Himachal Pradesh Heritage

Himachal Pradesh is a beautiful state in the north of India. It is decorated with lovely snow capped hills and trees that present an eye catching scenery. Hill stations that mesmerize you and rivers that attract you, temples and monasteries that entice you; this is Himachal Pradesh, just for you.

Himachal is blessed with many spellbounding naturally beautiful tourist destinations. Shimla, the capital city of the state, is one of India's most famous hill stations. The small and beautiful town of Kullu is well known for its temples, apple orchards, and the annual Dussehra festival, all of which attract innumerable tourists. Manali is another extremely popular hill station, displaying its lavish unspoilt natural beauty. Chamba, another hill station that is located in a picturesque valley, amidst the Shivalik ranges, is famous for its medieval temples. Dalhousie a city named after Lord Dalhousie, expands over five hills. Khajjiar, a small grassy, is a popular picnic spot of Chamba valley.

In Himachal Pradesh the remote valleys of Lahaul, Spiti and Kinnaur have strong Buddhist traditions. Outstanding gompas, Buddhist monasteries, built along bare mountain-sides seem to be a part of the rugged terrain. These are the collection of a wealth of Buddhist art and culture. The dim, cool interiors of ancient monasteries glow with the brilliance of painted murals, stuccos and elaborate thangkas framed with rich borders of silk. Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama has settled in exile, is a marvelous Tibetan township where an entire cultural tradition is being nurtured. It is a centre that attracts scholars, pilgrims and tourists. Apart from this, there are many other enchanting monasteries in Himachal Pradesh. Some of them are Rewalsar, Guru Ghantal Monastery, Kardang Monastery, Shashur Monastery, Tayul Gompa, Kye Monastery, Thang Yug Gompa, Kungri Gompa, Dhankar Monastery, Tabo Monastery, Nako, Tashigang Gompa, Tilasangh Monastery.

The rich heritage culture and traditions of Himachal Pradesh are as suprising and diverse as the landscape. This is evident through the rich variety of customs, rituals, clothes and handicrafts of this state. The most interesting are the unusual customs of the Kinnauras who live in the eastern district, Kinnaur. These are a curious mix of the Buddhist practices followed in Lahaul & Spiti and the Hindu traditions in the rest of the State. At all important social functions the hereditary oracle of the local deity recites the mythology through the oral tradition of the 'chirong'.

The popular folk dance 'naati' (or 'natti') of Kullu is a part of all celebrations.Earlier it used to be performed only by men dressed in their traditional, swirling tunics, 'churidars' (pyjamas that resemble jodhpurs) and decorated caps, accompanied by four to eight musicians, but now women join in too. This dance has thirteen variations depending on the tempo. Other colourful folk dances are the 'karthi' harvest dance of Kullu, the exciting 'birsu' and 'ghugti' from the upper Shimla hills, and the 'kayang' and 'bakayang' from Kinnaur.

Himachal's handicrafts are unique and special, they represent the quite and calm people of this state. Women of Himachal wear extremely ornamental and beautiful silver jewellery. Other handmade things are richly embroidered scarves, footwear and caps, leather embroidery, beautifully patterned rugs and carpets, woollen blankets and shawls of varying degrees of fineness. The State world famous for the exquisite miniature paintings referred to as the 'Pahari', a school which thrived during the 16th to 18th centuries.

Therefore, Himachal Pradesh is a must visit destination that lures tourists from all over the world.