Location:
Himachal Pradesh
Places Of
Interest: Jawalamukhi,
Kangra Fort, Brajeshwari Temple
Best Time
To Visit: Mid-May to
Mid-October. |
Tourism in
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is wrapped in snow most of
the time. Many parts of the Himachal state
have a distinctly Austrian look with
conifer-clad mountains, chalet-like huts
with overhanging balconies and serene blue
valleys watered by snow-fed streams. Shimla,
the capital of Himachal Pradesh, is still
very much a Raj township in appearance and
atmosphere.
Himachal Pradesh stores numerous wonderful
hill stations, which are particularly cool
in summers. Shimla, Dalhousie, Kullu ,
Kasauli, Manali, Chail and Kufri are a few
of the hill Stations in Himachal Pradesh
which offer breathtaking scenery. Dharmasala,
where the Dalai Lama lives, is another
important centre on the tourist map. The
foremost shrine in Kangra town is the
Brajeshwari Devi temple. 30-km from Kangra
is Jwalamukhi, one of the most revered
temples in northern India. The Kangra Museum
has an impressive art collection.
Capital of Himachal
Pradesh: Built in the
mid-eighteenth century, Shimla was highly
popular among the British royalty after it
was named the 'Summer Capital of India'. The
Parliament used to move up to the hills to
get a break from the hot Indian summers. The
town is a picturesque place dotted with
charming bungalows and shops made of stone.
A perfect setting for romance or to go on a
idle holiday. The best way to see Shimla is
to pick up a tour book, which tells a small
history of the buildings and churches.
History of Himachal
Pradesh: Aryan groups filtered
into the more productive valleys during the
Vedic Period. Later, the Mauryans, Guptas
and the Mughals sought to exercise varying
degrees of control over trade and pilgrimage
routes into this area and between India and
Tibet. Lahul and Spiti was controlled by
Ladakh from the decline of the Mughal Empire
(about the mid-18th century) until the early
1840s, when it briefly came under Sikh rule.
British domination followed the Anglo-Sikh
Wars and continued, directly or indirectly,
for the next 100 years. In 1948, it was
constituted as an administrative unit
comprising 30 princely states.
The People:
Himachalis lead a simple and quiet life,
tending their orchards, fields and flocks.
The population is composed of a variety of
distinctive hill tribes: Gadis, Gujaris,
Kinnauris, Lahulis, Pangwalis, and Rajputs.
Hindi (the official state language) and
Pahari are the principal languages. Himachal
Pradesh is the least urbanized state in
India; the urban population accounts for
less than 10 per cent of the total. The
simple people of Himachal Pradesh still hold
their gods in awe.
Culture in Himachal:
Keeping alive their rich highland identity,
they remain immersed in the annual rounds of
fairs and festivals full of music, song and
dance. The Shimla hills, the Kullu valley
(including the town of Manali), and
Dalhousie are tourist attractions. Skiing,
golfing, fishing, trekking, and
mountaineering are activities for which
Himachal Pradesh is ideally suited.
Occupation in
Himachal: Most people in Himachal
Pradesh earn their keep by agriculture,
pastoralism, horticulture, and forestry. The
state's main industrial products are
agricultural implements, turpentine, and
resin at Nahan, television sets, fertilizer,
beer, and liquor at Solan, cement at Rajban,
processed fruit at Parwanoo, and electronics
near Shimla. Thousands of artisan-based,
small-scale industrial units are also in
operation.
Handicrafts from Himachal: Exquisitely
designed shawls of Kinnaur, the distinctive
woollen caps of Kullu , and the embroidered
handkerchiefs of Chamba are some of the very
attractive examples of local weaving.
Himachal Pradesh is also known for its
Kangra Valley School of Paintings.
CLIMATE OF HIMACHAL
PRADESH: The State can be divided
into two regions: the Southern part, which
is almost as hot as the plains and the
northern region having a temperate summer
and a winter with extreme cold and heavy
snowfall. The rainfall is around 180 cms.
Best time to visit Himachal is during the
months Mid-May to Mid-October.
Population in
Himachal Pradesh: 6 million
Festivals of Himachal Pradesh: Shivratri
festival in Mandi in Feb/March; Sul Mata
festival in Chamba in March; Kangra Valley
Tea Festival in April; Shimla Summer
Festival in May; Kulu Dussehra, which begins
when festivities in the rest of the country
have ended in October; Renuka Fair, held on
the banks of Renuka lake in November.
Himachal Pradesh
Tourism Offices:
Himachal Pradesh Tourist Information Counter
- The Mall, Shimla- 171001, Himachal
Pradesh.
Himachal Pradesh Tourist Information Counter
- The Mall, Manali - 175131, Himachal
Pradesh.
Department of Tourism & Civil Aviation -
Daizy Bank Estate, Shimla- 171001 Himachal
Pradesh.
Himachal Tourism Office - Chandralok
Building, 36, Janpath, New Delhi - 110 001
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India
Travel Guide / States / Himachal Pradesh Travel Guide
