Shimla district
District of Himachal Pradesh
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
Map
Shimla district
Location in Himachal Pradesh
Country India
State Himachal Pradesh
HeadquartersShimla
Government
 • Deputy CommissionerAditya Negi, IAS
 • Superintendent of PoliceSanjay Gandhi, IPS
 • Lok Sabha ConstituenciesShimla
 • Vidhan. Sabha Constituencies
 
Area
 • Total5,131 km2 (1,981 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total814,010
 • Rank3rd
 • Density160/km2 (410/sq mi)
Languages
 • OfficialHindi
Demographics
 • Sex ratio916
 • Literacy84.55
 • Literacy: male90.73
 • Literacy: female77.80
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
Area code91 177 xxxxxxx
ISO 3166 codeIN-HP
Largest cityShimla
ClimateETh (Köppen)
Precipitation1,520 millimetres (60 in)
Avg. annual temperature17 °C (63 °F)
Avg. summer temperature22 °C (72 °F)
Avg. winter temperature4 °C (39 °F)
Websitehpshimla.nic.in/welcome.asp

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).

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

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 = 09
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

Kalka-Shimla train
Jubbarhatti Airport

By road

Shimla is connected by road to all the major towns. Distance between the major towns and Shimla:

Climate

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

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901230,144—    
1911223,701−0.28%
1921228,138+0.20%
1931238,280+0.44%
1941259,656+0.86%
1951286,111+0.97%
1961341,461+1.78%
1971419,844+2.09%
1981510,932+1.98%
1991617,404+1.91%
2001722,502+1.58%
2011814,010+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

Religions in Shimla district (2011)[9]
Religion Percent
Hinduism
 
 97.23%
Islam
 
 1.45%
Sikhism
 
 0.50%
Buddhism
 
 0.40%
Other or not stated
 
 0.42%
Religion in Shimla District
Religion 2011[9]
Pop. %
Hinduism 791,449 97.23%
Islam 11,810 1.45%
Sikhism 4,047 0.5%
Buddhism 3,262 0.4%
Christianity 2,025 0.25%
Jainism 185 0.02%
Others 1,232 0.15%
Total population 814,010 100%
Religious groups in Shimla District (British Punjab province era)
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.

Language

Languages of Shimla district (2011)[16]

  Pahadi (67.61%)
  Hindi (20.31%)
  Nepali (4.63%)
  Punjabi (1.39%)
  Kangri (1.05%)
  Others (5.01%)

At 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

Notes

  1. ^ 1931-1941: Including Ad-Dharmis

References

  1. ^ a b c "District Census Handbook: Shimla" (PDF). censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.
  2. ^ "Subdivisions & Blocks | Shimla District, Government of Himachal Pradesh | India". Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Tehsils | Shimla District, Government of Himachal Pradesh | India". Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  4. ^ "Tehsils | Shimla District, Government of Himachal Pradesh | India". Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Subdivisions & Blocks | Shimla District, Government of Himachal Pradesh | India". Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  6. ^ "Shimla Climatological Table Period: 1951–1980". India Meteorological Department. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901
  9. ^ a b "Table C-01 Population by Religion: Himachal Pradesh". censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ "Census of India 1911. Vol. 14, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables". 1911. p. 27. JSTOR saoa.crl.25393788. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  12. ^ Kaul, Harikishan (1911). "Census Of India 1911 Punjab Vol XIV Part II". p. 27. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Census of India 1921. Vol. 15, Punjab and Delhi. Pt. 2, Tables". 1921. p. 29. JSTOR saoa.crl.25430165. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  14. ^ "Census of India 1931. Vol. 17, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables". 1931. p. 277. JSTOR saoa.crl.25793242. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  15. ^ "Census of India, 1941. Vol. 6, Punjab". 1941. p. 42. JSTOR saoa.crl.28215541. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Himachal Pradesh". www.censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.

External links

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