Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Country: India
Region:North India
Capital City:Shimla
Population:6,856,509
Area :55,673 square kms
Average Climate: In Summer (May to June) 28°C to 32°C, heavy rains during Monsoons (July & august) & Snowfall and very cold in Winters.
Best time to visit: Himachal Pradesh is visited throughout the year, although the best time to visit is from February till April & snowfall can be experienced from November to February.
Himachal Pradesh, a state in North India, famous for its abundant natural beauty, is bordered by Jammu and Kashmir in the north, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the west, south and south-east respectively. It also borders Tibet in the east. The state’s name literally translates into ‘in the lap of the Himalayas’. Shimla being its capital and the most urbanized state in the world. The state is also popularly known as Devbhumi – “Land of the gods”.
Situated in the Western Himalayas, Himachal is a mountainous state which experiences great variation in temperature. There are places like Dharamshala, which receive very heavy rainfall, and places like Lahaul and Spiti which are cold and rainless. Himachal has a wide variety of Flora and Fauna, with many species of fauna, and around 1200 species of avifauna and 359 species of animals. The famous species of animals include leopard, ghoral, musk deer, snow leopard (state animal) and Western Tragopan. The state is also known as the ‘Fruit bowl of India’ with a great number of orchards spread throughout the state.
Himachal has a rich and age old heritage of handicrafts, woolen and pashmina shawls, carpets, silver and metal ware and many other things. The food although very similar to the other cuisines of North India is famous for its taste and ingredients used. Some of the specialties of the Himachal cuisine are Mandra, Maahni, Batt, Mitha Saloona, Bhujju, Saag, bhagjery, jhoul, siddu/batooru, chutney and khatti dal.
There are many places in the state worth visiting, from Dalhousie, the hill station filled with colonial charm to Bilaspur, the first planned hill town of India. Other places to include, Shimla, Mandi, Una, Hamirpur, Manali, Kullu, Solan etc. Some of the famous tourist attractions of the state include Great Himalayan National Park, Kangra Fort, Maharana Pratap Sagar, Chail, Rajgarh Valley, Pragpur and Sujanpur Tihra. Its location in the Himalayas makes it a favorable destination for adventure sports. It offers a wide variety of adventure sports like, Mountaineering and Rock Climbing, Angling, Skiing, Heli skiing, Trekking, Para gliding, mountain cycling and many others. Ice skating is also a famous activity, with Shimla being home to Asia’s only natural Ice skating rink.
Tourist destinations in Himachal Pradesh
Chail, Chamba, Dalhousie, Dharamshala, Kangra Valley, Kasauli, Khajjiar, Kinnaur, Kufri, Kullu, Manali, Lahaul and Spiti, Mandi, Nahan, Nalagarh, Palampur, Parwanoo, Pathankot, Rohtang Pass, Shimla, Solan
