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History of Parwanoo

According to historians, the city draws its name from an old village named Ooncha Parwanoo that lies adjacent to the state of Haryana. The ancient history of Parwanoo dates back to the era of the Indus Valley Civilization, the primary human settlement in India. Historical evidences prove that pre historic people lived in this region. Located at the foothills of the Himalayan ranges, the region of Parwanoo was also affected by the flourishing civilization. Several tribes who inhabited this region migrated from Indian plains and Central Asia.

As per evidences considered by the historians, it is apparent that the region was under the influence of the powerful Aryans who drove away the local tribes and settled in this region. However, the Van Gujjars or the Forest Gujjars are still found in the Shivalik hill areas. They are semi-nomadic pastoral tribes who have their own clans. These tribes follow Islam and practice transhumance. The history of Parwanoo reflects the accumulation of different cultures that thrived and developed here.

Van Gujjars

Parwanoo under British Rule

Before independence, the entire hilly region was subjected to several Gorkha invasions from 1803 till1805. In1815, the Gorkhas were finally defeated by the powerful British troops in the Anglo Gorkha war. This marked the prominence of the British in the hilly regions. Since then, they became the prominent rulers of Parwanoo. Even though the British carried out several development activities in different hilly areas, Parwanoo remained unseen for several years. It was an undeveloped forest area of Himachal Pradesh.

Parwanoo after Independence

With very less activities, the city of Parwanoo remained to be an unidentified place until 1973. Till November 1966, the hilly region was a part of Punjab province. With re-organization of Himachal Pradesh in 1972-73, it was included in the State along with other hilly regions of Punjab. Parwanoo became a part of the Solan district in Himachal Pradesh. Later it became a municipal council of Solan too. However, the city developed after Himachal Pradesh was acknowledged as a full fledged state of India in 1971.

Development as an Industrial City

Shri Y. S. ParmarThe credit of transforming Parwanoo from a small sleepy village to a vivacious industrial hub goes to Shri Y. S. Parmar. He was the first Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh who had recognized the essence of industrialization for economic progress of the local people in Parwanoo.

The great visionary leader took keen interest in developing the required infrastructure for fast trade and commerce. In order to facilitate rapid industrialization, various incentives were provided to entrepreneurs for establishing their units in Parwanoo. This initiated the settlement of small scale and large scale industries in the hill station.

The flourishing industries were exempted from tax. Apart from the industrial sector, tourism also flourished in Parwanoo. In order to provide food and lodging facilities, a large number of hotels and resorts were established in different exotic locations of Parwanoo. Today, Parwanoo is not only a famous hill station but also a prominent industrial city and a reputed horticultural center of Himachal Pradesh.

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