Sirmour is the most south-eastern district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is largely mountainous and rural, with 90% of its population living in villages. It includes the towns of Nahan (its capital), as well as the Shivalik Fossil Park at Suketi, where fossils of over 85 million years old have been found.

There are six tehsils in this district, namely Nahan, Renuka, Shilai, Rajgarh, Pachhad and Paonta Sahib.

Agriculture is the backbone of economy here. Farmers of Sirmour produce potato and ginger. Sirmour is also known for its good quality of peach that comes from the Rajgarh region which is also called the Peach Bowl. Sirmour is known for growing tons of fruits every year. Dhaula Kuan near Paonta Sahib is known for its Govt operated fruit research centre. Sirmour district is significantly capable of growing both Apple and Mangos on its land. Tomato is also becoming choice for farmers these days. Village Lana-cheta is known for its fertile land and farmers here grow grains as first option. The Giri River divides the district into two almost-equal parts: Giripar and Giriwar.

The most commonly practised religion in the district is Hinduism. People worship deities (devtas) just like people in many other districts of the state. Hindi and Pahari are the languages spoken here. Nati is the popular folk dance.

History[link]

Sirmour was an independent kingdom in India, founded in 1616 by Raja Rasaloo of Jaisalmer, one of whose ancestors was named Sirmour. It became a part of Greater Nepal, before becoming a princely state in British India, located in the region that is now the Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh. The state was also known as Nahan, after its main city, Nahan. Sirmur was ruled by the chiefs of Rajput lineage, who used the title "Raja".

Economy[link]

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Sirmaur one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640).^[1] It is one of the two districts in Himachal Pradesh currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).^[1] Kamrao is small village also known as "place of limestone millionaires".Sataun is the largest limestone market of SE Asia.

Administrative setup[link]

District Sirmaur is one of the twelve districts in Himachal Pradesh, India^[2]. A member of the elite Indian Administrative Services is usually chosen as the District Magistrate in charge of the administrative machinery of the district. The present District magistrate is Ms. Meera Mohanty, IAS^[3]. The District magistrate is aided in his/her duties by a Superintendent of Police who is responsible for maintaining law and order in the district. The district is sub-divided into three sub divisions, each headed by a sub-divisional magistrate and six tehsils headed by tehsildars.^[4]

International Renuka Fair[link]

Each year a six day cultural fair takes place at Renuka ji on the banks of the Renuka lake. The fair is a big attraction among locals and tourists attracting thousands of people from across Northern India.^[5] In 2011, the fair was granted international status, making it the fifth fair in the state of Himachal Pradesh to be granted this honor. The fair is usually held in the first week of November every year.^[6]

Demographics[link]

According to the 2011 census Sirmaur district has a population of 530,164,^[7] roughly equal to the nation of Cape Verde.^[8] This gives it a ranking of 542nd in India (out of a total of 640).^[7] The district has a population density of 188 inhabitants per square kilometre (490 /sq mi) .^[7] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 15.61 %.^[7] Sirmaur has a sex ratio of 915 females for every 1000 males,^[7] and a literacy rate of 79.98 %.^[7]

See also[link]

• The Sirmoor Rifles

References[link]

External links[link]

• DISTRICT PROFILE
• CULTURAL & TOURISM HERITAGE OF THE DISTRICT
• Sirmour at a glance
• History of Sirmour
• Information about Sirmour District and its various places

	Solan district	Shimla district
	Panchkula district, Haryana		Dehradun district, Uttarakhand
		Sirmaur district    East
	Ambala district, Haryana	Yamunanagar district, Haryana	Saharanpur district, Uttar Pradesh

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