Kumarsain

Kumarsain is located at 31.318145°N 77.446189°E / 31.318145; 77.446189 and has an average elevation of 1,762 metres (5,781 ft). It is situated above the Satluj river in the North-West Himalayas, about 80 km from Shimla towards interior ranges. Kumarsain has an ideal climate and temperature throughout year. Kumarsain town has many villages within its boundary namely Mateyog, Damali, Lathi, Bharara, Bai, Nahal and Dethal.

Scenic view after sunset as seen from Kumarsain

Kumarsain during Snowfall

Tourist attractions around Kumarsain include Narkanda, Kotgarh-Thanedhar, Hatu Peak, Tani Jubbar Lake, Derthu Mata Temple and Shilaroo Hockey Stadium.

Himalayan cedar forest around Kumarsain

SAI Hockey Stadium Shilaroo

Kumarsain was a Constituency of Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly and had a separate election seat until 2008 delimitation, when it was merged with Theog constituency. Veteran Congress Minister Vidya Stokes was elected 2 times as MLA in 2003 [3] and 2007 [4] from Kumarsain Assembly Constituency. Kumarsain is a tehsil[5] as well as a sub-division and comes under Narkanda Block.[6] Current Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh (Anil Kumar Khachi IAS) also hails from Kumarsain.[7]

Government Departments in Kumarsain:

1. Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department (B & R Division and Sub Division).

2. Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (Division and Sub Division).

3. Irrigation and Public Health Department (Sub Division).

4. Women and Child Development Department (Child Development Project Officer).

5. Himachal Pradesh Fire Services (Fire Post).

6. Tehsil Office (Tehsildar and Naib Tehsildar).

7. Sub Divisional Magistrate/Sub Divisional Officer Office.

8. Himachal Pradesh Department of Labour and Employment (Sub Office - Employmemt Exchange).

9. Police Station (Station House Officer/SHO)

10. Civil Hospital (Block Medical Officer)

11. Block Development Office (Block Development Officer Narkanda)

12. Forest Department (Divisional Forest Officer Kotgarh and Forest Ranger Officer Kumarsain)

13. Himachal Pradesh Education Department (Block Education Officer)

14. Sub-Treasury Office (Sub-Treasury Officer)

As of 2011 India census,[8] Kumarsain had a population of 5,461. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Kumarsain has an average literacy rate of 97.8%, much higher than the national average of 74.04% male literacy is 97%, and female literacy is 89%. In Kumarsain 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Kirat Singh, also known as Kirti Singh (later Rana Kirat Chand), who was an office holder and Jagirdar at the court of Raja Narayan Pal of Gaya in Bihar, founded Kumharsain State in the 11th century AD. He along with his two brothers (Kartar Singh and Prithvi Singh) was driven away from Gaya, by the fear of Mahmud Ghazni and settled around Kumharsain. They conquered the country from a local chief named Bhambu Rai manvana of Delath.[9] Later on Kirat Singh gave a tract called Karangla to his brother Kartar Singh. Descendants of Kartar Singh founded the states of Khaneti and Kotkhai. The younger brother, Prithvi Singh, established his independent state at Delath. Since the 15th century, Kumharsain was a feudatory of Bushahr State, but was declared independent after the expulsion of the Gurkhas in 1815, by a sanad dated February 1816, but at the same time lost its own tributary states of Bharauli, Balsan and Madhan. The Rana maintains a military force of 45 infantry and 1 gun (as of 1892).[10] Kumharsain State was ranked 6th in Order of precedence in the Shimla Hill States and 11th amongst the Punjab Hill States.[11][12]

Kumarsain State Symbol

The Great Congress Leader Late. Jai Bihari Lal Khachi (former Public Works Minister of Himachal Pradesh) was from this town and a government school in Kumarsain is also named after him, as a token of honor and appreciation for the work he had done for the state. Khachi was elected 5 times as MLA from Kumarsain assembly seat in 1972, 1982, 1985, 1993 and 1998 assembly elections.[13] He died of a massive heart attack in 2002, at that time he was the sitting MLA of Kumarsain Constituency. Kumarsain's famous Hira Mahal (named after the 56th Rana of Kumharsain, "Hira Singh"), which was pride of Kumarsain and served as the home to the Ranas of this princely state, was burnt because of an accidental fire that took place in the mahal in 2007.

Hira Mahal in 2005

Also the first American apple tree grown in India was at Kotgarh village (a village in Kumharsain tehsil), which was planted by Satyanand Stokes (an American settled in India) in 1916.

Kumarsain has a bus station from where you can take routine local route buses or long route buses of HRTC to Shimla, Chandigarh, Delhi, Kullu, Ambala, Haridwar and many other places.

A milestone on NH-5 showing distance of Kumarsain

A man herding goats on NH-5 near Kumarsain

Alternatively you can hire a taxi, as 24 hours taxi service is also available in Kumarsain.

Watercolour painting of Rana's house at Kumharsain by Baden Henry Powell, c.1872

[14]

Rulers used the title of "Rana" (also styled as Rana Saheb).[15]

Towns

1. Kumarsain

2. Narkanda

Villages

1 Ahar

2 Arot

3 Aur

4 Bagain

5 Bagthal

6 Bahli

7 Bai

8 Bakhlain

9 Balinda

10 Banahar

11 Banot

12 Baragaon

13 Barara

14 Bargal

15 Barogi

16 Barori

17 Barubagh

18 Batara

19 Batari

20 Baza

21 Bhalari

22 Bhanana

23 Bharari

24 Bharasa

25 Bhareri

26 Bhargaon

27 Bhuna

28 Bhuth

29 Bhutti

30 Chajol

31 Chala Nal

32 Chalan

33 Chamor

34 Chamyala

35 Charonta

36 Chekul

37 Chohan

38 Chopala

39 Churath

40 D.P.F. Nag kelo Saroga

41 D.P.F. Nagkelo

42 Dagrot

43 Dakolu

44 Dakoon

45 Dalan

46 Damaur

47 Daro

48 Dawala

49 Deeb

50 Deoridhar

51 Dethal

52 Devali Dhar

53 Dhala

54 Dhali

55 Dhanal

56 Dharuri

57 Dheongli

58 Dogri

59 Doja

60 Ganeog

61 Gharal

62 Ghareawat

63 Ghughvi

64 Ghumana

65 Gheti

66 Gonthla

67 Halyana

68 Hathiya

69 Jadoon

70 Jal

71 Jalti

72 Jangal Ahar

73 Jangal Dawala

74 Jangal Hatu

75 Jangal Havan

76 Jangal Jogsha

77 Jangal Madhawan

78 Jangal Marni

79 Jangal Nun-II

80 Janjeli

81 Jar

82 Jarol

83 Jhamol

84 Jhunjan

85 Jimu

86 Kacheri

87 Kalmu

88 Kanahr

89 Kanda-1

90 Kanda-2

91 Kandyali

92 Kangal

93 Karewati

94 Katheen

95 Kaunthru

96 Kehri

97 Kepu

98 Khaner

99 Khaneti

100 Khatkar

101 Khekhar

102 Kholwi

103 Khuhan

104 Kingal

105 Kirti

106 Kopri

107 Kot

108 Kotgarh

109 Koti

110 Kotla

111 Kowahra

112 Kufri

113 Kui

114 Lathi

115 Lauga

116 Luan

117 Madhawani

118 Madhuban

119 Mahawari

120 Maholi

121 Majrog

122 Malendi

123 Manan-1

124 Manan-2

125 Mandholi

126 Mangsu

127 Manu

128 Melan

129 Mogra

130 Mohan

131 Nag

132 Nagali

133 Nagraon

134 Nahal

135 Nahana

136 Nanjha

137 Naula

138 Nehri

139 Nun

140 Pamlai

141 Parashan

142 Pauchi

143 Pharal

144 Pharnal

145 Phirnu

146 Rahu

147 Reog

148 Rewali

149 Ropa

150 Sainj Paranu

151 Sakundi Chimla

152 Sapela

153 Sarahan

154 Saroga

155 Ser Dhar

156 Shalota

157 Shamthla

158 Shanad

159 Shathla

160 Shawat

161 Shehdari

162 Shela

163 Shelag

164 Shiwan

165 Talha

166 Tepri

167 Teshan

168 Thah

169 Thanedhar

170 Thanu

171 Thinu

172 Tramli

173 Urshu

174 Virgarh

• Rulers.org: Kumharsain
• Kumarsain on Google Maps
• Edited by: Piyush Negi