Dalhousie Cantonment

In the wake of the 1857 War, the Military Department of the Government of India, expanded its survey of lower Himalayas, to identify suitable locations for building "sanitaria and cantonments" for "quartering" British soldiers and military units. The move to locate cantonments in "cool and healthy hill stations" was justified on strategic, and health grounds. In the following decade several cantonments, including in Balun (Dalhousie), Bakloh, Chakrata, Ranikhet, in the western lower Himalayas, were established.{{cite book|author=Dane Keith Kennedy|title=The Magic Mountains: Hill Stations and the British Raj|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UveLzKDlZBEC&pg=PA156|accessdate=17 March 2013|year=1996|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-20188-0|pages=156–}} In 1863 it was decided that one third of the British troops in India should be located in the hill station cantonments. By the 1890s almost twenty five percent of the British troops in India were located in hill stations.

The Cantonment area in Dalhousie is called Baloon, also spelt as Balun. Dalhousie was first surveyed in 1853, and was acquired as a convalescent depot for European troops, in 1866, the same year as Bakloh was acquired as a Goorkha Cantonment, from the Raja of Chamba.{{cite book|author=Rose Hutchison|title=Gazetteer of the Chamba State|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vfzTddoP-vQC|accessdate=23 January 2013|date=1 March 1998|publisher=Indus Publishing|isbn=978-81-7387-041-5}} In 1868, British troops moved into barracks in Baloon. By 1878 an 18 foot road connected the new cantonment to the plains.{{cite book|author=George Smith|title=The geography of British India, political & physical|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=68c5AQAAIAAJ|accessdate=23 January 2013|year=1882|publisher=J. Murray}}

In August 1954, during the Dalhousie centenary celebrations, Jawahar Lal Nehru, the prime minister of India, visited Baloon, Dalhousie Cantonment. He was accompanied by Lt General Kalwant Singh, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Western Command.

Dalhousie cantonment was established in 1867. It has been classified as a category IV Cantonment by Director General of Defence estates. The cantonment board, which is responsible for the management of the cantonment, consists of 4 members, including two elected members. Brig. JS Bhardwaj, Commander 323 Mountain Brigade, is the President of the Cantonment Board.{{cite web|title=Kendriya Vidyalaya Bakloh Management Committee |url=http://kvbakloh.org/innerpage.php?pagename=vmc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915184257/http://kvbakloh.org/innerpage.php?pagename=vmc |url-status=dead |archive-date=2014-09-15 }}

The cantonment board runs a primary school (24 students), a small hospital (two beds), and a guest house.{{cite web|last=|title=Director General of Defence Estates|url=http://www.dgde.gov.in/?q=cantonments/web/367}}

There are four churches in Dalhousie. St. Andrew's Church and St. Patrick's Church, are located in Balun, Dalhousie Cantonment.{{cite web|title=Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation|url=http://hptdc.nic.in/cir0303.htm#hmani|access-date=17 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310104634/http://www.hptdc.nic.in/cir0303.htm#hmani|archive-date=10 March 2013|url-status=dead}}

Dalhousie is located at {{coord|32.53|N|75.98|E|}}.[http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/11/Dalhousie.html Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Dalhousie] It has an average elevation of 1954 metres (6410 feet).

Dalhousie Cantonment is {{cvt|485|km}} from Delhi, {{cvt|52|km}} from Chamba, {{cvt|23|km}} from Khajjiar, and {{cvt|80|km}} from Pathankot, the closest railhead. The nearest airport is at Gaggal in Kangra, at a distance of {{cvt|135|km}}. Although there is an airport in Pathankot also but mostly flights are from Kangra.

According to the 2001 India census,{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archivedate=2004-06-16|title= Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)|accessdate=2008-11-01|publisher= Census Commission of India}} Dalhousie cantonment had a population of 1962. Males constitute 56% of the population and females 44%. Dalhousie has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 65.38%. Male literacy is 79% and, female literacy is 72%. In Dalhousie, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age. Dalhousie is a very popular tourist destination with its most popular attraction is the Khajjiar Valley{{Cite web|url=https://www.femina.in/life/travel/things-to-do-in-dalhousie-himachal-pradesh-54770-3.html|title=Khajjiar -Mini switzerland of India}}{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}}.

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/army-fac.htm Indian Army Facilities]

Category:Cities and towns in Chamba district

Category:Cantonments of India

Category:Cantonments of British India

Category:Hill stations in Himachal Pradesh

Category:1866 establishments in India