Shimla district is one of the twelve districts of the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. Its headquarters is the state capital of Shimla. Neighbouring districts are Mandi and Kullu in the north, Kinnaur in the east, Uttarakhand in the southeast, Solan to the southwest and Sirmaur in the south. The elevation of the district ranges from 987 metres (3,238 ft) to 4,500 metres (14,764 ft).
Shimla district | |
|---|---|
     Clockwise from top-left: Shimla City, Rashtrapati Niwas, Tani Jubbar Lake near Narkanda, Chandranahan Sangla Pass, Bhimakali Temple at Sarahan | |
| Nickname: The Queen of Hills | |
 Shimla district Location in Himachal Pradesh | |
| Country |  India |
| State |  Himachal Pradesh |
| Headquarters | Shimla |
| Government | |
| • Deputy Commissioner | Aditya Negi, IAS |
| • Superintendent of Police | Sanjay Gandhi, IPS |
| • Lok Sabha Constituencies | Shimla |
| • Vidhan. Sabha Constituencies | |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5,131 km2 (1,981 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 814,010 |
| • Rank | 3rd |
| • Density | 160/km2 (410/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Hindi |
| Demographics | |
| • Sex ratio | 916 |
| • Literacy | 84.55 |
| • Literacy: male | 90.73 |
| • Literacy: female | 77.80 |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Area code | 91 177 xxxxxxx |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-HP |
| Largest city | Shimla |
| Climate | ETh (Köppen) |
| Precipitation | 1,520 millimetres (60 in) |
| Avg. annual temperature | 17 °C (63 °F) |
| Avg. summer temperature | 22 °C (72 °F) |
| Avg. winter temperature | 4 °C (39 °F) |
| Website | hpshimla |
As of 2011, it is the third most populated district of Himachal Pradesh (out of 12), after Kangra and Mandi.[1] It is the most urbanized district of Himachal Pradesh.
Administrative structure
edit| Sl. No. | Particulars | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geographical Area | 5,131 km2 |
| 2 | Area (out of total area) of H.P. | 9.22% |
| 3 | Sub-Divisions[2] | Total = 11
|
| 4 | Tehsils[3] | Total = 17 |
| 5 | Sub-Tehsils[4] | Total = 9 |
| 6 | Towns | (10) Shimla, Rampur, Kumarsain, Narkanda, Theog, Seoni, Chaupal, Kotkhai, Jubbal, Rohru |
| 7 | C.D. Blocks[5] | (12) Mashobra, Theog, Chaupal, Rampur, Narkanda, Jubbal Kotkhai, Rohru, Chohara, Basantpur, Nankhari, Totu, Kupvi |
| 8 | Legislative Assembly | (8) |
| 9 | Villages | 2,914 |
| 10 | Inhabited | 2,520 |
| 11 | Uninhabited | 394 |
| 12 | Density | 159 person per km2 |
| 13 | Panchayts | 363 |
Access
edit
By road
editShimla is connected by road to all the major towns. Distance between the major towns and Shimla:
- Kalka - 80 km
- Patiala - 172 km
- Chandigarh - 119 km
- Ambala - 166 km
- Delhi - 380 km
- Agra - 568 km
- Amritsar - 342 km
- Jammu (via Pathankot) - 482 km
- Srinagar - 787 km
- Jaipur - 629 km
- Dharmsala (via Mandi) - 290 km
- Dharamsala (via Hamirpur) - 235 km
- Dalhousie - 345 km
- Chamba - 401 km
- Kullu - 235 km
- Manali - 280 km
- Mandi - 153 km
- Palampur - 270 km
- Dehradoon - 275 km
- Rampur - 132 km
- Kumarsain - 80 km
- Narkanda - 60 km
- Rohru - 129 km
- Theog - 28 km
- Chaupal - 100 km
Climate
edit| Climate data for Shimla (1951–1980) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 21.4 (70.5) |
22.6 (72.7) |
25.8 (78.4) |
29.6 (85.3) |
32.4 (90.3) |
31.5 (88.7) |
28.9 (84.0) |
27.8 (82.0) |
28.6 (83.5) |
25.6 (78.1) |
23.5 (74.3) |
20.5 (68.9) |
32.4 (90.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8.9 (48.0) |
10.6 (51.1) |
14.8 (58.6) |
19.4 (66.9) |
22.9 (73.2) |
24.1 (75.4) |
21.0 (69.8) |
20.2 (68.4) |
20.1 (68.2) |
23.7 (74.7) |
15.1 (59.2) |
12.0 (53.6) |
17.3 (63.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.7 (35.1) |
3.0 (37.4) |
6.8 (44.2) |
11.1 (52.0) |
14.2 (57.6) |
15.6 (60.1) |
15.0 (59.0) |
14.8 (58.6) |
13.4 (56.1) |
10.7 (51.3) |
7.0 (44.6) |
4.3 (39.7) |
9.8 (49.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −10.6 (12.9) |
−8.5 (16.7) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
1.4 (34.5) |
7.8 (46.0) |
9.4 (48.9) |
10.6 (51.1) |
5.0 (41.0) |
0.2 (32.4) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−12.2 (10.0) |
−12.2 (10.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 54.6 (2.15) |
47.2 (1.86) |
59.4 (2.34) |
41.1 (1.62) |
56.4 (2.22) |
175.6 (6.91) |
376.5 (14.82) |
335.1 (13.19) |
190.2 (7.49) |
46.2 (1.82) |
13.8 (0.54) |
16.0 (0.63) |
1,424.8 (56.09) |
| Average rainy days | 4.7 | 4.1 | 5.2 | 3.6 | 4.6 | 10.3 | 18.3 | 18.1 | 9.9 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 84.8 |
| Source: India Meteorological Department (record high and low up to 2010)[6][7] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 230,144 | — |
| 1911 | 223,701 | −0.28% |
| 1921 | 228,138 | +0.20% |
| 1931 | 238,280 | +0.44% |
| 1941 | 259,656 | +0.86% |
| 1951 | 286,111 | +0.97% |
| 1961 | 341,461 | +1.78% |
| 1971 | 419,844 | +2.09% |
| 1981 | 510,932 | +1.98% |
| 1991 | 617,404 | +1.91% |
| 2001 | 722,502 | +1.58% |
| 2011 | 814,010 | +1.20% |
| source:[8] | ||
According to the 2011 census, the district had a population of 814,010. This gives it a ranking of 483rd in India (out of a total of 640).[1] The district has a population density of 159 inhabitants per square kilometre (410/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 12.67%. Shimla has a sex ratio of 915 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 83.64%. 24.74% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 26.51% and 1.08% of the population respectively.[1]
Religion
edit| Religion | 2011[9] | |
|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | |
Hinduism 
|
791,449 | 97.23% |
Islam 
|
11,810 | 1.45% |
Sikhism 
|
4,047 | 0.5% |
Buddhism .svg){kind=small}
|
3,262 | 0.4% |
Christianity 
|
2,025 | 0.25% |
Jainism 
|
185 | 0.02% |
| Others | 1,232 | 0.15% |
| Total population | 814,010 | 100% |
| Religious group |
1901[10] | 1911[11][12] | 1921[13] | 1931[14] | 1941[15] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| Hinduism [a]
|
30,299 | 75.09% | 29,047 | 73.87% | 33,228 | 73.31% | 28,661 | 77.91% | 29,466 | 76.38% |
| Islam
|
6,675 | 16.54% | 5,820 | 14.8% | 6,953 | 15.34% | 5,810 | 15.79% | 7,022 | 18.2% |
| Christianity
|
2,798 | 6.93% | 3,666 | 9.32% | 3,823 | 8.43% | 1,540 | 4.19% | 934 | 2.42% |
| Sikhism
|
544 | 1.35% | 693 | 1.76% | 1,173 | 2.59% | 760 | 2.07% | 1,032 | 2.68% |
| Jainism
|
32 | 0.08% | 49 | 0.12% | 90 | 0.2% | 1 | 0% | 114 | 0.3% |
Zoroastrianism 
|
3 | 0.01% | 16 | 0.04% | 36 | 0.08% | 0 | 0% | 3 | 0.01% |
| Buddhism
|
0 | 0% | 26 | 0.07% | 20 | 0.04% | 14 | 0.04% | 5 | 0.01% |
Judaism 
|
0 | 0% | 3 | 0.01% | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Others | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 3 | 0.01% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Total population | 40,351 | 100% | 39,320 | 100% | 45,327 | 100% | 36,786 | 100% | 38,576 | 100% |
| Note: British Punjab province era district borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to district borders — which since created new districts — throughout the historic Punjab Province region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases. | ||||||||||
| Tehsil | Hinduism
|
Islam
|
Sikhism
|
Christianity
|
Jainism
|
Others[b] | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| Shimla Tehsil | 23,237 | 66.39% | 6,727 | 19.22% | 1,171 | 3.35% | 3,726 | 10.64% | 85 | 0.24% | 57 | 0.16% | 35,003 | 100% |
| Kot Khai Tehsil | 9,991 | 96.77% | 226 | 2.19% | 2 | 0.02% | 100 | 0.97% | 5 | 0.05% | 0 | 0% | 10,324 | 100% |
| Note: British Punjab province era tehsil borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to tehsil borders — which since created new tehsils — throughout the historic Punjab Province region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases. | ||||||||||||||
| Tehsil | Hinduism [a]
|
Islam
|
Sikhism
|
Christianity
|
Jainism
|
Others[c] | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| Shimla Tehsil | 17,950 | 67.01% | 6,825 | 25.48% | 1,024 | 3.82% | 439 | 1.64% | 114 | 0.43% | 434 | 1.62% | 26,786 | 100% |
| Kot Khai Tehsil | 11,516 | 97.68% | 197 | 1.67% | 8 | 0.07% | 69 | 0.59% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 11,790 | 100% |
| Note1: British Punjab province era tehsil borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to tehsil borders — which since created new tehsils — throughout the historic Punjab Province region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases. Note2: Tehsil religious breakdown figures for Christianity only includes local Christians, labeled as "Indian Christians" on census. Does not include Anglo-Indian Christians or British Christians, who were classified under "Other" category. | ||||||||||||||
| Religious group |
1901[10] | 1911[11][12] | 1921[13] | 1931[14] | 1941[15] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| Hinduism [a]
|
373,886 | 96.03% | 386,953 | 95.7% | 292,768 | 95.45% | 317,390 | 95.93% | 345,716 | 96.16% |
| Islam
|
11,535 | 2.96% | 11,374 | 2.81% | 9,551 | 3.11% | 10,017 | 3.03% | 10,812 | 3.01% |
| Buddhism
|
2,223 | 0.57% | 2,709 | 0.67% | 2,052 | 0.67% | 1,308 | 0.4% | 10 | 0% |
| Sikhism
|
1,318 | 0.34% | 2,911 | 0.72% | 2,040 | 0.67% | 1,817 | 0.55% | 2,693 | 0.75% |
| Jainism
|
274 | 0.07% | 172 | 0.04% | 142 | 0.05% | 141 | 0.04% | 126 | 0.04% |
| Christianity
|
113 | 0.03% | 224 | 0.06% | 164 | 0.05% | 176 | 0.05% | 161 | 0.04% |
| Zoroastrianism
|
0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 1 | 0% | 2 | 0% |
| Judaism
|
0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Others | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Total population | 389,349 | 100% | 404,343 | 100% | 306,718 | 100% | 330,850 | 100% | 359,520 | 100% |
| Note1: British Punjab province era district borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to district borders — which since created new districts — throughout the historic Punjab Province region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases. Note2: 1901-1911 census: Including Jubbal, Bashahr, Keonthal, Baghal, Bilaspur, Nalagarh, and other minor hill states. Note3: 1921-1931 census: Including Bashahr, Nalagarh, Keonthal, Baghal, Jubbal, and other minor hill states. Note3: 1941 census: Including Bashahr, Nalagarh, Keonthal, Baghal, Jubbal, Baghat, Kumarsain, Bhajji, Mahlog, Balsan, Dhami, Kuthar, Kunihar, Mangal, Bija, Darkoti, Tharoch, and Sangri states. | ||||||||||
Language
editAt the time of the 2011 census of India, 67.61% of the population recorded their language as Pahadi, 20.31% Hindi, 4.63% Nepali, 1.39% Punjabi and 1.05% Kangri as their first language.[16]
Notable people
edit- Priety Zinta, a bollywood actress
Notes
edit- ^ a b c 1931-1941: Including Ad-Dharmis
- ^ Including Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Tribals, others, or not stated
- ^ Including Anglo-Indian Christians, British Christians, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Tribals, others, or not stated
References
edit- ^ a b c "District Census Handbook: Shimla" (PDF). censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.
- ^ "Subdivisions & Blocks | Shimla District, Government of Himachal Pradesh | India". Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- ^ "Tehsils | Shimla District, Government of Himachal Pradesh | India". Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- ^ "Tehsils | Shimla District, Government of Himachal Pradesh | India". Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- ^ "Subdivisions & Blocks | Shimla District, Government of Himachal Pradesh | India". Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- ^ "Shimla Climatological Table Period: 1951–1980". India Meteorological Department. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
- ^ "Ever recorded Maximum and minimum temperatures up to 2010" (PDF). India Meteorological Department. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 March 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
- ^ Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901
- ^ a b "Table C-01 Population by Religion: Himachal Pradesh". censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.
- ^ a b "Census of India 1901. [Vol. 17A]. Imperial tables, I-VIII, X-XV, XVII and XVIII for the Punjab, with the native states under the political control of the Punjab Government, and for the North-west Frontier Province". 1901. p. 34. JSTOR saoa.crl.25363739. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Census of India 1911. Vol. 14, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables". 1911. p. 27. JSTOR saoa.crl.25393788. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ a b Kaul, Harikishan (1911). "Census Of India 1911 Punjab Vol XIV Part II". p. 27. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ a b c "Census of India 1921. Vol. 15, Punjab and Delhi. Pt. 2, Tables". 1921. p. 29. JSTOR saoa.crl.25430165. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Census of India 1931. Vol. 17, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables". 1931. p. 277. JSTOR saoa.crl.25793242. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ a b c "Census of India, 1941. Vol. 6, Punjab". 1941. p. 42. JSTOR saoa.crl.28215541. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Himachal Pradesh". www.censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
External links
edit
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