Chaupal, Himachal Pradesh

Chaupal is a town and nagar panchayat (city council) in the Shimla district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh

Chaupal is located approximately 100Km from the state capital, Shimla.

Chopal is well known for its fruit production namely apple, pear, apricots, and cherry.

Farming is main occupations of people here.

Chopal is also popular for its culture and temples.

Temples and followers of many Gods can be found here:

• Shirgul Devta – most prominent deity his temples can be found everywhere in Chopa . He is considered as king of Gods.

• Bijat Maharaj – His temple is located at Sarain. He is considered as richest God of Chopal and one of the richest in Himachal and Uttrakhand. His gold Palaquin speaks that for itself. People who visit his temple can see his ideals and he is only God to allow that.

• Devta Rehatna Maharaj – Considered as Lord of Jakholi pargana and king of 4 koond (4 worrier families). His temples can be located mainly at 3 villages, namely – Thalog, Jabna, Phalauna.

• Doom devta – Can also be found across Chopal and Himachal. Is brotherly deity to Rehatna Maharaj.

Maa Kali temple at Duinder and Brijeshwari mata are also some temples found in Chopal.

Chaupal is a sub division (administrative division) of Shimla District. It is surrounded by hills and forests of Deodars. It is also known for its densely covered areas of Himalayan Cedar trees in the town.

This is one of the richest forest areas of Himachal. Devdar, kail, fir spruce and ban trees are in plenty in forests of Chaupal. Best quality Devdar trees in Asia are in Chaupal, the timber extracted from these trees is very durable, have high strength, and is resistant to pests to some extent due to the presence of the extractives like cedar oil in the wood. The forest region of Chaupal is among the oldest Forest Department Divisions in the state; it is currently headed by Divisional Forest Officer Ankit Kumar Singh.^[2]

According to the 2011 Indian census,^[3] Chaupal had a population of 7886 people. Of the population, 58% are male, and 42% are female. Chaupal has a literacy rate of 89.65%. The native language here is Pahari but Hindi and English are also spoken.

The region has high quality apples,^[4] which are exported internationally. Apple-growing areas in Chaupal include Pulbahal, Sari, Jaigarh, Tarapur (Nar), Chambi, Tharoch, Poran, Pauria, Bijmal, Peontra Valley, Bamta, Maraog, Rinjat, Khaddar, Matal, Chanju (Chopal), Kashah, Rushlah, Satota (Halau, Shalan) Dewat, Kakhrona, Shilikyan, Shantha, Sunarli, Maraog, Bigraoli, Jakholi (Jhina, Khathiyana ,Phaluna ,Nanhar) and Sarain.^[5]

Chaupal has a cool and moderate climate. Between December and March, the town gets heavy snow and the temperature can hover around freezing point. During the summer, the climate is warmer with temperatures around thirty degrees Celsius.

• Temp in Winter:−10 °C (14 °F) to 18 °C (64 °F)
• Temp in Summer:20 °C (68 °F) to 32 °C (90 °F)