BILASPUR

also called Kahlur city, southern Himachal Pradesh state, northwestern India. The city lies on the edge of Govind Sagar, an artificial lake northwest of Simla, the state capital. Bilaspur was the capital of an independent Punjab Hill State until 1814, when the Gurkhas overran it; the British drove them out the following year. It is a trade centre for locally grown wheat, corn (maize), and rice. Pop. (1991 prelim.) 10,608. city, eastern Madhya Pradesh state, central India, lying just west of the Arpa River. Bilaspur was the capital of a Gond kingdom until captured by the Marathas in the 18th century. Just north lies Ratanpur, an ancient Hindu capital of the Haihaya dynasty of Chhattisgarh; its ruins date from the 8th century AD. A major rail junction with extensive workshops, Bilaspur has agricultural trade and is a centre of rice and flour milling, sawmilling, and the manufacture of shellac. Bilaspur was constituted a municipality in 1867 and has a musical academy and several colleges affiliated with Ravishankar University. Pop. (1991 prelim.) city, 190,911; metropolitan area, 233,570.