Why the Kangra earthquake of 1905 needs to be kept in public memory

By Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society
The Kangra earthquake of 1905 stands as one of the most devastating disasters in the history of India. Occurring in the Kangra Valley and the region of the Punjab Province (now part of Himachal Pradesh), this earthquake left a lasting impact on the region and its people. On April 4, 1905, a catastrophic earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck the Kangra Valley. It caused widespread destruction, particularly in the towns of Kangra and Dharamsala. The death toll exceeded 20,000, making it one of the deadliest earthquakes in Indian history. The quake was so powerful that it was felt throughout Northern India, reaching as far as Delhi. Numerous buildings and historical monuments were destroyed, leaving a scar on the region's cultural heritage.
As we remember the day it's important to keep alive memories of how people survived and built back. These memories will help future generations too in coping with any future .

Geological Insights

Despite its immense power, the earthquake did not result in any observable surface rupture at the time, a rare occurrence for earthquakes of this magnitude. Later studies, however, identified the Kangra Valley Fault (KVF) as the likely culprit for the 1905 earthquake. This fault is a right-lateral strike-slip fault, capable of producing earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 7.2. Paleoseismic investigations along the KVF have revealed evidence of at least four significant seismic events in the region's history, with the 1905 quake likely being the most recent. These findings highlight the complex and active seismic nature of the Himalayan region.

Impact

The Kangra earthquake had a devastating impact, reaching a peak Rossi–Forel intensity of X in Kangra. Remarkably, areas as far as 150 km away, including Dehradun and Saharanpur in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, experienced unusually high intensities. Even towns like Kasauli, Bilaspur, Chamba, and Lahore felt the quake at an intensity of VII. The disaster led to the demolition of approximately 100,000 buildings and resulted in the tragic loss of over 20,000 lives. Additionally, around 53,000 domestic animals perished. The earthquake also wreaked havoc on the region's infrastructure, including the hillside aqueducts vital for water supply. Financially, the recovery from this calamity was immense, with costs estimated at 2.9 million rupees in 1905.

Resilience and Recovery

The aftermath of the earthquake saw a significant humanitarian response. Efforts were focused on providing immediate relief to the survivors, including medical care, food, and shelter. The rebuilding process was slow but steady, with a focus on constructing more earthquake-resistant buildings. The disaster also led to increased awareness and understanding of seismic risks in the region, prompting improvements in construction standards and disaster preparedness. This paved the way for the development and implementation of stricter building codes in earthquake-prone regions of India.The Kangra earthquake serves as a powerful reminder of the need for preparedness in earthquake-prone zones. Today, India has a well-established network of seismic monitoring stations and a robust disaster management system. Public awareness campaigns educate communities about earthquake safety measures and evacuation protocols.

Himachal Pradesh learnings from different disasters

Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS) has a long history of working in Himachal Pradesh and has supported the State not only providing technical assistance but working with communities to empower them to rebuild and learn as they do so by retrofitting of community buildings and spaces. From the Hill Safety Campaign to initiating School Earthquake Safety Initiative, Shimla (SESIS) the Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh to enhance sensitivity towards earthquake risks in the region with the support of the Government of Himachal Pradesh and other stakeholders. The project inculcated a culture of safety through 20 schools. Structural strengthening (retrofitting) of schools was carried out in 5 selected schools. Efforts were taken to build capacity of different stakeholders like masons, students and teachers, to reduce the risks and to be able to face disasters in future.

Very recently following the July and August 2023 heavy rainfall there were a series of landslides. Through rigorous ground assessments SEEDS identified 20 families for transitional shelters – on the basis of several prerequisite conditions. Many of these families had lost both their homes and their livelihoods.In consultation with the local Gram Pradhans and local communities a physical survey of the affected families was carried out and the most marginalised families from the villages were selected.
SEEDS has been actively involved in various initiatives in and around Shimla to enhance safety and community engagement. Besides their work on reducing earthquake risks in Shimla, they organized a Parvat Yatra, a journey through the mountains, to connect with local communities. In Solan, another area prone to seismic activities, SEEDS built a community center. This center serves as a hub for local people to gather, learn, and participate in safety and preparedness activities. Moreover, SEEDS played a significant role in the recovery efforts following a major incident in 2005, demonstrating their commitment to both immediate response and long-term risk reduction. All these efforts highlight SEEDS' dedication to building safer and more resilient communities in regions vulnerable to natural disasters.

Conclusion

The Kangra earthquake of 1905 serves as a poignant reminder of the destructive power of natural disasters and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. The lessons learned from this tragedy have informed better building practices and preparedness strategies, making the region stronger and more resilient in the face of future seismic challenges. Involving communities in the building back is most important.

Comments

Dalit woman student’s death sparks allegations of institutional neglect in Himachal college

By A Representative A Dalit rights organisation has alleged severe caste- and gender-based institutional violence leading to the death of a 19-year-old Dalit woman student at Government Degree College, Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, and has demanded arrests, resignations, and an independent inquiry into the case.

Domestic vote-bank politics 'behind official solidarity' with Bangladeshi Hindus

By Sandeep Pandey, Faisal Khan The Indian government has registered a protest with Bangladesh over the mob lynching of two Hindus—Deepu Chandra Das in Mymensingh and Amrit Mandal in Rajbari. In its communication, the government cited a report by the Association of Hindus, Buddhists and Christian Unity Council, which claims that more than 2,900 incidents of killings, arson, and land encroachments targeting minorities have taken place since the interim government assumed power in Bangladesh.

From colonial mercantilism to Hindutva: New book on the making of power in Gujarat

By Rajiv Shah Professor Ghanshyam Shah ’s latest book, “ Caste-Class Hegemony and State Power: A Study of Gujarat Politics ”, published by Routledge , is penned by one of Gujarat ’s most respected chroniclers, drawing on decades of fieldwork in the state. It seeks to dissect how caste and class factors overlap to perpetuate the hegemony of upper strata in an ostensibly democratic polity. The book probes the dominance of two main political parties in Gujarat—the Indian National Congress and the BJP—arguing that both have sustained capitalist growth while reinforcing Brahmanic hierarchies.

NYT: RSS 'infiltrates' institutions, 'drives' religious divide under Modi's leadership

By Jag Jivan A comprehensive New York Times investigation published on December 26, 2025, chronicles the rise of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) — characterized as a far-right Hindu nationalist organization — from a shadowy group founded in 1925 to the world's largest right-wing force, marking its centenary in 2025 with unprecedented influence and mainstream acceptance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi , who joined the RSS as a young boy and later became a full-time campaigner before being deputized to its political wing in the 1980s, delivered his strongest public tribute to the group in his August 2025 Independence Day address. Speaking from the Red Fort , he called the RSS a "giant river" with dozens of streams touching every aspect of Indian life, praising its "service, dedication, organization, and unmatched discipline." The report describes how the RSS has deeply infiltrated India's institutions — government, courts, police, media, and academia — ...

From protest to proof: Why civil society must rethink environmental resistance

By Shankar Sharma* As concerned environmentalists and informed citizens, many of us share deep unease about the way environmental governance in our country is being managed—or mismanaged. Our complaints range across sectors and regions, and most of them are legitimate. Yet a hard question confronts us: are complaints, by themselves, effective? Experience suggests they are not.

2025 was not just a bad year—it was a moral failure, it normalised crisis

By Atanu Roy* The clock has struck midnight. 2025 has passed, and 2026 has arrived. Firecrackers were already bursting in celebration. If this is merely a ritual, like Deepavali, there is little to comment on. Otherwise, I find 2025 to have been a dismal year, weighed down by relentless odds—perhaps the worst year I have personally witnessed.

Celebrating 125 yr old legacy of healthcare work of missionaries

Vilas Shende, director, Mure Memorial Hospital By Moin Qazi* Central India has been one of the most fertile belts for several unique experiments undertaken by missionaries in the field of education and healthcare. The result is a network of several well-known schools, colleges and hospitals that have woven themselves into the social landscape of the region. They have also become a byword for quality and affordable services delivered to all sections of the society. These institutions are characterised by committed and compassionate staff driven by the selfless pursuit of improving the well-being of society. This is the reason why the region has nursed and nurtured so many eminent people who occupy high positions in varied fields across the country as well as beyond. One of the fruits of this legacy is a more than century old iconic hospital that nestles in the heart of Nagpur city. Named as Mure Memorial Hospital after a British warrior who lost his life in a war while defending his cou...

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu. He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat

Epic war against caste system is constitutional responsibility of elected government

Edited by well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan, the book, “Bhed-Bharat: An Account of Injustice and Atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-18)” (available in English and Gujarati*) is a selection of news articles on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-2018) published by Dalit Shakti Prakashan, Ahmedabad. Preface to the book, in which Macwan seeks to answer key questions on why the book is needed today: *** The thought of compiling a book on atrocities on Dalits and thus present an overall Indian picture had occurred to me a long time ago. Absence of such a comprehensive picture is a major reason for a weak social and political consciousness among Dalits as well as non-Dalits. But gradually the idea took a different form. I found that lay readers don’t understand numbers and don’t like to read well-researched articles. The best way to reach out to them was storytelling. As I started writing in Gujarati and sharing the idea of the book with my friends, it occurred to me that while...

Search This Blog