Haripur heritage town faces utter neglect
Ravinder Sood
Palampur, April 27
The small heritage town of Haripur in Kangra district is in a state of neglect. Situated on the banks of the Beas river, the 600-year-old cultural heritage of the ‘Guler Riyasat’ needs maintenance and refurbishing to save it from further degradation.
The Tribune had highlighted the issue earlier as well, but to no avail. No steps have been taken to protect the Haripur fort, a key attraction of the town. While the Haripur fort is not as famous or large as the Kangra fort, it is strategically built with massive ramparts that can be seen from the Guler railway station. The Banganga rivulet surrounding it on three sides provides a scenic view from the top.
Cradle of Kangra art
- The town is best known for the ancient Haripur fort. It is surrounded by the Banganga rivulet on three sides
- Founded in 1464, it is said to be the place where the famous Kangra miniature paintings originated
- The town was known as the ‘cradle of the Kangra School of Paintings’ before the art form saw a dip at the end of 19th century
There are carvings inside the Haripur palace here, but with the passage of time these carvings have blurred and are difficult to comprehend. Travellers, who visited the palace in the 18th century, had recorded that the Haripur palace had exquisite paintings and carvings. Founded in 1464, Haripur is a historical place where the famous Kangra miniature paintings originated. The town was known as the ‘Cradle of the Kangra School of Paintings’ before the art form suffered a decline at the close of the 19th century.
The town was the capital of the princely state of Haripur Guler, which was an offshoot of Kangra. Legend has it that Raja Hari Chand of Kangra fell into a well during a hunting expedition and could not be traced for 22 days.
Some merchants, who were passing by the well, saved him. In his absence, his wives immolated themselves as per the custom of Sati. After this incident, the king left his kingdom to his younger brother and established his own capital at Haripur.
After the construction of the Pong Dam a large part of the town got submerged in the waters of the Maharana Pratap Sagar (Pong reservoir). The town still has several old temples and remarkable city gates with large stone carvings of Hindu deities.
