Himachal Pradesh Tourism | Himachal Pradesh Map

About Himachal Pradesh:

Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over 21,495 sq mi (55,673 km²), and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east. The literal meaning of Himachal Pradesh is Region of snowy mountains.

Himachal Pradesh was anciently known as Dev Bhumi (The Abode of Gods) and is known to be abundant in natural beauty After the Anglo Gorkha War, the British colonial government came into power.In 1950 Himachal was declared as a union territory but after the State of Himachal Pradesh Act 1971, Himachal emerged as the 18th state of the Republic of India. Himachal has many prestigious boarding schools. Hima means snow in Sanskrit. It was named by one of the great Sanskrit scholars of Himachal Pradesh, Acharya Diwakar Datt Sharma.

Himachal Pradesh has one of the highest per capita incomes of any state in India. Due to the abundance of perennial rivers, Himachal also sells hydro electricity to other states such as Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan. The economy of the state is highly dependent on three sources: hydroelectric power, tourism and agriculture.

Hindus make up 95% of the state population, making it the most Hindu state (proportionally), in India. According to a 2005 Transparency International survey, Himachal Pradesh is ranked the second-least corrupt state in the country after Kerala.

Geography of Himachal Pradesh:

The state of Himachal Pradesh is spread over an area 55,673 km² and is bordered by Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the southwest, Haryana on the south, Uttarakhand on the southeast and Tibet on the east. Himachal is a mountainous region, rich in its natural resources.

Elevation ranges from 450 meters to 6,500 meters above sea level.The region extends from the Shivalik range of mountains (barely mountainous region). There is a noticeable increase in elevation from west to east and from south to north.

The general physiographic divisions from south to north are:

The outer Himalayas (Shivaliks)
The lesser Himalayas (central zone)
The Great Himalayas (northern zone)

The Shivalik range consists of lower hills (elevation — 600 m above sea level). The hills of the region are composed of highly unconsolidated deposits which results in a high rate of erosion and deforestation.

The lesser Himalayas are spotted by a gradual elevation towards the Dhauladhar and the Pir Panjal ranges. The rise is more rapid in the Shimla hills, to the south of which is the high peak of church — Chandni (3647 m). North of the river Sutlej, the rise is steady.

The Kangra valley is a longitudinal trough which is at the foot of the Dhauladhar range. Dhauladhar (which means the The White Peak) has a mean elevation of nearly 4,550 meters. It has a rapid rise of 3,600 m above the Kangra valley. The largest of the lesser Himalayan ranges, the Pir Panjal, branches off from the Greater Himalayan range near the bank of the Sutlej. A number of glaciers exist and several passes lie across the Pir Panjal. The Rohtang Pass (4,800 m) is one of these.

The Great Himalayan range (5,000 to 6,000 meters) runs along the eastern boundary and is slashed across by the Sutlej. Some of the famous passes in this range are Kangla (5,248 m), Bara Lacha (4,512 m), Parang (5,548 m) and Pin Parbati (4,802 m).

The Zaskar Range, the easternmost range, separates Kinnaur and Spiti from Tibet. It has peaks rising over an elevation up to 6,500 m. Some of the well-known peaks are Shilla (7,026 m) and Riwo Phargyul (6,791 m); these are among the highest peaks in this range. There are many glaciers over the Zaskar and the Great Himalayan ranges.

Himachal is also well known for its rich flora. Forests cover about 38% of the state's total area. It has a variety of wildlife, too.

In total, Himachal has 49 cities and towns. The smallest town is Naina Devi and the largest is Shimla with a total state population of 6,856,509. Urban population is only 7.5% of the total state population. Most of the state population still resides in rural areas.

Weather of Himachal Pradesh:

View Detailed 9 Day Weather Forecasts for Shimla, webcams, weather maps & more at Weather-Forecast.com

Places to visit in Himachal Pradesh:

Chail:

Chail is a hill station in Himachal Pradesh, India. It once served as the summer capital of His Highness Maharaja Adhiraj Bhupinder Singh of Patiala .

Chail is 49 km from Shimla. The Chail Palace is well known for its architecture. The cricket ground and a polo ground which is there at an altitude of 2,444 m was owned by erstwhile royal family of Patiala. The ground has the world's highest cricket ground.

Chail is also considered as the hiker's paradise. The area is away from the bustling life of the state capital Shimla.

In 1891, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala incurred the rage of Lord Kitchener. It led to the restriction of his entry into the summer capital, Shimla. This incensed the Maharaja and he vowed to build a new summer capital for himself. So he rebuilt the place (Chail) as per his requirements.

After accession to the Indian Union, Maharaja of Patiala donated most of his buildings to Chail Military School and Government of India

Dalhousie:

Dalhousie is a gorgeous hill station located on the western border of the Dhaula Dhar Range of the great Himalayas. It was founded in 1854 by the British Viceroy Lord Dalhousie, It was a delightful summer retreat for the British troops and bureaucrats. Dalhousie is the most famous hill station of Himanchal Pradesh and is located 563 kms from Delhi. Beside its breath taking landscapes the other highlights are the ancient temples, untouched beauty of Chamba & Pangi valley, the valley of milk, honey and streams.

The main highlights includes the lush green forests of pine, cedar and deodar attract nature-lovers, along with the usual throng of tourists seeking shelter from the sweltering heat of the plains.

Dharamsala:

The High snow clad Dhauladhar ranges form a magnificent backdrop to the hill resort of Dharamsala. This is the principal township of Kangra district and overlooks wide spread of the plains. With dense pine and deodar forests, numerous streams, cool healthy air, attractive surroundings and the nearby snowline, Dharamsala has everything for a perfect holiday. It is full of life and yet peaceful. The headquarters of His Holiness the Dalai Lama are at upper Dharamsala. Covering a wide area in the form of twin settlement, lower Dharamsala (1380m) is a busy commercial centre. While upper Dharamsala (1830m) with the suburbs of Mcleodganj and Forsytheganj, retains a British flavor and colonial lifestyle. The charming church of St. John in the wilderness is situated here and this is the final resting place of Lord Elgin, a British Viceroy of India during the 19th century. There is also a large Tibetan community who have made this place their home. Numerous ancient temples like Jwalamukhi, Brijeshwari and Chamunda lie on the plains below Dharamsala.

Kasauli:

Kasauli is one of the small towns developed by the British during the 'hey day' of the empire. Kasauli is a quaint little town that seems to exist in a time wrap of an era that reminds one of the British Raj. It is located close to Dharampur, approximately 12 km on NH22 (Kalka- Shimla highway). Its colonial ambience is reinforced by cobbled paths, quaint shops, gabled houses with charming facades and scores of neat little gardens and orchards. Mixed forests of chir-pine, Himalayan oak and huge horse chestnuts surround Kasauli. Its narrow road slithers up and down the hillsides and offer some magnificent vistas.

Kasauli is a popular hill-station in Himachal Pradesh. Yes, Himachal, known as the land of gods and goddess, and Kasauli is as beautiful as heaven.

Kasauli is for the people, who like and enjoy serene surroundings. A small trek to the sunset point makes this place more lovable. The taste of the local cuisine is breath-taking. Kasauli is cantonment town and hence you may also find many jawans (soldiers) busy in their daily schedule.

Kullu:

Kullu, once known as Kul-anti-peetha - "the end of the habitable world", is the capital town of the Kullu District, in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is located on the banks of the Beas River in the Kullu Valley about ten kilometres north of the airport at Bhuntar. Kullu is a broad open valley formed by the Beas river between Manali and Largi. This valley is famous for the beauty and its majestic hills covered with Pine and Deodar Forest and sprawling Apple Orchards.The course of the Beas river presents a succession of magnificent, clad with forests of Deodar, yowering above trees of Pine on the lower rocky ridges. Kullu valley is sandwiched between the Pir Panjal, Lower Himalayan and Great Himalayan range.

Manali:

Manali (alt. 1,950 m or 6,398 ft), in the Beas River valley, is an important hill station in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh, India, near the northern end of the Kullu Valley. It is located about 250 kilometres (155 mi) north of state capital, Shimla.

Manali is administratively a part of the Kullu district, with population of approx. 30,000. The small town was the beginning of an ancient trade route to Ladakh and, from there, over the Karakoram Pass on to Yarkand and Khotan in the Tarim Basin.

Manali and the surrounding area is of great significance to Indian culture and heritage as it is said to be the home of the Saptarshi, or Seven Sages

Shimla:

Shimla is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British. Located in the north-west Himalayas at an average altitude of 2,205 metres (7,234 ft), the city of Shimla, draped in forests of pine, rhododendron, and oak, experiences pleasant summers and cold, snowy winters. The city is famous for its buildings styled in tudorbethan and neo-gothic architecture dating from the colonial era. Shimla is connected to the city of Kalka by one of the longest narrow gauge railway routes still operating in India,the Kalka-Shimla Railway. Shimla is approximately 100 km (68 miles) from Chandigarh, the nearest major city, and 365 km (226.8 miles) from New Delhi, the national capital. The city is named after the goddess Shyamala Devi, an incarnation of the Hindu Goddess Kali.

Kufri:

Kufri is a tiny hill station in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh state in India. It is located 13 km from the state capital Shimla on the National Highway No.22.

The name Kufri is derived from the work "Kufr" meaning a lake in the local language.

The highest point in the surrounding region, Kufri has a Himalayan Wild Life Zoo which hosts rare Antelopes, Felines and Birds including Himalayan Monal, the state bird of Himachal Pradesh. During winter a meandering path through the potato plantations turns into a popular Ski track.

Khajjiar:

Khajjiar is a hill station in Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh, India, located at an approximate of 24 km from Dalhousie.

Khajjiar sits on a small plateau with a small stream-fed lake in the middle that has been covered over with weeds. The hill station is surrounded by green meadows and dense forests. It is about 6500 ft. (1981m) above sea level in the foothills of the Dhauladhar ranges of the Western Himalayas and snowy peaks can be seen in the distance.

Khajjiar is often called the Mini Switzerland of Himachal Pradesh and was officially baptized thus by the Swiss Ambassador on July 7, 1992. It has a rare combination of three ecosystems: lake, pasture and forest, all in one place. Khajjiar can be reached from Dalhousie, the nearest major town and hill station, by bus in an hour or so. There are two buses in the morning that leave at around 9:30. The last bus that returns from Khajjiar to Dalhousie is at 3:30 PM.

Palampur:

Palampur is a green hill station and a municipal council in the Kangra Valley in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, surrounded on all sides by tea gardens and pine forests before they merge with the Dhauladhar ranges. Palampur is the tea capital of northwest India but tea is just one aspect that makes Palampur a special interest place. Abundance of water and proximity to the mountains has endowed it with mild climate.

The town has derived its name from the local word "pulum', meaning lots of water. There are numerous streams flowing from the mountains to the plains from Palampur. The combination of greenery and water gives Palampur a distinctive look. Palampur is at the confluence of the plains and the hills and so the scenery shows the contrast the plains on one side and the majestic snow covered hills on the other side. Behind this town stands high ranges of Dhauladhar mountains, whose tops remain snow covered for most part of the year.

Transport in Himachal Pradesh:

Roads are the major mode of transport in the hilly terrains of Himachal Pradesh. The state has road network of 28,208 km (17,528 mi), including eight national highways (NH) that constitute 1,234 km (767 mi) and 19 state highways with total length of 1,625 km.Some roads get closed during winter and monsoon seasons due to snowfall and landslides. Regular bus services connect Shimla with Chandigarh, Kullu, Manali, Delhi, Mandi, Pathankot, Ambala, Chail and Dehradun. Local taxis are the major local transport here. District Hamirpur has got the highest road density in the country.

Railway track is accessible only to a few places in Himachal Pradesh. The Pathankot–Jogindernagar line connects Punjab with Himachal Pradesh. The other railway tracks pass through Shimla, Solan and Una. Shimla is connected with Kalka by a narrow gauge railway line, which in turn is connected with the major cities in India. Himachal has two narrow gauge rail tracks. The Kalka-Shimla Railway track has a length of 96 kilometres. It passes through 102 tunnels and crosses 864 bridges.

There are three domestic airports in the state—Shimla Airport, Bhuntar Airport serving Kullu and Manali, and Gaggal Airport serving Kangra and Dharamsala. The air routes connect the state with Delhi and Chandigarh. There are no international airports in Himachal Pradesh. Deccan, Air India, MDLR has flights from Delhi, Chandigarh to Kullu and back. Jagson Airlines has flights from Delhi to Shimla.