Una district

Una is a district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Una shares its border with the Hoshiarpur and Rupnagar districts of Punjab and Kangra, Hamirpur and Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh. The terrain is generally semi-hilly with low hills. Una has been identified as a main industrial hub and has become a transit town for travellers going to the city of Dharamshala or locations within the Himalayas such as Kullu, Manali, Jawalamukhi, Dera Baba Vadbhag Singh Gurudwara and Chintpurni. Una is home to the Kila, which is a historical fort and an ancestral home of the descendants of the first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak.

Una district
District of Himachal Pradesh
Location of Una district in Himachal Pradesh
Coordinates (Una, Himachal Pradesh, India): 31°28′34″N 76°16′13″E
Country	India
State	Himachal Pradesh
Established	1 September 1972
Headquarters	Una
Tehsils	5
Government
• Parliamentary Constituency	Hamirpur
• Member of Parliament	Anurag Singh Thakur B.J.P.
• Legislative Assembly	Una
Area
• Total	1,540 km^2 (590 sq mi)
Population  (2011)
• Total	521,173
• Density	340/km^2 (880/sq mi)
• Urban	8.8%
Demographics
• Literacy	87.23%
• Sex ratio	977
Time zone	UTC+05:30 (IST)
Vehicle registration	HP-72 (District RTO)
Average annual precipitation	1253 mm
Website	http://hpuna.nic.in/

Una has five tehsils, namely Ghanari, Haroli, Amb, Bangana and Una itself. It was a tehsil of Hoshiarpur district until the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 and Kangra district until 1972, after which it became a district of Himachal Pradesh.

Geography

Tehsils of Una district

Una lies in the south-western part of Himachal Pradesh, with the Sivalik Hills of the Himalayas rolling on one side. The Satluj river passes alongside Shahtalai Hills, known for the shrine of Baba Balak Nath.

The altitudes vary from more than 408 meters in city Una to over 1000 meters in Chintpurni. Una district is bounded by the river Beas on the north and the river Satluj in the east, the Swan River which is basically seasonal river flows 65 km right across the Jaswan Valley towards south until it submerges in the Sutlej river near Anandpur.[1]

Una is full of flora and fauna as the area cover mostly forest zone of Pines and Devdar trees. Una is home of many species of birds, Nilgai , Wild Pig, deer, porcupine and Leopard also.

Climate

The climate of Una district is mostly sub-tropical. Most part of the year remain cool due to winter season in October to February. Summer starts from March and remain till July. July to September remain mostly rainy due to Monsoon effect in the region.

The temperature hits between -3.5 degree Celsius in winter to 48 degree Celsius in summer.

The average rainfall is 1253 mm. The highest peak of the district Chintpurni also witnessed heavy snowfall in 2012.

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1901	165,000	—
1911	161,786	−0.20%
1921	161,856	+0.00%
1931	170,620	+0.53%
1941	194,249	+1.31%
1951	196,829	+0.13%
1961	226,696	+1.42%
1971	261,357	+1.43%
1981	317,422	+1.96%
1991	378,269	+1.77%
2001	448,273	+1.71%
2011	521,173	+1.52%
source:[2]

According to the 2011 census Una district has a population of 521,173,[3] giving it a ranking of 543rd in India (out of a total of 640).[3] The district has a population density of 338 inhabitants per square kilometre (880/sq mi).[3] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 16.24%.[3] Una has a sex ratio of 977 females for every 1000 males,[3] and a literacy rate of 87.23%.[3]

Local languages are Himachali, Hindi and Punjabi. Punjabi with mixture of Himachali language is mostly used in plain areas of Una City, tehsil Ghanari and Haroli Tehsil. But in other areas like Bangana, Amb and Chintpurni Himachali language is widely spoken.

According to the 2001 census, the total population of Una was 447,967 with a sex-ratio of 997. The literacy rate stood at 81.09%. In 2011, population figures were raised to 521,057 with decreased sex ratio of 977. The literacy rate increased to 87.23%. The total area of the district is 1,549 km² (598 sq mi). The urban population contributes nearly 9% of the total population. Hinduism is the most common religion. Sikhism and Islam have sizable number of followers. Christians and others form very small minorities.

Economy

The people of Una mainly earn their livelihood through agriculture. Una is also becoming an industrial hub. The region near Baba Rudru temple, that comprises Basal and Dhamandri village has become an industrial hub. Factories like Inox Wind in Basal village near Ramlila ground is providing jobs to locals as well as to those coming from other states. There is a hub of small scale Catechu factories. Mahavir Katha Udyog, Kamal Katha Udyog, Master Katha Udyog and Khanna Katha Udyog are manufacturers of Catechu. In addition of that there is cylinder factory named Him Cylinders and Steel Plant by the name of Him Alloys. The International Cars and Motor has also one their plant in the City. The Jeevan Market has many shops dealing in all types of products.

Nestle has set up a factory in nearby industrial area Tahliwal. Cremica is already present there, some big industries are also moved in like Inox Wind in Basal and some other industrial units in Dhamandari.

Facilities like gyms in village panchayats and playgrounds are some facilities in the area.

Education

Schools

• Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Una

Culture

Attire

Kurta and Pajama is the culturally accepted dress for men. Office-going men wear shirts and pants. Women wear Salwar Kameez on most casual and formal occasions. A Sari is also worn, especially to weddings.

Young people mostly wear western styled clothing, including jeans and shirts. Unisex clothing is gaining acceptance, especially in the suburbs.

Shawl is worn in the winters. They can be plain or embroidered (especially for women).

Temples

Chintpurni is the most visited temple by Hindus and Sikhs, especially on weekends and on special religious days. The Hindu genealogy registers are kept at Chintpurni too.

Mahakaal Mahakaali Temple is a temple situated in Rakkar Colony, Una dedicated to the Goddess Mahakali & Lord of Lords Mahakaal.[4]

Transport

Road

Una is connected by road and only one railway line through The NH-22 national highway passes through the city. Una is located about 375 km (233 mi) north of New Delhi and 120 km (75 mi) from Chandigarh.

Railways

The Una city is served by the Una Himachal railway station. It is connected by a single broad gauge railway line, which is the only one in the whole state. It enters Una from Nangal (Punjab) and runs all the way to Daulatpur. Two express trains (Himachal Express and Jan Shatabdi Express) connect it to Delhi daily.

Air

The nearest domestic airport is based in Chandigarh, and an airport with international operations is in Amritsar.

Places near Una

• Dharamshala
• McLeod Ganj
• Kangra
• Hoshiarpur
• Khajjiar
• Jawalamukhi
• Chandigarh

External links

• Official Link
• Una Profile
• Una District Cultural and Religious Heritage

References

1. "Swan River". Archived from the original on 1 October 2012.
2. Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901
3. "District Census 2011". Census2011.co.in. 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
4. "Mahakaal Mahakali Temple". Punjab Kesari.