solan

?Solan Himachal Pradesh • India
Solan
Coordinates: 30°′N 77°′E / 30.92, 77.12
Time zone	IST ([[UTC+5:30]])
Area • Elevation	•  m ( ft)
District(s)	Solan
Population	(2001)

Coordinates: 30°′N 77°′E / 30.92, 77.12 Solan is a city and a municipal committee in Solan district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is known as the "mushroom city of India" because of the mushroom centre situated at Chambaghat. The district is better known for the Mohan Meakin's brewery (reputed to be India's oldest brewery) and the famous Solan No. 1 whisky and Golden Eagle beer.

Geography

Foothills of the Solan area looking north

Solan is located at 30.92° N 77.12° E^[1]. It has an average elevation of 1467 metres (4812 feet). The highest point is atop Mt. Karol from where the transmission tower at Kasauli is visible. Solan gets light snowfall in the winters.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census^[2], Solan had a population of 34,199. Males constitute 56% of the population and females 44%. Solan has an average literacy rate of 82%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 84%, and female literacy is 80%. In Solan, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Transport

Solan is easily accessible by road as well as train. It is 68 kilometers from Chandigarh (2 hours journey by bus), and one can hire a taxi from there or take the train. However, be warned that you have to change to another train at Kalka (44 km away) as the narrow gauge tracks starts from there. The train is quite slow but you can get to see some beautiful scenery along the way. There are a total of 44 railway tunnels up to Solan. Kalka Simla railway has come under UNESCO heritage this year i.e 2007

Tourism

Hill Rangesof the Solan area looking south

Besides the Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry at Nauni, other places of interest in Solan include the Shoolini Mata temple (Solan is named after the goddess Shoolini), the Jatoli Shiv temple and the Yungdrung Tibetan Monastery, also near Nauni.

The picturesque town of Kasauli is a popular hill-station holiday destination with popular temple devoted to the Hindu god Shiva. It is also home to an Army and Airforce base.

There is also a three hundred year old Ghurka fort at Nauni, which dates back to the time when the region was ruled by the Ghurka rulers Nepal. The fort is in ruins, but it is strategically located atop a mountain point providing a panaromic view of the entire area.

Irish Soldiers' Mutiny, 1920

In 1920 Solan was the scene of a large-scale mutiny by Irish soldiers in the British Army, in solidarity with the uprising in their homeland. Two mutineers were killed in the course of the confrontation, and their leader later shot by firing squad while dozens got long prison terms. (See The Connaught Rangers#Mutiny in India, 1920).

Trivia

Solan was also the name of Xena's son on Xena Warrior Princess who was killed by Gabrielle's daughter Hope.

References

1. ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Solan
2. ^ ^India

External links

• Solan travel guide from Wikitravel

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