Himachal Pradesh India
About Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is located in North West in India in the lap of the Great Himalayas . It is bordered by Jammu and Kashmir in the North , Punjab in the West , Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in the South and Tibet in the East. This beautiful state is divided into two parts Southern and Northern Himachal.
The southern Himachal also known as lower Himachal is as hot as plain areas ,where as upper is Northern Himachal less hot in Summer and extreme cold and heavy snow in Winter. Himachal Pradesh - the land of eternal snow peaks - takes in the transition zone from the plains to the high Himalaya and in the trans-Himalayan region of Lahaul and Spiti, actually crosses that mighty barrier to the Tibetan plateau. The Kullu valley, with its developed and tourist-oriented economy, can be considered the backbone of the state. Off the east is thew Parbati valley, popular
with long stay visitors. In the Chamba and Kangra regions can be found typical British hill stations and small but beautiful temple complexes.
Himachal city information
Brief profile of some important cities of Himachal, for other details like places to see, tour operators, hotels, restaurants and other travel information and other cities of Himachal click here.
Manali
40 kms. away from Kulu to the north, Manali is situated near the end of the
valley on the National Highway leading to Leh. The landscape here is breath
taking. One sees well-defined snow capped peaks, the Beas river with its clear
water meanders through the town. On the other side are deodar and pine trees,
tiny fields and fruit orchards. It is an excellent place for a holiday, a favorite
resort for trekkers to Lahaul, Spiti, Kinnaur, Leh and Zanskar regions in Kashmir
valley. It is known as the SWITZERLAND OF INDIA.
Shimla & Around
The British called Shimla the "Queen of Hill Stations." Situated in the north-West Himalayas, Shimla the summer capital of India before independence is now the capital of Himachal Pradesh. Shimla derives its name from "Shyamala";- the goddess Kali, whose temple existed in the dense forest that covered Jakhu Hill in the early 19th century. The English named it Simla. Shimla is well connected by air,
road and rail with all parts of Himachal Pradesh, and the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashimir and the Union territory of Chandigarh. Covering the area of 18 sq. km. at a height of 7,238 ft. Shimla is surrounded by pine, deodar, oak and rhododendron forests. Its well developed facilities, easy accessibility and numerous attractions make it one of Indian's most popular and biggest hill-stations.
Dalhouise
is built on and around five hills. Located on the western edge of the Dhauladhar mountain range of the Himalayas, it is surrounded by the beautiful scenery of snow-capped peaks. Dalhousie is situated at 6000-9000 feet above sea level.
The
best time to visit is in the summer, and the peak tourist season is from May to September. Scottish and Victorian architecture is prevalent in the bungalows and churches in the town.
khajjiar
khajjiar 23 kms from Dalhousie by road and 13 kms from Kalatop is the mini Switzerland of India at a height of 6400 ft. Hutchison writes, "Khajjiar is a forest
glade of great beauty, 6400 feet above sea level". Khajjiar is often reffered to as "Gulmarg of Himachal Pradesh".
Dharamshala
Dharamshala is the district hqr. of Kangra district. This is a hill station lying on the
spur of the Dhauladhar range about 18kms. north east of Kangra town. Hill station is wooded with oak and conifer trees and snow capped mountains enfold three sides of the town while the valley stretches in front. The snow line is perhaps more easily accessible at Dharamshala than at any other hill resort and it is possible to trek to snow point after an early morning's start.
Chamba
The town of Chamba, the district headquarter of Chamba district is situated in the western Himalayas between north latitudes 32°10' and 33°13' and east longitudes 75°45' and 77°33'. The town stands on a plateau on the right bank of the Ravi river valley between Dhauladhar and Zanskar ranges south of the inner Himalayas
