Palampur is a hill station and a municipal corporation situated in the Kangra District in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is surrounded by pine forests and flanked by the Dhauladhar ranges. There are numerous streams flowing from the mountains to the plains, from Palampur. The combination of greenery, snowclad mountains and water gives Palampur a distinctive look. Etymology The term Palampur is formed after combining three wordspani (water), alam (environment or 'abode of') and pur (settlement). Thus, Palampur means "a settlement where there is plenty of rainfall". History Palampur is located in the Kangra Valley. It is a famous hill station and was once a part of the Jalandhar kingdom. The town came into being when Dr. Jameson, the superintendent of Botanical Gardens, introduced the tea bush from Almora in 1849. The bush thrived in the climatic conditions of Palampur and became the focal point of the European tea estate owners with an exception of the famous Wah Tea Estate which was owned by Nawab Muhammad Hayat Khan and his descendants, until 1947. Since then, the Kangra tea of Palampur has become internationally renowned. The first prime minister of independent India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, visited Palampur in 1941. There is a Nehru Chowk in Palampur to commemorate this visit. Pre-independence The growth of tea estates from the mid-19th century prompted the administration to build infrastructure in Palampur, such as schools, colleges, and hospital. It also became the center of labourers engaged in tea leaves plucking, packing, and transportation. The earthquake of 1905 left a trail of destruction. There was a lot of reconstruction done. In 1927, the railway line for the hydro-electric project at Joginder Nagar was laid. An increase in employment options led to the growth of investment in the area. Post independence A military station was established at Holta, a strategic location of the town. Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya was established in 1978, followed by the establishment of C.S.I.R - Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology in 1983. Many infrastructure and sub-division departments were created for electricity board, housing board, public health services and public works department. Geography Palampur is at , at a height of around 1300 metres, above sea level. It is in the northwestern region of Himachal Pradesh in north India and is 213 km from the hill station of Shimla. Distance from major cities Distance from Chandigarh: 250 km