Solan
Solan is a city and a municipal committee in Solan district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Named after the goddess Shoolini, 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 whiskey and Golden Eagle beer.
The town is situated midway between Chandigarh (joint capital of Punjab and Harayana) and Shimla (British summer capital of India).
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. Solan is also known as the industrial hub of Himachal Pradesh. One the tehsil of Solan known by the name of Nalagarh is also known as the Pharma Hub as after the introduction of Special Subsidies by the Prime Minister of India in the year 1999 almost all major Companies came and established their units out over her.
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 48 kilometers from Shimla (1 hours journey by bus). There are a total of 44 railway tunnels up to Solan.
The Kalka-Shimla Railway has come under UNESCO heritage in 2008.
Tourism
Hill Ranges of 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, 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 Air Force base.
There is also a three hundred year old Gurkha fort at Nauni, which dates back to the time when the region was ruled by the Gurkhas of Nepal. The fort is in ruins, but it is strategically located atop a mountain point providing a panoramic 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.