Arki is a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
, tehsil and
Nagar panchayat
A nagar panchayat (town panchayat; ) or Notified Area Council (NAC) in India is a settlement in transition from rural to urban and therefore a form of an urban political unit comparable to a municipality. An urban centre with more than 12,000 ...
in
Solan district
Solan district is one of the twelve districts of the Himachal Pradesh state in northern India. The city of Solan is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district occupies an area of 1936 km2.
History
The territory of the p ...
of
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. The town is known for its fort built in the late 18th century when Arki was the capital of the erstwhile princely
hill state of
Baghal.
History
Arki was the capital of the princely
Hill state of
Baghal, which was founded by Rana
Ajai Dev, a Panwar
Rajput
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
from
Dhar state
Dhar is a city located in Dhar district of the Malwa region in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of the Dhar district. Before Indian independence from Great Britain, it was the capital of the Dhar ...
in
Central India
Central India is a loosely defined geographical region of India. There is no clear official definition and various ones may be used. One common definition consists of the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, which are included in alm ...
. The state was founded 11th century and Arki was declared its capital by Rana
Sabha Chand in 1643. Its main attraction,
Arki Fort is a now a heritage hotel managed by the ruling family and a lovely place to visit.
The fort was captured by the
Gurkha
The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India.
The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Gorkhas and are recruit ...
s in 1806. Rana Jagat Singh, the ruler of
Baghal, had to take refuge in
Nalagarh
Nalagarh is a city and a municipal committee, near the city of Solan in Solan district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.
Geography
Nalagarh is a gateway to Himachal Pradesh in North India, from Shimla, from Delhi and from Chandigar ...
. From 1806 to 1815, the Gurkha General
Amar Singh Thapa
Amar Singh Thapa Chhetri distinguished as Badakaji Amar Singh Thapa( ne, बडाकाजी अमर सिंह थापा क्षेत्री), or Amar Singh Thapa The Elder, (also spelled Ambar Simha) also known by the honorific nam ...
holds Arki as his headquarters to make further advances into
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...
as far as
Kangra.
The
Gurkha
The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India.
The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Gorkhas and are recruit ...
s were, however, driven out by Rana Jagat Singh assisted by Sir
David Ochterlony
Major-General Sir David Ochterlony, 1st Baronet GCB (12 February 1758 – 14 July 1825) was a Massachusetts born military officer of the East India Company in British India. He held the powerful post of British Resident to the Mughal court at D ...
and the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
forces during the
Gurkha War
The Anglo-Nepalese War (1 November 1814 – 4 March 1816), also known as the Gorkha War, was fought between the Gorkhali army of the Kingdom of Nepal (present-day Nepal) and the British forces of the East India Company (EIC, present-day Indi ...
in 1815–1816. Thereafter Rana Jagat Singh regained control of Arki.
Rana
Kishan Singh
Lieutenant Colonel Kishen Singh was a former national polo player from India. He was a member of the Indian polo team that won the World Cup in 1954 at Deauville France. He was awarded Arjuna Award in 1963. He is from Jodhpur in Rajasthan
...
, who ruled the state from 1840 to 1867, developed the town of Arki in a planned manner. The Rana was a far-sighted ruler and built horse and mule tracks to connect Arki with
Shimla
Shimla (; ; also known as Simla, List of renamed Indian cities and states#Himachal Pradesh, the official name until 1972) is the capital and the largest city of the States and union territories of India, northern Indian state of Himachal Prade ...
and
Bilaspur. Many artisans, scholars and businessman from other parts of India settled in Arki during his reign as he provided them with tax free land free of cost.
The Rana was a patron of arts and had muralled interiors installed in the
Arki Fort in 1850. These murals are prime attraction among tourists even today.
The Last ruler of
Baghal was Shri Raja
Rajander Singh (1928–2010) who overhauled the administration and introduced radical constitutional reforms. After Indian independence he was an M.L.A., 1st Commandant General of Home Guards, Director of Civil Defence.
During the
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...
, Rana
Kishan Singh
Lieutenant Colonel Kishen Singh was a former national polo player from India. He was a member of the Indian polo team that won the World Cup in 1954 at Deauville France. He was awarded Arjuna Award in 1963. He is from Jodhpur in Rajasthan
...
assisted the British forces and for which he was presented the title of ''Raja''. Another revolt was suppressed in 1905 with the help of the superintendent of
Shimla Hill States. This was as payback for the support he had received earlier to drive Gurkha out.
Geography
Arki is located at . It has an average elevation of 1045 metres (3428 feet).
Arki is located in the
Siwalik
The Sivalik Hills, also known as the Shivalik Hills and Churia Hills, are a mountain range of the outer Himalayas that stretches over about from the Indus River eastwards close to the Brahmaputra River, spanning the northern parts of the Indian ...
range of
Himalaya
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
mountains. Due to its high altitude, Arki enjoys a pleasant weather in the summers with the temperatures hovering between 26 °C and 32 °C. The winters are chilly and the temperature ranges between 4 °C and 8 °C. The rainfall is moderate and occurs mainly during July and August.
Arki is known for its caves and cave temples among which Lutru Mahadev and Mutru Mahadev are very famous.
Sair Fair
The Sair Fair is an annual two-day event held at Arki on sakranti of Ashwin (16/17 September). The fair was famous for
buffalo fights . Local people used to train their buffaloes for the event but since 2015 the event is not taking place. The fair is attended by millions of people every year. Night programs in this fair are always different and people of Arki enjoy the day a lot.
Demographics
India
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
,
Arki had a population of 3040. Males constitute 50.52% of the population and females 49.48%. Arki has an average literacy rate of 94%, higher than the national average of 74.04% (census 2011). 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Places of interest
* Lutru Mahadev Temple
![Lutru Mahadev temple ,Arki,Himachal Prades,India 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Lutru_Mahadev_temple_%2CArki%2CHimachal_Prades%2CIndia_01.jpg)
was built in 1621 by king of
Baghal. Shiva appeared in his dream and ordered him to make his temple. There is a Shivalinga here. It is 4 km from Arki. Shivratri is also very popular in Lutru Mahadev Temple.
*
Jakholi Devi Temple (Badhra Kali Temple) was made around 1650. This temple is 7 km from Arki. It is built by king of Baghal for Bhadra Kali.
*
Dhundan known for its scenery and temples. This is also famous for its Guru Matth and ''Cheenj''.
*
Bakhalag is a place of interest which is around 9 km from Arki. This small village is known for its scenery.
*
Baniya Devi is a place in dense forest where a temple dedicated to Goddess Van Durga is present since ancient times.
* The only private hospital in Arki is K. Vardaan Health Care Centre, run by Dr. Vimal Pankaj Katoch, ex. EMO Ajit Neuro hospital Amritsar.
*
Arki Fort was built between 1695 and 1700 by Rana Prithvi Singh is in the town.
*
Mutru Mahaved Temple is a temple in the town.
* Folklore say that the four temples on the sides of the village save them from any difficult situation from nature: Lutru Mahadev Temple, Kali Mata Temple, Devdhar Temple and Shakni Temple.
* "Shiv Guffa" Kunihar
* Temple of "Dev Dhar Wala" Isht Dev Of Baghal State At "Sairi Ghat". Where fair held in "Jaieshth month" (may month) every year.
* ''Chamyawal Village'' - A place of waterfalls, 4 KM away from Arki.
*''Manjhu Khad'' - known for its views.
*''Batal Village'' - 4 km away from Arki and the most populated village of tehsil Arki.
*''Darlaghat'' - Industrial area, known for Ambuja factory, 'Truckon aur Traalo ka Sehar'
*''Kooni Khad'' - 9 KM away from Arki.
*''Batal College'' - 4 KM away from Arki. About 1500 students get quality education from this college every year.
*Antique "Dhuni" in Aslu village.
Gallery
File:Lutru Mahadev temple ,Arki,Himachal Prades,India 02.jpg, Lutru Mahadev temple, Arki
File:Lutru Mahadev cave temple, Arki, Himachal Prades,India.jpg, Lutru Mahadev cave temple, Arki, Himachal Pradesh, India
References
{{Reflist
Cities and towns in Solan district
1643 establishments in Asia
Tehsils of Himachal Pradesh