Kangra Royal Family.

 

Rajmata Shailerdra Kumari.

> Maharaja Aditya Katoch.

> Maharani Chandresh Kumari.

>> Tikaraj (prince) Aishwarya Katoch.

>> Tikarani (princess) Shailja Kumari.

>>> Tika (prince) Ambikeshwar.

 

Go to >   Site main page.    Disclaimer.    Contact me.

 

Maharaja Aditya Katoch.

 

Politics: Contested the legislative

assembly (state parliament) of

Himachal Pradesh (north India)

in 1990.

 

Profession: Hotelier and farming.

 

Hobby: Jewelry designing.

 

Married 4th December 1968 Rani Chandresh Kumari

(daughter of late Maharaja Shri Hanwant Singh of Jodhpur).

 

Their son:

 

Tikaraj (prince) Aishwarya Katoch.

 

 

Go to >  Top.  Site main page.   Disclaimer.   Contact me.

 

                                 Maharani Chandresh Kumari.

 

                                 Born 01 February 1944 at Jodhpur

                                 (eldest daughter of late Maharaja

                                 Hanwant Singh of Jodhpur).

 

                                 Educated at St. Hilda’s school (Ooty

                                 and Jodhpur University, India).

 

Politics: Elected to Himachal Pradesh (north India) legislative assembly (state parliament) in 1972, 1977, 1982, 1984 and 2003.

Has held positions of minister for tourism, youth affairs, sports, at various stages.

Member of Lok Sabha (lower house of Indian parliament) in 1984, 1989 & 2009.

Member of Rajya Sabha (upper house of Indian parliament) in 1996.

 

Interests: Animal welfare (she has set up a dog kennel), Indian classical music and reading (history).

 

Married  04 December 1968 Raja Aditya Katoch of Kangra.

 

Their son:

 

Tikaraj (prince) Aishwarya Katoch.

 

 

Go to >  Top.  Site main page.   Disclaimer.   Contact me.

 

Tikaraj (prince) Aishwarya Katoch.

 

Born 16 January 1970.

 

Educated at Mayo College (Ajmer,

India) and American College for

Applied Arts (U.K.) he has a graduate degree in Business Administration.

 

Profession: Hotelier, travel agency, securities trading, mineral water, etc.

 

Politics: A member of the Congress party, he is the secretary of the Himachal Pradesh (north India) youth wing. Contested the elections for the legislative assembly (state parliament in 1998.

 

Sports: Used to play football in his school days. Associated with martial arts & cricket (sponsors an annual competition for the Maharaja Jai Chand Memorial Cricket Shield).

 

Married to Tikarani Shailja Kumari.

 

Their son:

 

Tika (prince) Ambikeshwar.

 

Go to >  Top.  Site main page.   Disclaimer.   Contact me.

 

Photograph

will be

uploaded

shortly.

 

 

Tika Ambikeshwar.

 

Born 22 December 1998.

 

Currenting going through his

schooling.

 

Sports: He is a Green Belt holder in Taekwondo and fond of horse riding, tennis, and swimming.

 

 

Go to >  Top.  Site main page.   Disclaimer.   Contact me.

 

Photograph

will be

uploaded

shortly.

 

 

Baijnath Temple.

 

The history of the temple is

inscribed on the wall of the

shrine. Baijnath (Kiragrama)

located on the banks of river

Binduka was a part of Trigarta

(region between the rivers Ravi

and Satluj under Maharaja

Jayachandra. Under him a

Rajanaka (local chief)

Lakshmanachandra, who was

related to the king from his

maternal side, ruled over

Kiragrama. There were two

brothers - Manyuka and Ahuka

who built a Shiva temple. They also

donated a machine to extract oil,

a shop and some land to the village

called Navagrama (Nauri).

 

A Shivalinga known as Vaidyanatha already existed on the spot but was without a proper protective structure. So the present temple was constructed. What happened to the shrine in the centuries that followed is not exactly known but it appears worship continued as there are signs of repairs and renovations from time to time.

 

In the 18th century Sansara Chandra II, the Katoch king of Kangra, carried out extensive repairs and renovations of the temple. An inscription on the wooden doors of the sanctum of the temple gives the date as samvat 1840 ( 1783 AD). 

 

The devastating earthquake that shook the entire region of Kangra on 4th April 1905 caused damage to the shrine, which has been repaired. At present the temple is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India but the performance of worship and rituals are under a local board at Baijnath.

 

 

Go to >   Top.   Site main page.    Disclaimer.    Contact me.