Bilaspur District

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Total Area of Bilaspur District – 1,167 sq. Kilometer

Bilaspur District is bounded on the North by Mandi and Hamirpur districts, and on the West by Hamirpur and Una districts.
‘Nalagarh’ area of Solan district lies in the South of Bilaspur District,
Bilaspur District is encircled on the East and southeast by ‘Solan’ and ‘Mandi’ districts.

Tehsil of Bilaspur District

Bilaspur district has 7 tehsils/sub tehsils

1. Bilaspur
2. Ghumarwin
3. Jhandutta
4. Swarghat at Sri Naina Devi Ji
5. Bharari
6. Namhol
7. Kalol

More about Bilaspur District

• Villages: 1,088
• Languages: Kehluri, Hindi
• Population: 3,81,956
• Male: 1,92, 764
• Female: 1,89,192
• Area: 1,167 Sq. KMs.

Bilaspur District map

Bilaspur stands divided into two natural parts formed by the Satluj river.

Seven Hills of Bilaspur District

There are seven main ranges of hills (the Erstwhile princely state at times used to be called Satdhar Kahlur, meaning Kahlur of the seven hills).

Includes-

1. Naina Devi
2. Kot
3. Jhanjar
4. Tiun 
5. Bandla
6. Bahadurpur
7. Ratanpur

1. Naina Devi Hill

• On this hill lies a celebrated temple dedicated to Naina Devi at an elevation of about 1,100 meters above mean sea level.
• Some of the important forts such as the Kot Kahlur fort, and Fatehpur fort (where seven small forts have been constructed) are located on this range.

2. Kot Hill

• The well-known forts of Bachhretu, Basiah, Naun, or Shiwala Bachhretu Kot and Dagoga Malhot are located on this hill.
• The highest peak is Kakrer.

3. Jhanjhar Hill

• The Seer Khad divides this range into two parts–the southern part known as Badol, and the Northern as Jhanjiar.
• The Jhanjar is the highest peak in this range at about 1,100 meters above mean sea level. 
• There are famous temples of Devi Badoli and Guga Gherwin located in the Southern range.

4. Tiun Hill

• The highest point is the Sariun peak at about 1350 meters from the mean sea level.
• The forts of Sariun, Naurangarh, the temple of Peer Bhiyanu, Haramba Devi, Tiun fort, and Sidh Gurunath, are located on this hill.

5. Bandla Hill

• Famous for paragliding
• The government has opened a hydro-engineering college in this region.

6. Bahadur Pur Hill

• Ali Khad divides this hill into two parts, Northern known as Tatoh and Southern as Bahadurpur.
• Bahadurpur Fort located at an elevation of about (1,980 meters) above mean sea level was the summer abode of Raja Bijai Chand.
• The highest point of district Bilaspur.

7. Ratanpur Hill

• The Ratanpur fort lies on it at an elevation of about 1,230 meters. 
• It was from this fort that General Ochterlony Inflicted defeat on Amar Singh Thapa, the Gurkha leader.

Valleys of Bilaspur District

SATLUJ VALLEY – The Sutlej flows for about 90 Kilometers within the district, starting from Kasol hamlet, where the river enters the boundary of the district and runs up to the village Naila.

DARWIN/DAMI – It is located between Bahadurpur and the Bandla hills.

CHAUNTO – Stretching nearly 13 Kilometers near Bhakra dam is flat and has very fertile soil.

River of Bilaspur District

1. Satluj River

• Bilaspur district’s main river is the Satluj. 
• After flowing through Kinnaur, Shimla, Kullu, Mandi & Solan districts, it enters Bilaspur at village Kasol & leaves the district at the village Naila, in pargana kot kehloor.
• It was the river over which the treaty between the English and Maharaja Ranjit Singh of the Sikh kingdom was signed in 1809.

2. Ali Stream

• Rises near village Mangu Giyana in Tehsil Arki of Solan district
• Enters Bilaspur at village Kothi Harrar & Manothi
• Joins Satluj at a point known as Beri Ghat.

3. Ghambar Khad

• Rises below Tara Devi in the Shimla Hills, enters Bilaspur at Village ‘Neri’ of Pargana Ratanpur, and finally outflows into Satluj at village Dagran.
• It is the largest tributary of the Satluj, which rises in the Mandi district. 
• Two small Khads known as Sukar and Saryali rising in Hamirpur district join this Khad at village Balgar 
• It enters Bilaspur district at village Hatwar and joins the Satluj at village Seri
• In 1968, a pukka bridge was constructed near Ghumarwin on this Khad.
• There are no natural lakes, though it has the largest man-made lake of Himachal,  Govind Sagar, as a result of the Bhakhra dam.
• It is said that 256 villages of the district were submerged into Govind Sagar, uprooting ten thousand people.

Tanks Of Bilaspur District

Bilaspur district has some well-known tanks. 

A tank in local parlance is called Toba. 

Springs

• Luhnd spring (at Dadrana) close to Swarghat
• Bassi spring
• The water of Bassi Spring is considered very sacred.

History Of Bilaspur District

Why name Kehlur?

• One day a Gurjar named Kehlu saw that one of his goats was standing on a stone slab–attacked by a leopard thrice– but every time goat repulsed the attack with her sharp horns and the leopard finally ran away. 
• When this incident was narrated to Bir Chand, he immediately understood the secret of this miraculous slab. 
• An idol of Goddess Durga was found beneath this stone slab.
• Built a fort there, named it Kot Kehlur, after the name of Kehlu Gurjar & Raja also began to reside there. 
• Since then Kehlur is associated with Bilaspur. 
• The idol found from this place was honored by consecrating for it the Naina Devi temple.