Bilaspur or Kahlur

Princely States

The kingdom is named Kahlur after Raja Kahal Chand, it’s founder. The ruling lines of Chamba, Bilaspur, Gahrwal and possibly Bushahr are easily the oldest extant lines in the Himalayas. The place and the kingdom came to be known as Kot Kahlur. When Raja Dip Chand built the city of Byaspur around 1660 in honour of Byasji, the place came to be known as Byaspur which in time transmorphed into Bilaspur. The ruling line traces it's origins from Shishupala who ruled Chanderi during the days of Mahabharata. They were called Chandel Rajputs because of that. Seventieth in generation from him, Hari Har Chand, after a dream in which goddess Jwalamukhi appeared, he went on a pilgrimage to Kangra leaving his youngest son Govind in charge of his kingdom. At Nadon, the Raja of Kangra's party came across these pilgrims - both the groups had a friendly contest in which the southerns won. Next day, the Raja of Kangra arranged a tent pegging contest and declared that he will marry his daughter to the one who removed a certain peg - which in fact is the trunk of a tree. The next day, a terrible storm broke and Sabir Chand, one of Hari Har Chand's sons who attempted to remove the peg lost control of his horse and died. His death, on the other hand, revealed the deception of the Kangra chief. This led to an open war in which the Kangra troops were defeated - Hari Har Chand and Kangra's crown prince were killed in the fight. The three surviving Chanderi princes Bir Chand, Kabir Chand and Gambhir Chand retreated to the temple of Goddess Jwalamukhi and prayed to her. She granted them kingdoms - Kabir Chand was adopted by the ruler of Garhwal, Gambhir Chand founded Chamba(this doesn't match with Chamba's story) and Bir Chand siezed Jhandbari from where he expanded slowly creating the kingdom of Kahlur. In his three years, he waged many wars and defeated fifteen kingdoms before he was defeated by the Raja of Sirmaur and made peace with him. Kahal Chand who built Kahlur is sixth in line from Bir Chand.