Himachal Pradesh

 

Himachal Pradesh

 

Dev Bhumi – the abode of Gods and Goddesses.

Best time to visit: February to June (spring and summer), October to February (snowfall season)

Popular attractions: Shimla (Toy Train), Dharamshala, Manali, Kullu, McLeodganj, Spiti Valley, Chail

 

Overview

Himachal in Himalayas. ‘Him’ in Hindi literally means ice or snow and ‘alaya’ means home, which makes Himalayas ‘The Home of Snow’ and from there Himachal gets its name meaning ‘Land of Snow’. While traditionally Himachal was known as a summer destination, now Himachal is known as “A Destination for All Seasons and All Reasons”.

Himachal situated in the heart of the western Himalaya, identified as ‘Dev Bhumi’ and is believed to be the abode of Gods and Goddesses. The entire state is punctuated with stone as well as wood temples. The shadowy valleys, rugged crags, glaciers and gigantic pines and roaring rivers and exquisite flora and fauna compose the symphony that is forever Himachal. The State has a rich treasure of places of pilgrimage and of anthropological value.  

Shimla is the capital of Himachal Pradesh and a popular hill-station. The Kalka-Shimla toy train is a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site, and is one of the most scenic railway journeys in India. Chail is another popular hill station, known for the world's highest cricket ground and Chail Palace.

Himachal Pradesh is also home to Dalai Lama, the Buddhist leader who runs his Tibetan government-in-exile from Dharamshala. The pristine environment with dense green cover consisting of Deodar and Pine trees provides a visual treat.

If you are someone who loves a little adventure then a visit to Spiti Valley is a must. The term Spiti means 'The Middle Land', as Spiti Valley separates India from Tibet. Spiti is an adventure lover’s paradise, with a number of trekking trails. 

 

Cuisine

A long-time relationship with Punjab and large-scale migration of Tibetans ensured the impact of the Tibetan and Punjabi cuisine on Himachal.

Some of the unique Himachali cuisines include nasasta (a sweetmeat) in the Kangra region; indra (made of lentils), baadi/shaunda, and bada/poldu in the Shimla region; apart from favorites all over the state like pateer, chuck, bhagjery and chutneys of til (sesame seeds).

Popular vegetarian dishes include guchhi mattar, sepu vadi, and kaddu ka khatta. While popular non-vegetarian dishes are Kullu trout, grilled fishes, and chicken anaardana.