%
Other or not stated
 
 0.44%
Distribution of religions

Languages of Kinnaur district (2011)[7]

  Kinnauri (72.05%)
  Hindi (8.03%)
  Nepali (7.03%)
  Pahadi (3.47%)
  Bhojpuri (1.04%)
  Others (8.38%)
Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
190127,232—    
191128,470+0.45%
192128,191−0.10%
193130,445+0.77%
194133,238+0.88%
195134,475+0.37%
196140,980+1.74%
197149,835+1.98%
198159,547+1.80%
199171,270+1.81%
200178,334+0.95%
201184,121+0.72%
source:[8]

Languages

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Kannaura people speak about eight language varieties, seven from Sino-Tibetan language family; Kinnauri, Chitkuli, Sumcho, Jangrami, Poo Kinnauri, Sunam,[9] Nesang and one from an Indo-Aryan language family, called Pahari Kinnauri.[10] Also see [11] At the 2011 census, 72% of the population in the district spoke or knew native languages of Kinnaur, 16.65% Hindi and 7.03% Nepali as their first language.[7] Although, Hindi is fast emerging as the language of choice in most domains, especially the young speakers, due to the demands of modernity which has threatened the native languages.[12]

Climate

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Most of Kinnaur enjoys a temperate climate due to its high elevation, with long winters from October to May, and short summers from June to September. The lower parts of the Sutlej Valley and the Baspa Valley receive monsoon rains. The Baspa valley receives highest rainfall in July month.[13] The upper areas of the valleys fall mainly in the rain-shadow area. These areas are considered to be arid regions, similar to the climate of Tibet and Central Asian countries. A study by the IIT Delhi in 2016 established that Kinnaur district has the cleanest air in the country[14]

Flora and fauna

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Portions of Kinnaur are situated high in the Himalaya, where vegetation is sparse and consists primarily of hardy grasses. Alpine species such as juniper, pine, fir, cypress, and rhododendron can be found at elevations between 3,500 and 5,000 metres, primarily in Middle Kinnaur. At lower altitudes, temperate-climate trees are found, including oak, chestnut, maple, birch, alder, magnolia, apple, and apricot.

Yaks and dzos are reared by local farmers in the higher areas. Scattered populations of the Himalayan black bear and small ponies may also be found.

Rupi Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary

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This sanctuary, established in 1982, covers 503 sq.km. The flora includes kharsu, oak, weeping fig, alpine, chir pine, Himalayan temperate forest, coniferous and dry broad leaved coniferous. The fauna includes the Western Tragopan, the cheer pheasant, the snow leopard, the brown bear, the Himalayan tahr, the blue sheep, and musk deer.[15]

Kinnaur also has another wildlife sanctuary, called the Lippa-Asarang Wildlife Sanctuary.[16]

Politics

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This section is transcluded from 13th Himachal Pradesh Assembly. (edit | history)
No. Constituency Member Party Remarks Reference
68 Kinnaur (ST) Jagat Singh Negi Indian National Congress

Transport

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Air

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The nearest airport is Shimla Airport.

Rail

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The nearest railway station is Shimla, which is connected by a narrow-gauge railway line to Kalka near Chandigarh.[17]

Road

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Kinnaur can be easily reached by the National Highway 05 via Shimla. Busses run by the Himachal Road Transport Corporation ply from Shimla to different parts of Kinnaur.

Notable People

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[edit]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "About Kinnaur". hpkinnaur.nic.in.
  2. ^ "Demographics of Kinnaur". hpkinnaur.nic.in.
  3. ^ "Demography of Kinnaur district". hpkimnaur.nic.in.
  4. ^ Sanan, Deepak; Swadi, Dhanu (2002). Exploring Kinnaur in the Trans-Himalaya. Indus Publishing. pp. 31–32. ISBN 978-81-7387-131-3.
  5. ^ a b "District Census Handbook: Kinnaur" (PDF). censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.
  6. ^ "Table C-01 Population by Religion: Himachal Pradesh". censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.
  7. ^ a b "Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Himachal Pradesh". www.censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
  8. ^ Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901
  9. ^ NEGI, HARVINDER K U M A R. “Sunam (Kinnaur, India) – Language Snapshot.” Language Documentation and Description, 2021.
  10. ^ NEGI, HARVINDER K U M A R. “Languages of Kannaura Tribe.” Languages of INDIAN HIMALAYAS, 2021
  11. ^ NEGI, HARVINDER K U M A R. “Linguistic Demography of Himachal Pradesh (Languages of Himachal Pradesh).” Nepalese Linguistics 35, no. 1 (2022): 70–78. doi:10.3126/nl.v35i01.46563.
  12. ^ NEGI, HARVINDER K U M A R. “LANGUAGE USE, PRESTIGE AND VITALITY OF LANGUAGES IN KINNAUR.” International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics , 2023.
  13. ^ "Sangla valley". Raacho Trekkers.
  14. ^ "Want to breathe clean air? Travel to Himachal's Kinnaur". Business Standard.
  15. ^ "Rupi Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary (India) IBA | Summary | BirdLife International". datazone.birdlife.org. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  16. ^ "Lippa Asrang Wildlife Sanctuary (India) IBA | Summary | BirdLife International". datazone.birdlife.org. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  17. ^ "How to Reach". Kinnaur.
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