Waknaghat


Waknaghat is a small town in Solan district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh which falls on the way to Shimla, India from Kalka, India. It is located on National Highway 22. Waknaghat is around from Shimla and from Solan. Other nearby villages and towns are Wakna, Domehar, Aanji-Sunara, Sabathu, Mamlig, Shoghi and Kandaghat. Nearby railway stations include Kaithli-Ghat, from Waknaghat, and Kandaghat, from Waknaghat.

Regional resources

Waknaghat lies in the middle of a very resourceful region. It is surrounded by agricultural land, and holds the Sabzi Mandi of Solan. Waknaghat is known for tomato, ginger, peas, cauliflower, capsicum, cabbage, lady finger, beans, pepper, pahari potato, kheera as well as stone fruits.
Waknaghat has lime and sand quarries as well as stone mines. Waknaghat also has sweet mineral water in and around it.

Geography

Climate

Situated at an altitude of on average, Waknaghat has a cool climate. Lying in the middle of the Solan - Shimla segment of N.H.-22 it has a moderate set of conditions; i.e., neither so cold as Shimla, nor too hot as Kalka as the temperature hardly rises above. During winters Waknaghat experiences little snowfall. Temperatures typically range from to over the course of a year.

Geology

Dagshai - Solan - Kandaghat - Waknaghat - Kaithlighat - Taradevi - Kareru - Shimla is the main ridge forming partition line between the Sutlej and Yamuna catchments. Thus a drop of rain falling on the eastern past of Karol hill ultimately goes into the Bay of Bengal whereas the drop falling on the western part ultimately leads to the Arabian Sea.

Transport

By road

Waknaghat is easily accessible by road. It is from Chandigarh and from Shimla.
The National Highway No. 22 is a prominent road passing through Waknaghat town. It is an important road from many points of view. Firstly it is a defence road connecting Delhi, Dehradun, Ambala and Chandigarh to the China Border. In addition, all raw products, building materials, passengers, goods etc. come through this route only. It is on account of its significance that there are today 2 bypasses within Solan Planning Area.
The Centre Government is also likely to undertake the 4-laning of this road. Surveys and studies have been completed in this regard.
Besides N.H.-22, there are many other significant roads connecting Solan to its nearby areas, towns or settlements. These include:
The Kalka-Shimla Railway is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

By air

The nearest airport is Shimla airport which is about from Waknaghat. The Himachal Pradesh government is setting up its first international airport at an investment of Rs.1,000 crore in Solan district of the state on a public private partnership model.

Education

Post-secondary educational facilities include the Jaypee University of Information Technology. There is one private university in the city, Bahra University.