Himachal Pradesh

Capital: Simla
Main languages: Hindi, Pahari
Area: 55,673 square km
Population: 6,077,248 (2004)

The state of Himachal Pradesh came into being in its present form with the partition of the Punjab into Punjab and Haryana in 1966. Himachal Pradesh is essentially a mountain state — it takes in the transition zone from the plains to the high Himalayas and in the trans-Himalayan regions of Lahaul and Spiti actually crosses that mighty barrier to the Tibetan plateau. It's a delightful state for visitors, particularly during the hot season^ when people flock to its hill stations to escape the searing heat of the plains. High points for the visitor include Simla, the 'summer capital' of British India and still one of . India's most important hill stations. The Kulu Valley is simply one of the most beautiful areas on earth — a lush, green valley with the sparkling Beas River running through it and the snow-capped Himalayan peaks forming the background. Then there's Dharamsala, home-in-exile for the Dalai Lama; and a host of other hill stations, lakes, walks and mountains. In the far north of the state the winter snow melts to permit visitors for a few brief summer months to explore the Tibetan culture of Key-long in Lahaul and Spiti.

Do you love Trekking?

There are a wide variety of trekking possibilities which have, as of yet, been barely exploited. The Himachal Pradesh Tourist Office can supply a booklet titled Trekkers Guide Himachal Pradesh which concentrates on treks in the Kulu and Manali area. They also have three excellent large scale maps of Himachal Pradesh which are invaluable for intend ing trekkers. The trekking season in Himachal Pradesh runs from mid-May to mid-October. In Manali there is a Department of Mountaineering and Allied Sports which can advise you on trekking possibilities in the state and also on the numerous unsealed peaks.

Equipment and provisions will depend very much on where you trek. In the lower country in the Kulu or Kangra Valleys or around Simla there are many rest houses and villages. On the other hand in Lahaul and Spiti the population is much less dense and conditions much more severe. You will need to be much better equipped in terms of cold weather gear and also food and provisions. Some of the better known treks are detailed in the appropriate sections.

There are a great number of Forest Rest Houses, PWD Rest Houses and other semiofficial accommodation possibilities along the Himachal Pradesh trekking routes. Enquire at local tourist offices before setting off about using these places.

The HPTD's Trekking Guide lists 136 mountains over 5000 metres high. The majority of them are unclimbed, most not even named. It's virgin territory for mountaineers.

Wildlife

There are fishing possibilities in many places in Himachal Pradesh and a number of trout hatcheries have been established. The various local tourist offices can advise you on where to fish and how to obtain fishing licences. These are much cheaper than in Kashmir. There are a variety of deer, antelope, mountain goats and sheep which may be seen in the state, some of which are now rather rare. Himalayan black bears and brown bears are found in many parts of the state, the black bear is fairly common but the brown bear is usually only found at higher elevations. Wild boar are found at lower elevations in certain districts. Snow leopards are now very rare' and only found at high elevations in the most remote parts of the state. Panthers and leopards are, however, still found in many forested regions. Himachal Pradesh has a variety of pheasants and partridges and many mountain birds.

Temples

Although Himachal Pradesh does not have any particularly renowned temples, at least so far as being touristically well known goes, it does have many quite interesting and architecturally very diverse ones. In the Kangra and Chamba valleys there are a number of 8th to 10th centuries in the Indo-Aryan shikhara style. Pagoda style temples with multi-tiered roofs are found in the Kulu Valley. There are many temples of purely local design, often with interesting wood carvings, particularly in the Chamba region. In the south of the state there are a number of temples with elements of Moghul and Sikh design while in several locations there are cave temples. Finally the Tibetans, who came to the state following the Chinese invasion of their country, have built colourful gompas (monasteries) and temples. The people of Lahaul and Spiti in the north of the state are also of Tibetan extraction and have many interesting gompas.