Panchkula district

Overview

Panchkula is a district in the north-eastern part of the state of Haryana, India. The district takes its name from its headquarters town, Panchkula, which forms part of the tri-city region along with Chandigarh and Mohali. Carved out as a separate administrative unit in 1995, Panchkula is among the smaller districts of Haryana by area but is one of the more urbanised, owing to its proximity to the union territory of Chandigarh, which serves as the joint capital of Haryana and Punjab.

Key facts

Geography

The district lies at the foothills of the Shivalik range, with terrain that transitions from plains in the south and west to hilly tracts in the north and east. The Ghaggar river passes through the district, separating Panchkula town from Chandigarh. The Morni hills, located in the north of the district, form the only significant hill area in Haryana and rise to elevations of over 1,500 metres at their highest points. The district shares borders with Himachal Pradesh to the north and east, with the union territory of Chandigarh and Mohali district of Punjab to the west, and with Ambala and Yamunanagar districts of Haryana to the south.

Administrative setup

Panchkula district is divided into sub-divisions and tehsils for revenue administration. Its principal sub-divisions include Panchkula and Kalka. The major towns of the district are Panchkula, Kalka, Pinjore and the cantonment-like settlement at Chandimandir, which hosts the headquarters of the Western Command of the Indian Army. The district falls within the Ambala revenue division.

Assembly and parliamentary representation

The district contributes the Panchkula and Kalka assembly constituencies to the Haryana Legislative Assembly. For the Lok Sabha, it forms part of the Ambala parliamentary constituency, which is reserved for Scheduled Castes.

History

The area now constituting Panchkula district has historically been part of the Sirhind region and later of Ambala district under British administration. After the reorganisation of states in 1966, when Haryana was carved out of the erstwhile Punjab state, the territory came under Haryana. Panchkula was created as a planned satellite township from the 1970s onwards by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) to absorb urban growth around Chandigarh. On 15 August 1995, the Government of Haryana constituted Panchkula as a separate district by separating it from Ambala district.

Economy and urban development

The economy of the district combines urban services, government employment, light industry and agriculture. Panchkula town is home to several offices of the Haryana state government, public sector undertakings and information technology firms. The Industrial Model Township at Barwala and industrial areas in Panchkula host engineering, food-processing and other units. The horticulture sector is significant in the Pinjore–Kalka belt and the Morni hills, which produce fruits and floriculture products.

Places of interest

• Yadavindra Gardens, Pinjore – a Mughal-era terraced garden laid out in the 17th century, attributed to the patronage of Fidai Khan during the reign of Aurangzeb.
• Mata Mansa Devi Mandir – a Shakta pilgrimage site in Bilaspur–Mansa Devi complex, administered by the Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board of the Haryana government.
• Morni Hills – a hill station and the only such location in Haryana, with the small Tikkar Tal lakes nearby.
• Kalka – the railhead from which the heritage Kalka–Shimla Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, begins its journey to Shimla.
• Cactus Garden, Panchkula – a notable botanical garden specialising in succulents and cacti.
• Chandimandir Cantonment – the headquarters of the Western Command of the Indian Army.

Transport

The district is well connected by road and rail. National Highway 5 (formerly NH-22), which links Zirakpur with Shimla, passes through Panchkula, Pinjore and Kalka. The Kalka railway station, on the Delhi–Kalka line of Northern Railway, is a major terminal and the starting point of the narrow-gauge Kalka–Shimla Railway. The Chandigarh International Airport, located across the boundary in Mohali, serves the district.

Demographics

According to the 2011 Census of India, Panchkula was among the more urbanised districts of Haryana, with a substantial proportion of its population residing in the towns of Panchkula, Kalka and Pinjore. Hindi is the official language; Punjabi is also widely spoken, reflecting the district's location in the Chandigarh tri-city region.

Related topics

• Panchkula
• Haryana
• Chandigarh
• Morni Hills
• Pinjore
• Kalka
• Mata Mansa Devi Mandir, Panchkula
• Kalka–Shimla Railway
• Districts of Haryana

References

• Government of Haryana, Department of Revenue and Disaster Management – district profiles.
• Census of India, 2011 – District Census Handbook, Panchkula.
• Haryana Tourism Corporation – heritage and tourism listings for Pinjore, Morni and Mansa Devi.
• Wikidata entry: Q1898143.