Sirmaur District is one of the 12 administrative districts of Himachal Pradesh. Nahan town is the administrative headquarters of the district. Sirmaur District is located in outer Himalayas which are commonly known as Shivalik range. This district is bounded by district Shimla in the north, by Uttar Pradesh in the east, by Haryana in the south and by Solan District in the north-west.
History of Sirmaur District
About the origin of the name `Sirmaur` there are quite a few surmises. One view being that the state derived its name as Sirmaur because of the senior position it held amongst the princely hill states. Another version is that at the earliest times the capital of the state was at Sirmaur and the state was so called after the name of the capital. But, how the word Sirmaur originated is not clearly known. Third version being that the state was founded by Raja Rasaloo of Jaisalmer whose one of the ancestor`s name was Sirmaur and who belonged to Rasaloo family. Beyond this, nothing definite is traceable. Further, there are several legends associated with this region.
Geography of Sirmaur District
Giri River is the biggest river in Sirmaur District, which originates from Kotkhai Tehsil of Shimla District and flows down in the south-east direction. It ultimately joins Yamuna River near Paonta Sahib. Lot of tributaries join this river in its long course, most important of them being Jalal River which originates from Dharthi range near Pachhad and joins Giri River at Dadahu from the right side. Giri River is very useful as it is a big source of livelihood for majority of the people in this district. Another important river, which forms the eastern border of Sirmaur District, is Tons River.
Tourism in Sirmaur District
Sirmaur District offers various sightseeing options to the travellers. People from different parts of the country come and explore this beautiful district of the state. Churdhar Peak, Haripur Dhar, Jaitak Fort, Nahan, Poanta Sahib, Rajgarh, Sarahan, Sirmaur, Shivalik Fossils Park and Trilokpur are some of the main tourist spots of Sirmaur District. All these sites are worth visiting. Tourism in Sirmaur District gives a memorable and enriching experience to the travellers.
Byas Fair, Vishu Festival, Gandhi Fair, Haryali Festival, Salona Festival, Lohri or Maghi Festival and more are some of the main festivals of Sirmaur District.
