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Informaiton |
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About
Himachal |
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Himachal Pradesh is
a beautiful state located in the northern part of India. The
land is dominated by the great Himalayas in the north-east
and marked with lower ridges of the Shivalik ranges in the
south-east thus sometimes called a Mountain State. This
“Abode of Snow” covers a total area of 55,673 sq. km and
shares common borders with Jammu & Kashmir on North, Punjab
on West and South-West, Haryana on South, Uttar Pradesh on
South-East and China on the East.
Himachal was inhabited by people 2 million years ago. The
pre-historic people of Himachal lead a simple and quiet
life, tending their orchards, fields and flocks. Hindi is
the official state language and Pahari the principal
language. After India’s independence, a union territory was
formed by uniting the hill states around Shimla.Himachal
Pradesh was granted the status of a state on January 25,
1971. Shimla is the capital city and is a popular hill
station of India.
Himachal is sometimes referred to as “God’s own Abode”.
Dotted with many ancient temples and monuments, the
Himalayan region often called as the “Magical Showcase of
Nature’s Splendor” is a dreamland for visitors. This
Himalayan region is also popular for its winter sports.
Courses and competitions in skiing and mountaineering,
carnivals, cultural evenings and many more to chose from… |
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| HISTORY |
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Earliest
History (2250 BC – 1500 BC)
The earliest history of Himachal Pradesh dates back to the
period between 2250 and 1750 BC when it was inhabited by the
people of Indus valley civilization. These people pushed the
original inhabitants of Ganga plains who were known as
Kolorian people towards north. They moved to the hills of
Himachal Pradesh where they could live peacefully and
preserve their way of living.
In the Vedas they (people of Himachal) have been referred to
as Dasas, Dasyus and Nishadas while in later works they have
been called Kinnars, Nagas and Yakshas. The Kols or Mundas
are believed to be the original migrants to the hills of
present day Himachal. The second phase of migrants came in
the form of Mongoloid people known as Bhotas and Kiratas.
Later on (around 1500 BC) came the third and most important
wave of migrants in the form of the Aryans who left their
Central Asian home and settled in the fertile plains of
Punjab. These people laid the base of history and culture of
Himachal Pradesh.
Mythological View
The ancient history of Himachal Pradesh can be found in
Hindu epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. The Mahabharata
mentions the janapadas (some sort of a kingdom) of Kuluta (Kullu),
Trigarta (Kangra), Kulind (Shimlahills and Sirmaur),
Yugandhar (Bilaspur and Nalagarh) and Gobdika (Chamba).
Scriptures like Vedas and Puranas have also mentions about
this region. The Rig Veda mentions the rivers which flow
through Himachal. It also tells about the mighty king
“Shambar” and his 99 strong forts in the region between the
Beas and the Yamuna rivers.
Gupta and Harsha Empire
Before the Gupta Empire was established, the state saw
several tribal kings who ruled the foothills drained by
three rivers, i.e. Ravi, Beas and Satluj. These kingdoms
were Audumbras, Trigarta, Kuluta and Kulindas.
Chandragupta slowly extended his empire by show of strength
or use of force though he usually did not rule them
directly. Ashoka, the grandson of Chandragupta was a great
ruler and extended his boundaries to the Himalayan region.
He introduced Buddhism to this tract. He built many stupas;
one of which is in the Kullu valley.
After the collapse of Gupta Empire and before the rise of
Harsha, this area was again ruled by petty chiefs known as
Thakurs and Ranas. With the rise of Harsha in the early 7th
century, most of these small states acknowledged his overall
supremacy though many local powers remained with the petty
chiefs.
Mughal Rule
A few decades after Harsha's death (647 A.D.) many Rajput
states ascended in Rajasthan and Indus plains. They fought
amongst themselves and the vanquished moved to thehills with
their followers, where they set up small states or
principalities. These states were Kangra, Nurpur, Suket,
Mandi, Kutlehar, Baghal, Bilaspur, Nalagarh, Keonthal, Dhami,
Kunihar, Bushahar, Sirmour. The small hill kingdom enjoyed a
large degree of independence till the eve of Muslim
invasions in northern India. States of the foothills were
devastated by Muslim invaders from time to time. Mahmud
Ghaznavi conquered Kangra at the begining of the 10th
century. Timur and Sikander Lodi also marched through the
lowerhills, fought many battles and captured several forts.
Pre independence Period (British Raj)
In early 19th century, Himachal was under the control of the
British. They exercised their influence and occupied the
areas of Shimla after the Gurkha War of 1815-16. The states
of Chamba, Mandi and Bilaspur made good progress during
British rule. 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 majesty.
The people of Himachal Pradesh had also participated in the
freedom struggle. Praja Mandal launched demonstrations
against the British and demanded for social and political
reforms. The Congress party was also active in this region
under the leadership of several political leaders viz. Dr.
Y.S. Parmar, Padam Dev, Shivanand Ramaul, Purnanand, Satya
Dev, Sada Ram Chandel, Daulat Ram, Thakur Hazara Singh and
Pahari Gandhi Baba Kanshi Ram. The struggle for independence
came to an end on 15th August, 1947 when India got its
independence.
Post independence Period
The post independence history of Himachal Pradesh is
depicted below.
1. Himachal Pradesh (H.P.) was made a Chief Commissioner's
province on 15th April, 1948.
2. H.P. became a part C state on 26th January, 1950 with the
implementation of the Constitution of India.
3. Bilaspur was included in the state on 1st July, 1954.
4. Himachal Pradesh was given a status of Union Territory on
1st November, 1956.
5. Kangra and most of the other hill areas of Punjab were
merged with H.P. on 1st November, 1966 though its status
remained that of a Union Territory
6. The State of Himachal Pradesh Act was passed in the
Parliament on 18th December, 1970. H.P. came into being as
the eighteenth state of Indian Union on 25th January, 1971. |
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| GEOGRAPHY |
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Himachal, the “Abode
of Snow”, is a state located in the northern part of India
covering an area of 55,673 sq. km. The state’s terrain rises
from the foothills of the Shivaliks bordering the plains of
Punjab and extends to the trans-Himalayan heights of the
Zanskar Range, bordering Ladakh and Tibet. The state shares
common boundaries with Punjab to the west, Uttar Pradesh to
the southeast, China to the east, Haryana to the southeast,
and Jammu & Kashmir to the North.
The entire region of Himachal Pradesh is characterized by
hills and forests. The altitude varies between 350 meters to
7000 meters above the sea level. Himachal Pradesh is divided
into three distinct regions, the Shivalik or outer
Himalayas, middle Himalayas or inner Himalayas, and greater
Himalayas or the alpine zone.
The lower Himalayas include the districts of Hamirpur,
Kangra, Una, Bilaspur, and the lower parts of Solan, Sirmaur,
and Mandi commonly known as the Shivalik Hills. The altitude
in this region ranges from 350 meters to 1,500 meters.
The middle Himalayas comprises the region between the
altitudes of 1,500 meters and 4,500 meters. The districts
under this region are parts of Sirmaur, Mandi, and the upper
parts of Kangra, Shimla, and Chamba.
The greater Himalayas or the alpine zone is at an altitude
of 4,500 meters and above. The region is cut across by the
river Sutlej and comprises the Kinnaur and Pangi tehsils of
Chamba, and some part of Lahaul and Spiti.
There are nine different types of soils found in Himachal
Pradesh which include alluvial soils, Brown hill soils,
Brown earths, Brown porests soils, Grey wooded or Podozolic
soils, Grey brown podzolic soils, Plansolic soils, Humus and
iron Podzols and Alpine hunus mountain skeletal soils.
Majority areas in the state come under seismic zone IV and V
which is a very High Damage Risk Zone. |
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| CULTURE |
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Himachal Pradesh is
a state of many splendors. The culture and civilization of
the state is incredibly old. The vast area covered by exotic
mountains, along with some fantastic altitude gradients
result in the tremendous bio-diversity of the Himalayan
region. Vegetation and wildlife both change according to the
varying altitude and the resulting differences in climatic
conditions. Most of the people are either Hindu or Buddhist,
depending on agriculture for their livelihood.
The God fearing, simple and kind hearted people of Himachal
are tradition bound and they have retained their old
cultural heritage despite the large passage of time. The
monuments of the state reveal crosscurrents of cultural and
stylistics exchange along with local innovation in Art. The
love for celebration is deeply ingrained in their culture
and it finds expression through the various occasions on the
Himachali calendar. The foods of the state have
distinguishing flavours and are prepared especially during
festive occasions. The state is also famous for its art and
crafts. Thapada is a shawl which is designed in this state
with a touch of embroidery works. Festivals are celebrated
with great enthusiasm by dancing and singing. |
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