Kahra (Hindi: काहर) is a small village in

Mandi district Mandi district is one of the central districts of Himachal Pradesh state in northern India. The town of Mandi is the headquarters of the district. The main native language is Mandeali. As of 2011 it is the second most populous district of H ...

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 village is situated on a mountain ridge on the right bank of Neri-ki-khad, a tributary of the

Uhl River The Uhl is a Himalayan river which is part of the watershed of Beas river. The river originates at the Thamsar Glacier in the Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas, flows through the Uhl valley crossing the villages Bada Gran (Baragram) and Barot. ...

. It is located from MDR23 Mandi-Bajaura Road, at a distance of from Mandi town. The South Campus of

IIT Mandi Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (IIT Mandi) is a public technical and research university located in Kamand Valley, Mandi city in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. Established in February 2009, first batch of 97 students were admitted ...

borders Kahra and the road to Kahra passes through the campus. The economy of Kahra is largely agrarian.

Description

South IITMandi Kahra Neri Griffon Himachal Jan20 D72 13786

Kahra is a small village on a ridge at an elevation of , about above the Neri-Navlay valley floor. It is located at a distance of from MDR23 at Kamand bordering the South Campus of

. The road to the village passes through the South Campus. Kahra village has an area of . The population as of the 2011 Census was 339 with 67 households. Females comprise 51% of the population. The percentages of Scheduled Castes is 47.8% and of Scheduled Tribes is 2.4%. The literacy rate is 61.4%, with males at 72.9% and females 49.2%. The languages are Mandyali and Hindi. Kahra is a village in the Navlay

Gram Panchayat Gram Panchayat () is a basic village-governing institute in Indian villages. It is a democratic structure at the grass-roots level in India. It is a political institute, acting as cabinet of the village. The Gram Sabha work as the general bod ...

. It is served by the India Posts Branch Office, Kamand with PIN code 175075.

Education

Kahra has a primary/middle school. The nearest government high school is in Kamand village distant. While there is 100% enrolment in primary school, many boys and girls drop out after schooling to take up work rather than higher education. Village youth travel to

Mandi Mandi may refer to: Places * Mandı, Azerbaijan India * Mandi, Jammu and Kashmir, a town on the Mandi River in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir * Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a city in Himachal Pradesh ** Mandi State, former princely sta ...

for higher education in the Vallabh College or the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) Mandi.

, an institute of national importance, borders Kahra. It offers bachelors, masters and PhD in engineering, and masters and PhD in sciences and humanities. Students come to IIT from all parts of India and from some foreign countries.

Economy

The economy is largely agrarian. Traditionally, maize is grown in the summer (

kharif Kharif crops, also known as monsoon crops or autumn crops, are domesticated plants that are cultivated and harvested in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh during the Indian subcontinent's monsoon season, which lasts from June to November depending o ...

) season. In the winter (

rabi Rabi may refer to: Places * Rábí, a castle in the Czech Republic * Rabí, a village in the Czech Republic * Räbi, a village in Estonia * Rabi, Panchthar, a village development committee in Nepal * Rabi Island, a volcanic island in northern F ...

) season, wheat, mustard and barley are grown. Livestock rearing is important, with cattle, sheep and goats. Crop residue is saved for use as fodder in winter. There is some export of meat, and sale of milk products,

ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from India. It is commonly used in India for cooking, as a traditional medicine, and for religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from c ...

khoya Khoa, khoya, khowa or mawa is a dairy food widely used in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent, encompassing India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. It is made of either dried whole milk or milk thickened by heating in an open iron pan. It is l ...

and

paneer Paneer (), also known as ponir () is a fresh acid-set cheese common in the Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) made from full-fat buffalo milk or cow milk. It is a non-aged, non-melting soft ...

, in nearby towns. The upgradation of MDR23 from

Kullu Kullu is a municipal council town that serves as the administrative headquarters of the Kullu district of the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the Beas River in the Kullu Va ...

that passes through the Kamand valley was taken up during the term of Kaul Singh Thakur as MLA starting in 1977. With improvements in the roads and transport, there has been a shift from grains and pulses to cash crops such as

cauliflower Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species ''Brassica oleracea'' in the genus ''Brassica'', which is in the Brassicaceae (or mustard) family. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed. Typically, only the head is eaten – the ...

radish The radish (''Raphanus raphanistrum'' subsp. ''sativus'') is an Eating, edible root vegetable of the family Brassicaceae that was domesticated in Asia prior to Roman Empire, Roman times. Radishes are grown and consumed throughout the world, be ...

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...

and

bean A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes th ...

s. Villagers now buy processed grains and pulses from the plains in place of the organically-grown mountain grains and pulses. Villagers report a consequent decline in health, with greater morbidities affecting longevity. In order to earn extra cash, villagers work as labourers on road construction, etc. With the advent of IIT Mandi since 2010, villagers are employed as Class IV semi-skilled workers. These avenues strengthen the economic opportunities in Kahra.

Transport

Public and private buses and private vans ply regularly between Mandi and various villages in the Kamand valley. The route from Mandi to Navlay passes below Kahra.

References

{{Mandi district Villages in Mandi district

Description

Education

Economy

Transport

See also

References