Jogindernagar


Jogindernagar, or Jogindar Nagar , is a municipality in Mandi district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Named after Raja Joginder Sen, the hill station is the terminus of the Kangra Valley narrow-gauge railway. Jogindernagar is the third-largest city in the district. The only city in Asia with three hydro-electric power stations, its nickname is "The City of Powerhouses".
In the central Joginder Nagar Valley, the region is known for paragliding and trekking, mountain biking and camping. The valley is known for its Ts: trolley, trout and train. In 2015, Jogindernagar was declared the first free Wi-Fi city in Himachal Pradesh.

Etymology

Jogindernagar was named after the Mandi king Raja Joginder Sen. Its original name was Sukrahatti.

History

In 1925, Raja Joginder Sen and Col. B. C. Batty planned a hydropower scheme near the village of Sukrahatti. Alexander Sanderson was chief engineer until December 1929, when he returned to England with the project half-completed. Narrow-gauge railway track was laid from Pathankot to Jogindernagar—about —to carry heavy machinery transported from Britain. A haulage system was laid from the Shanan Power House site to Barot, where a reservoir was built on the Uhl River. After tunneling and piping the water several kilometres from the river to Jogindernagar, the 110-MW Shanan Power House was built by a team of engineers headed by Batty. It was the only hydroelectric project in northern India which fed undivided Punjab and Delhi.
The hydroelectric scheme planned to build five power stations with water from the Uhl River. Water from the Shanan Power House was be by tunnels to adjoining Siyuri Dhar. A reservoir was be built in the village of Chapprot to drive turbines at the base of Chapprot Hill in stage two of the project. However, the plan was abandoned after Batty's death.
During the 1960s, the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board revived the plan. Another set of turbines was added at Bassi in 1970, and the 66-MW Bassi Power House was built. Despite the Bassi Power House's economy, no further development was made until the beginning of the 21st century.
Construction of the project's third stage, the 100-MW Uhl Stage III, is ongoing in the village of Chulla with two reservoirs: one near Machhyal Lake and another in the village of Raktal.
Until the mid-20th century, Jogindernagar was northern India's largest potato market. The potato-growing valleys were not linked by roads; over 2,000 mules from the Lahaul and Spiti valleys transported potatoes from outlying areas to Jogindernagar, the only railhead in that part of the state. Potatoes from Mandi, Kullu and Lahaul and Spiti districts were brought there for transport to West Bengal.

Rock salt

Jogindernagar was India's only supplier of rock salt, obtained from the Gumma and Drang mines. Residents of the Kullu Valley travelled for days to obtain the salt, crossing the high-altitude Bhubhu Pass.
And it believed that landslide happened all the workers died and their ghost haunts gumma

Geography

Jogindernagar is in the central Joginder Nagar Valley, in the north-western Himalayas. Surrounded by mountains, it has an average elevation of 1,220 metres. Jogindernagar's altitude ranges from on the southern valley floor to on the northern hilltops.
Its surrounding mountains are covered with dense pine forests. Rhododendron and deodar trees are found at high-altitude locations such as Winch Camp, Jhatingri and Phuladhar. Jogindernagar is in a Zone V region, and after-effects of the 1905 earthquake are still visible at the nearby Kila Karanpur fort.

Climate

The climate is warm and temperate; summer is much rainier than winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Jogindernagar has a humid subtropical climate. Its average annual temperature is, and its average annual rainfall is.
November is the driest month, with of rain. The wettest month is July, with an average of. The warmest month is June, with an average temperature of ; January is the coldest, with an average temperature of. The difference in precipitation between July and November is, and the variation in temperature throughout the year is.
Winter temperature may fall to in Jogindernagar and at higher altitudes, which receive heavy snowfall from December to March; Jogindernagar receives occasional snow. Although summers are warm, the maximum temperature rarely exceeds ; the record high is.

Demographics

Population

Jogindernagar has two tehsils, Jogindernagar and Lad Bharol, and a newely added sub tehsil Makreri. According to the 2011 Census of India, Jogindarnagar tehsil had a population of 84,470; its Vidhan Sabha constituency had a population of 110,302. The municipality is divided into seven wards, for which elections are held every five years.

Literacy

Jogindarnagar's literacy rate is 87.86 percent, higher than the Himachal Pradesh average of 82.80%. Male literacy is 92.63 percent, and female literacy is 82.99 percent.

Religion

The major religion is Hinduism; a small percentage of the population follows Islam, Sikhism, Christianity and Tibetan Buddhism. A Tibetan Buddhist community lives in the nearby village of Chauntra.

Languages

The major languages spoken in the region are Hindi and the Western Pahari varieties of Mandyali and the Kangri dialect. Most residents also speak English.

Nearest cities and transport hubs

Air

Jogindernagar's nearest airport is Gaggal Airport, officially known as Kangra Airport. Kullu–Manali Airport is in Bhuntar, away.

Rail

is the terminus of the Kangra Valley Railway, which runs to Pathankot. The nearest broad-gauge station is the Pathankot Junction railway station.

Road

connects Jogindernagar with Mandi and Palampur. The Jogindernagar-Sarkaghat-Ghumarwin state highway connects it to Dharmpur.
Jogindernagar-Kotli Major District Road via koon ka tar connect to Machhali

Education

Jogindernagar's oldest schools are the Government Senior Secondary School, Government Senior Secondary School and Dayanand Bhartiya Public Senior Secondary School. Most higher-education students move to larger cities and other states for graduate and post-graduate work.
A school has been established, as part of the Tibetan Children's Villages project near the Tibetan settlement in Chauntra, for Tibetan students in exile. The school provides instruction in the Tibetan language, Tibetan culture, the arts and science.

Points of interest