Himachal Pradesh Travel Guide

Ever wished to spend vacations in the misty and cloud laden mountains with deep valleys and lush green surroundings? Plan a trip to Himachal Pradesh, literally meaning 'the state covered with snow'. Visit this fascinating state of India and you will come across plenty of apple orchards, wild flowers, rushing streams and steep hills. Known for its natural beauty and scenic landscapes, Himachal Pradesh is a highly frequented hill stations, well nestled in the laps of the Himalayas.
A complete Himachal travel guide tells you the best of attractions in this magical showcase of nature. Himachal Pradesh Tourism offers opportunities for trekking, skiing, river rafting, swimming, water-skiing, surfing, kayaking, rowing, canoeing, sailing, mountain cycling, mountaineering and paragliding and makes it a leading player in adventure and water sports activities. Amidst the freshwater lakes, natural springs, crystal clear rivers and the burbling streams, the state is equally favourable for wildlife tourism with its 32 Sanctuaries, 2 National Parks and 3 Games Reserves. Organize your Himachal tour and travel to Shimla, Manali, Kufri
Chamba and other snowy locations.

Geographical View Of Himachal Pradesh

Location
The state of Himachal Pradesh has boundaries with the Jammu and Kashmir in the North, Uttar Pradesh in the Southeast, China on east, Haryana in the South and Punjab in the West. It is located between 30"22' and 30"12' north latitude and between 75"47' and 79"4' east longitude. The mountainous state has altitudes ranging from 350 to 7000 meters (1050 ft. to 21000 ft.) above the sea level.
Physical Features
The altitude of Himachal Pradesh varies from 350 m to 7000 m above sea level. The physiography of Himachal Pradesh can be divided into three zones. They are the outer Himalayas or the Shivaliks, the inner or the middle Himalayas and the greater Himalayas or the Alpines. The Shivaliks include the districts of Hamirpur, Kangra, Una, Bilaspur, and the lower parts of Solan, Sirmaur and Mandi. The altitude of lower Himalayas ranges between 350 m to 1500 m and the rainfall in this zone ranges between 150 cm to 175 cm. The middle region includes the parts of Sirmaur, Mandi and parts of Kangra, Shimla and Chamba and experiences rainfall between 75 cm to 100 cm. This zone remains under snow for almost give to six months. The Alpine zone is at an altitude of 4,500 m and beyond and comprises of the Kinnnaur and Pangi tehsils of Chamba and some parts of Lahaul and Spiti.
Climate
The climate varies from semi-tropical to semi-arctic from place to place depending on the altitude of the region. The months from April to June are pleasant and comfortable at higher altitude and humid in the lower hills. The months of July to September are the month of rainfall. Himachal Pradesh experiences average annual rainfalls of about 160-cm. the entire state becomes lush green and all the springs and streams are filled again. The winter season begins from October to February and is very severe. Heavy snowfall occurs during this season.
Flora and Fauna
The 63.9 % of the total area is under the thick forest cover. The vegetation is a blend of the Ban Oak Forest, Moist Deodar Forest, Western Mixed Coniferous Forest, Moist Temperate Deciduous Forest, Himalayan Alpine Pastures, and Rhododendron Scrub Forest. The lower ranges have the growth of blue pine while the higher altitudes have firs. The flora includes pine, cedar, deodar, bamboo, spur, oak etc. There are around 1200 species of bird and 359 species of animals in Himachal Pradesh. The major species of wildlife in the state are Snow Leopard, musk Deer, Blue Sheep, Ibex, Wolf, Leopard, Rhesus macaque, Common Langur, Himalayan Black Bear, Goral, Muntjac and Serow. Two National Parks and a few Wildlife Sanctuaries have been established in Himachal Pradesh to protect the unique fauna of the state. The park has the largest remaining population of Himalayan Tahr in the Himachal Pradesh.

Pakwaan Of Our Himachal Pradesh

Cuisine
There is no specific cuisine of Himachal Pradesh. The influence of a long and close association with Punjab and large-scale migration of Tibetans can be on the cuisine of the state. Some of the unique Himachali recipes include Nasasta, a sweetmeat of the Kangra region; Indra, dish made of Urad dal; Baadi / Ghaunda, and Bada/Poldu of the Shimla region. The popular dishes of the state are Pateer, Chouck, Bhagjery and chutney of Til. Non-vegetarian food is quite popular and preferred in Himachal Pradesh.All Sarson Ka Saag and Maki di roti,Apart from these cusines there is number of other popular dishs which we Himachlis use to make.

Picture Of Himachal Beauty

Interesting Facts and Figures of Himachal Pradesh

Area 55,673 sq km Population 6,077,248 Religion Hinduism (95.89 %), Buddhists, Others Annual Rainfall 180 cm Maximum Temperature 30°C Minimum Temperature 2°C Capital Shimla Language Hindi, English and Himachali Literacy Rate 77.13% Per Capita Income Rs. 18,920 in 2000-01 Urbanization Ratio 8.7% (1991) Best Time to Visit March to October

History Of My Himachal Pradesh

The state of Himachal Pradesh was called 'Deva Bhoomi ' or the Land of the Gods. There are evidences of the existence of the pre-historic humans in this region. It is generally believed that large inhabitants of this region had actually migrated from Central Asia and the Indian plains from time to time. The first race to enter Himachal Pradesh was Proto-Australoid followed by Mongolo id and the Aryan. The Rig Veda mentions about Dasyus and Nishads living in this region and their powerful king Shambra who had 99 forts. From the early period of its history, tribes like the Koilis, Halis, Dagis, Dhaugris, Dasa, Khasas, Kinnars and Kirats inhabited it. The Aryan influence over this area dates back to the period before the Rig Veda. The Aryans with their superior war tactics defeated the local tribes and settled here permanently. The period also saw the establishment of small Janapadas or Republics in Himachal Pradesh. They maintained a good relationship with the Mauryans so that they can remain independent for a long time. They lost their independence with the rise of the Guptas in the North Gangetic plains. After the decline of the Guptas, several small kingdoms ruled this hilly state and established their power in its different regions. Sankar Varma, the king of Kashmir exercised his influence over the regions of Himachal Pradesh in about 883 AD.This region witnessed the invasion of Mahmud of Ghazni in 1009 AD. In about 1043 AD, the Rajputs ruled over this territory. The Mughal rulers erected several works of art as an admiration of this land. The Rajputs, under the leadership of Sansar Chand owned this region in 1773 AD, till the attack by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1804 AD, which crushed the Rajput power here. The Gurkhas conquered this area and ravaged it. In about the early 19th century AD, the British exercised their influence and annexed the areas of Shimla after the Gurkha War of 1815-16. The British established many hill stations in this region to protect themselves from the extreme heat and dust of the northern plains in the summer. Shimla became the summer capital of India and even today, many old houses and buildings tell the story of English grandeur. Himachal Pradesh was made a centrally administered territory in 1948 with the integration of 31 hill states and obtained additional regions in 1966. It had the status of a union territory after independence till it was granted statehood in 1971.

Himachal Pradesh's Best Places to roam

I basically hails from Himachal prdesh so i love Himachal so much. its a place where every body wants to live not because it is hilly state. But because it is also known for it's peace and brother hood among people. We as himachli respect our guests. As we have tibbetians residing in Dharamshla. but apart from these things in Himachal there is lots of Wonderfull sites or places where you should visit once in a life.

So i am going to list some of the best Places here on my Blog :

1.Shimla The Jannat on earth

shimla is our official capital of our state but its one of the best place to chill.Its worlds finest place where one should visit once.

It has Mall road , Lakar Bazaar,Advance Study,Vidhan Sawha,And lots of Sweet and Nice places.And its wonder full weather.

2. Kullu Manali : it's second place where every stress gets off . its place where nature gives its love to people.

3. Dharamshala (McLodeganj)

4. Mani mahesh

5. Baba Deyot Sidh(Hamirpur)

6. Jawalaji(Kangra)

7. Lahaul Sapitti

8. Vashist

9. Kasauli

10. Kufri

11. more places in Nagar, Kullu, and Lahaul, Spiti, Keylong would be nice.

Location : Himachal Pradesh
Famous Wildlife Sanctuaries : Himalayan National Park, Pin Valley National Park
Famous Hill Stations : Shimla, Manali, Kull and Kufri
Famous Adventure Destinations : Manali, Bir and Billing, Rohtang Pass

Pilgrimage Places in Himachal Pradesh

Himachal is perhaps the only state in India that has pilgrimage for three religions – Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism. Enjoy pilgrimage tours of Himachal Pradesh that will take you to Dharamshala and McLeodganj which are the hubs for Buddhism. For Sikhs there are Manikaran and Rewalsar that some some of the most famous Gurudwaras. Impression of Hinduism can be found in the various temples that are dotted across the state. Enjoy a the various religious places in Himachal Pradesh that have earned huge respect form people of all faiths and color. It is this facet of Himachal Pradesh that has earned it the title of bring the 'Land of Gods'. Take a trip to Himachal Pradesh to see the various pilgrimage destinations that have become the major places to visit in Himachal Pradesh.

Some of the Name are given below :

1. Triloki Nath

2. Naina Devi

3. Jawala Devi

4. Chintpurni

5. Baba deyot Sidh

6. Mani Karan

7. Mani Mahesh And list goes on.

The Adventure You can explore in Himachal

Himachal Adventure Trekking Water Sports

Skiing Mountain Sports Para Gliding

Camping Mountaineering Golfing

Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, is also called the "Queen of the Hill Stations". It was named after its patron Goddesses Shyamla Devi, an incarnation of the Goddesses Kali. It was a small village made popular by the British who established Shimla as there summer capital in 1864 AD. The entire city is spread over a 12 km long ridge commanding the view of terraced hillsides and cultivations. Shimla has the thick growth of forests of oak, pine, fur and rhododendron. There are variety of adventure sports like skiing, trekking, angling and golf for the tourists for their leisure activities.

Manali is a small hill town in the valley of Kullu. It is referred to as the "Cradle between the Lesser Himalaya". Manali is one of the most beautiful and popular hill station known for lush and fresh scenic beauty. It is also a gateway to Lahaul and Spiti.

Dalhousie is at a distance of 80 km from Pathankot. It is nestled in the outer inclines of Dhaulandhar range. The hill station is well known for its pleasant climate and beautiful scenery. It is spread over five hills and is different from other hill stations. The thick growth of deodars, pine and red and pink rhododendrons can be seen all around the hill station. Dalhousie is a gateway to the Chamba valley.

Kufri is a small hill station near Shimla. It is an important tourist place because of its closeness with Shimla. The place is known for trekking and hiking trails. There are nature parks and picnic spots at Kufri. In winters, one can indulge in the winter sports like skiing and tobogganing.

Dharamshala, at an altitude of 4000 m above sea level, it is located on spur of Dhaulandhar range. The town has rich growth of deodar and pine forests as well as tea gardens. Dharamshala literally means 'the holy refuge'. It was founded and developed by the British in 1855 as their summer resort. It is famous as the abode of the Dalai Lama and is called as the "Little Lhasa' because of the large number of Tibetan population. Their 'Government in Exile' has headquarters in Dharamshala.Chail is a very small hamlet and a hill station where you can discover nature at its best untouched by the pollution, deforestation and modern construction. It is an ideal getaway for fresh and tranquil environment in the lap of the nature