Information on most popular Tourist destinations in Himachal Pradesh.

The most popular travel destinations in India , fall in the state of Himachal , The Best of Himachal Tour gives you a glimpse of the must see destinations in the area , The information is as follows :

 

Himachal Pradesh Tourism

Himachal Pradesh has been a closed book till recent times. The cavalcade of time in the adjacent plains barely touched Himachal. The world of its people has consequently been different from that of the neighboring plains. Conquerors have come and gone, leaving but little impact, and the myths and beliefs of Himachal have remained unaffected. Thou-sands of years of isolation have only helped to ensure that modern thought and investigation find it difficult to penetrate the labyrinthine and misty paths.

Himachal Pradesh, spread over 55,673 square kilometers and with a population of 51, 11,079 (1991 census), is situated south of Jammu and Kashmir, north-east of Punjab, north-west of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and west of Tibet. It is a mountainous region, known for the natural beauty of its forests, rivers, valleys, hills and dales, which are as rich in material resources as in cultural and human values. Being located on the international border with Tibet, it is of high strategic importance.

The State is located in altitudes ranging from 450 meters to 6,500 metres above sea level. It is veiled from the plains by the Shivalik range of mountains. Shivalik literally means the 'tresses of Shiva' and to ancient geographers it was known as Mainak Parvat.

The most prominent landmark of the state is the perennial white snowline on various peaks. The Dhauladhar overlooks the Kangra valley in supreme grandeur, while the Pir Panjal, the great Himalayan and the Zaskar ranges stand guard over Chamba, Lahul Spiti, Kulu and Kinnaur. The majestic peaks, consecrated by many a legend, are visible from a distance. The mountain slopes are covered with forests and meadows. The peaceful valleys below are interspersed with crisscrossing streams, green fields, lonely ham-lets and thinly populated villages.

There is a general increase in elevation from west to east and from south to north. The three physiographic divisions from south to north are the outer Himalayas or the Shivaliks; the lesser Himalayas or the central zone; and the great Himalayan and Zaskar or the northern zone.

The Shivaliks consist of lower hills (about 600 meters above sea level). These hills are composed of highly unconsolidated deposits which are eroded all too easily. The result has been deforestation and a high rate of erosion, leading to formation of chos which have laid waste and made huge sandy tracts of land in the plains below.

The lesser Himalayas are marked by a gradual elevation towards the Dhauladhar and the Pir Panjal ranges. The rise is more abrupt in the Shimia hills, to the south of which is the high peak of Churh-Chandni (3,647 metres). North of Sutlej, the rise is gradual. The series of parallel ranges are divided by longitudinal valleys, the only exception being the Kulu valley which runs transverse to the main alignment. In the proximity of the plains, the hill and valley features are somewhat distinct, but at higher elevations the hills and dales intermingle and successive ranges and valleys continuously increase in height.

The Kangra valley is a longitudinal trough at the foot of, means, the ' the Dhauladhar range. Dhauladhar which white peak', branches off from the great Himalayan range near Badrinath and forms the most striking feature. It is intercepted y by the Sutlej at Rampur Bushahar by the leas at Larji and by the Ravi south-west of Chamba. The northern flank of the Dhauladhar impinges against the southern flank of the Pir elevation of Dhauladhar is Panjal range at the mountain knot of Bara Banghal. The mean about 4,550 metres. It has an abrupt rise of 3,600 meters above the landscape of which it coin Kangra valley, the pletely dominates. On the southern side of Dhauladhar range an old moraine is found at as low a height as 1,200 metres while in some parts of Kangra, glaciers are believed to have_ descended to 950 metres. Numerous river terraces are also observed near Kangra, Mandi and Kulu.

The largest of the lesser Himalayan ranges, the Fir Panjal, bifurcates from the greater Himalayan range near the bank of the Sutlej, forming the water-parting between the Chenab on the one side and the Beas and the Ravi on the other. It bends towards the Dhauladhar range near the source of the Ravi. Numerous glaciers exist in the Pir Panjal, south of Lahul, where a considerable area rises above the snowline. The Rohtang Pass (4,880 metres) and several other passes lie across it. Most of these passes are snow-bound and impassable from December to April.

The great Himalayan range (5,000-6,000 metres) runs along the eastern boundary and is cut across by the Sutlej. The range separates the drainage of the Spiti from that of the Beas. Some of the famous passes in this range are Kangla (5,248 metres), Bara Lacha (4,512 metres), Parang (5,548 metres) and Pin Parbati (4,802 metres).

The Zaskar range is the eastern-most range and separates Kinnaur and Spiti from Tibet. It has peaks rising over 6,500 metres. Shilla (7,026 metres) and Riwo Phargyul (6,791 metres) are the highest among its peaks. The range is cut across by the Sutlej. There are many glaciers over the Zaskar and the great Himalayan ranges. The local term for the glacier is 'shigri', probably derived from the big Shigri glacier that once caused great havoc. Himachal has the unique distinction of providing water to both the Indus and the Ganges basins. The major river systems of the region are the Chandrabhaga or the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas, the Sutlej and the Yamuna. These perennial rivers are fed by snow and rainfall and are protected by a fairly extensive cover of natural vegetation.

Chandrabhaga River

The Chandrabhaga (Vedic name Askni), the largest river (in volume of water), is formed after the confluence of two streams, Chandra and Bhaga, at Tundi in Lahul. The Chenab or Chandrabhaga, flows some 122 km in Himachal before entering Kashmir. The 1,200-km-long Chenab has a catchment area of 61,000 square km out of which 7,500 square km is in Himachal. The Chandra passes through barren land where naturally there are no signs of life. No villages adorn its banks and nothing greets the eve but the never-ending monotonous cliffs, which are lapped by the fierce stream as it rushes in wild fury against its banks. The valley of the Chenab is a structural trough formed by the great Himalayan and Pir Panjal ranges.

The Ravi (Vedic name Purushni and in later Sanskrit Iravati) is born in Bara Banghal, Kangra district as a joint stream formed by the glacier-fed Bhadal and Tantgari. It emerges from the area through a precipitous gorge. The river with its length of about 158 km in Himachal has a catchment area of about 5,451 km. Chamba lies on its right bank.

The Beas (Vedic name Ariiikiya and in later Sanskrit Vipasa) rises in the Pir Panjal range near the Rohtang Pass and flows some 256 km in Himachal before entering the plains at Mirthal. The river is joined by a number of tributaries, the important being the Parbati, the Hurla, the Sainj, the Uhl, the Suketi, the Luni, the Banganga and the Chaki. The northern and eastern tributaries of the Beas are snow-fed and perennial, while the southern affluent are seasonal. During August its inflow increases greatly and sometimes results in floods.

Sutlej River

The Sutlej (Vedic name Saturdi and  Shatadru) originates in later Sanskrit distant Tibet. If flows about 400 km almost parallel to Indus and then cuts through both the great Himalayan and the Zaskar ranges. It crosses Indo-Ti-betan border near Shipkila. Then the Spiti joins it from the north. Passing through precipitous gorges and narrow valleys it emerges from the mountains at Bhakra. The catchment area of Sutlej in Himachal is 20,000 square km.

The Yamuna has its origin in Yamunotri in Uttar Ka (U.P.). Its total catchment area in Himachal is 2,320 square km. Its main tributaries are the Tons, the Giri and the Bata. It leaves Himachal near Tajewala headwork’s to enter Haryana.

There is great diversification in the climatic conditions of Himachal Pradesh due to variation in elevation (450 metres-6,500 metres) and aspect. The climatic conditions vary from hot and sub-humid tropical (450 metres-900 metres) in the southern low tracts, warm and temperate (900 metres —1,800 metres), cool and temperate (1,900 metres-2,400 metres), and cold alpine and glacial (2,400 metres-4,800 metres) in the northern and eastern high mountain ranges. The climate in Lahul-Spiti and Kinnaur is of the semi-arid highland type.

The year is divided into three seasons – cold (October to February), hot (March to June) and rainy (July to September). By October the skies are clear and mornings and evenings bracingly cold. Humidity is low. Nights and mornings are very cold, especially in the valleys. Snowfall usually occurs in the higher areas in December and January, though uncommon falls may be experienced earlier or later. At elevations of about 3,000 metres, the average snowfall is about three metres and lasts from December to March. Above 4,500 metres is perpetual snow. Gaddis and semi-nomadic shepherds, who follow the seasonal rhythm, descend from high slopes to the valleys.

The severity of winter is generally over by the end of February. Temperature begins to rise gradually. Spring, from mid-February to March-April, is short-lived but extremely delightful. The air is cool and fresh. Flowers of myriad hues adorn the valleys, forest slopes and meadows. After this, the weather becomes hot and dusty in the areas adjoining the plains, but is pleasant and comfortable at heights where most of the hill stations are located.

Summer months are the most popular times to visit Himachal Pradesh and the most sort after travel itineraries include Shimla Manali Tour, Manali Volvo Packages and the Dalhousie Dharamshala Amritsar Tour. 

The monsoons set in towards the end of June or early July. With the rains the entire landscape becomes green and fresh. Streams begin to swell and springs are replenished. July and August are the rainiest months and considerable damage is caused by erosion, floods and landslides. Rainfall tapers off by the end of September which ushers in autumn —crisp and exhilarating.

Humidity in Himachal is generally higher than in the adjoining plains during the pre-monsoon and monsoon periods. After September it declines and continues to be so until April. Beyond Kulu towards Lahul-Spiti and Kinnaur, rainfall decreases due to rain-shadow effect. Spiti is the driest area (below 50 mm rainfall), being enclosed by high mountains on all sides. Dharamsala is the rainiest place (3,400 mm rainfall). Shimla and Nurpur lie in a rainfall zone of 1,500 mm-2,000 mm, Dharamsala, Kangra, Palampur and Jogindernagar in a zone exceeding 2,000 mm. There is a gradual decrease in rainfall towards Mandi, Rampur, Kulu, Kalpa and Keylong. Most of Lahul and Spiti receive less than 500 mm of precipitation.

Due to a wide range of altitudes and climatic conditions, Himachal has rich flora. Several varieties of vegetation from the Himalayan meadows and high-altitude birch and rhododendron down to the tropical shrub and bamboo forests of the low foothills are found here. Forests cover about 38 per cent of the area. They are, however not uniformly distributed and are mostly confined to higher hills and interior valleys. In the lower and more approachable areas the forests have been cleared to make room for cultivation and settlement. Most of the forests belong to the Govern-cover 50 mint and efforts are being made to increase their area to per cent of the state.

The soil of Himachal varies according to aspect, altitude and climate. On the whole, the soil is thin. Depth occurs in the valley or on hill slopes.

Owing to differing climates in the State, it has a variety of wildlife. The carnivorous animals include the leopard or the panther, the ibex, the jackal, the wild dog, the yellow jungle cat, the fox, the wolf and the marmot. Other animals are the sambar, the cheetal, the barking deer, the ghural and the hog deer. The cheetal prefers the sal forests, chausingha, open grassy glades and the sambar the low hills. The ghural is found at precipices and the barking deer keeps to the forests in high hills in summer and to lower hills in winter. Kastura (musk deer) is found at high altitudes. Elephant and tiger, which used to be plentiful, are now almost extinct. Hares, jungle fowl, peafowl, partridges and quails are plentiful in the lower hills. Kali pheasant is found in the low slopes and Monal (snow pheasant) at high snowy altitudes.

In the hills the concepts of home, village, family, and community are different from those in the plains. Here the home is a small dwelling place of one or two rooms where man and animal coexist; a village, a couple of hamlets on the hillside with small terraced fields around; a family is a well-knit unit working without division of labour. Things and attitudes are, however, changing with the spread of the means of communication and the advent of planned development.

Most of the people live in some 16,807 rural habitations, varying in size from isolated hamlets to conglomerated settlements. The average population per village is about 257, varying from 57 in Shimla district to 1475 in Kangra district. The wide valleys of Kangra are conducive to larger settlements while the hilly tracts of Shimla restrict their size. In the high anal arid areas of Lahul-Spiti and Kinnaur, the settlements exist at a few favorable sites and the villages have an average population of 500 to 1,000.

The rural settlements are semi-sprinkled or hamlet type, sprinkled or dispersed type, and isolated homesteads. Intensive use of land, collective management of water and a common agricultural routine has led to the growth of small hamlets or semi-sprinkled type of settlements. The sprinkled or dispersed habitations have developed where the agricultural land is divided in patches as a result of dissection of soil. Here fields are small and scattered and peasants generally live on farmsteads to take greater care of land and to protect their crops from wild animals.

Villages have picturesque setting. They are situated in valleys, on terraces, or on spur-tops, at sites free from high winds or landslips and near a water source. Other considerations are hill routes and religious centers. Rural houses are simple structures and are often grouped without any plan, the arrangement depending on the nature of the ground on which they stand. They are built to provide shelter to the peasant, his family, animals and pets and for storing grains and agricultural implements. Houses are generally built with local material. In valleys the rural houses are grouped amid a thicket of trees with a small water channel flowing by.

Himachal has only 49 cities and towns, mostly small ones where urban local bodies exist. The smallest town is Naina Devi with a population of about 618 and the largest is Shimla with a population of about 89,798. Urban population is about 7.5 per cent of the total population. Most of the towns are district or tehsil headquarters. Some are cantonments while the others are either tourist resorts or religious centres. New townships are springing up where industrial areas have been developed. 

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Himachal Pradesh Tours