Palampur

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Palampur is a fascinating green hill station and a municipal council in the Kangra Valley in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, surrounded on all sides by tea gardens and pine forests before they merge with the Dhauladhar ranges. Palampur is the tea capital of northwest India but tea is just one aspect that makes Palampur a special interest place. Abundance of water and proximity to the mountains has endowed it with mild climate.

The town has derived its name from the local word "pulum', meaning lots of water. There are numerous streams flowing from the mountains to the plains from Palampur. The combination of greenery and water gives Palampur a distinctive look. Palampur is at the confluence of the plains and the hills and so the scenery shows the contrast the plains on one side and the majestic snow covered hills on the other side. Behind this town stands high ranges of Dhauladhar mountains, whose tops remain snow covered for most part of the year.

History

Palampur was a part of the local Sikh Kingdom before it came under the British raj. The Kangra valley was the Trigarta of old, where the Palampur town is situated. It was one of the leading hill states and was once a part of the Jalandhar kingdom. The Palampur gets its name from 'Pulum' which means the abundant water. Countless streams and brooks criss-cross the landscape and in their intricate mesh, hold tea gardens and rice paddies. The town of Palampur...
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