The crumbling ‘Kashi’ of Himachal Pradesh
By Ramesh K. Dhiman

HARIPUR, a hill outpost under Dehra subdivision of Kangra district, was founded by King Harish Chandra, a descendant of King Sansar Chand, an erstwhile ruler of Kangra. King Harish Chandra ruled Nandpur-Guler, a small hill empire, some 900 years ago.

One day, the king, a keen hunter was chasing a deer. When it was cornered, the beast gave him a tough time. The king was undeterred. As the chase continued, the king and the prey strayed into the nearby Hadsar village. The horse that the king was riding tripped and fell into a dry well. While the horse died instantaneously, the king had a miraculous escape, but was trapped in the well.

In those days, there were no roads. People would cover long distances either on foot or by bullock carts. A caravan of small-time traders happened to pass that way. As night was falling, they decided to camp there. When it was past midnight, they heard a cry. Taking it to be the call of an animal, they paid no heed to it. But the cry went on unabated. Moved by the heart-wrenching cry, one intrepid youth tried to locate its source. He reached the dry well covered with bramble. The young man pulled the king out of the well. The king narrated his tale to the boy and thanked him for giving him a new lease of life.

Eighteen kilometres from Dehra, Haripur, had a population of 30,000 during the reign of Harish Chander, which has dwindled to about 4000 today.

Haripur is well-known for its ancient temples, which have earned it the well-deserved sobriquet of ‘mini Kashi’. About 18 temples and shrines dot this Mecca of pilgrims. However, it is a matter of grave concern that almost all of them are virtually crumbling.

The 900-year-old Sri Ram Chandra temple is a picture of neglect. Laden with wild growth, the crumbling ‘tops’ of this holy structure say it all! Beautifully designed in the style of hill architecture, the temple houses the images of Rama, Sita and Laxman. The condition of the Shiva temple is no better.

Near the sprawling Haripur chaugan, nestles the ancient Goverdhan temple which, too, is in a deplorable state. The ancient bronze image of Lord Goverdhan that once adored the temple is believed to have been taken to Pakistan by certain miscreants.

At walking distance from the main bazaar, stands the Kalyan Rai temple. Named after Kalyan, one of the queens, the temple is also a victim of neglect. Its weather-beaten outer walls have developed wide cracks and crevices. A portion of its top pyramid has caved in. A water tank, which was built near the temple, too, has fallen on bad days. Its walls have been partially damaged and its dry bed is overgrown with thickets and congress grass.

Overlooking the main bazaar, nestles the Maa Santoshi temple, where devotees from far and near throng to pay obeisance. The flow of devotees increases manifold during the annual navratra festival.

An imposing fort, precariously perched on the spur of a mountain, too, has fallen victim to the vagaries of time. The magnificent monument, which guarded the frontiers of the kingdom for decades, is decaying and dying a slow death.

The unlit road linking the local PWD guest house and the main road is also scarred by potholes. Driving or walking on it is a nightmare. Another eyesore that plagues Haripur is the local government health centre, which, besides being under-staffed is starved of funds and lacks basic amenities, including public lavatories. In the absence of proper medicare and related facilities, patients with serious ailments have to be rushed to hospitals at Dehra. Apart from this, Haripur has no bus stand.