Himachal Pradesh Tourism

Churches in Dalhousie

jaganath — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:14:53 +0000

Dalhousie is one of the calmest and peaceful destinations in India blessed with the natural beauty one can ever imagine. In between the snow filled green pine trees and lofty hills there are plenty of Churches build during the time of British rule. The churches reflect the architectural beauty that resembles colonial era. One of the most famous and beautiful churches in Dalhousie is St Patrick’s Church. It is a very big church which can accommodate more than 300 people at a time. The church is under the Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar. It is build by the British in 1909. The oldest of all the churches in Dalhousie is the St. John’s Church built by the protestant missionaries during 1894. one of the main attraction of this church is on the left entrance of the church there is a library which has literatures which gives extensive knowledge on the history of Dalhousie.

The nearest airport and railway station to Dalhousie is Pathankot. There are several hotels and resorts in Dalhousie for overnight stay.

Mashobra

jaganath — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 09:39:14 +0000

Mashobra is Himachal Pradesh’s beautiful retreat hideout for centuries. Mashobra is one of the two presidential retreats in the country. This small hill station is the most high profile hill stations in Himachal yet it is lesser known to the normal tourist crowd. Mashobra is filled with beautiful dense coniferous forest which gets covered in snow during winter seasons. A trip to Mashobra will give not only peace of mind but also gives an insight on Himachal Pradesh’s culture and traditions. There are several temples to visit in Mashobra. Imperial mansions like Wildflower Hall which was the residence of Lord Kitchener and Lord Ripon during the British era is another attraction. Today this mansion is part of Oberoi Properties. Mishobra is part of Shimla Reserve Forest sanctuary. The hill station is rich with flora and fauna. Mashobra is the best choice for spending a hustle free peaceful vacation. Mashobra is accessible by air and rail the nearest airport and Railway station is in Shimla which is just 10 km away from the hill station. There are also several hotels and resorts in Mashobra for tourists to have a memorable vacation.

Adventure sports in Himachal Pradesh

jaganath — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:26:35 +0000

Himachal Pradesh is a destination blessed with several places suitable for adventure sports. Be it hill station or the valley, there is adventure in every nook and corner of this state. Simla, Dalhousie, Kufri, Kasauli, Manali, Chail and Kullu are the hill stations which are famous for providing adventure sports like trekking, skiing, heli- skiing, ice skating etc. Himachal Pradesh can give a very different experience for all the adventure enthusiasts.

One can push their limits by engaging in adrenalin raising sports like para gliding, mountain cycling, white water rafting, mountaineering and rock climbing. They can even romance with the nature by engaging in fishing, camping, golfing and jeep safari.

There is an airport located in Kullu which is 23 km away from the city vicinity. The Simla- Kalka railway line is the nearest railway station to visit anywhere in the state. There are plenty of hotels and hill resorts in Himachal Pradesh.

Shopping in Dalhousie

jaganath — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:09:24 +0000

Dalhousie is a beautiful hill station in Himachal Pradesh. The hill station is named after the British Governor. The place is blessed with natural beauty packed with pine and oak trees offering the best side of Himalayas. The buildings and churches all reflects the British colonialism. The whole hill station has an out look of a foreign country. Dalhousie is located near the banks of River Ravi. It is a retreat for tourists who prefer peaceful vacation.

There are several activities that can make a Dalhousie vacation more exciting, apart from trekking and camping, shopping in Dalhousie is also worth. Dalhousie is a store house of unique souvenirs which should not be missed. There are several shops, market areas and malls to grab handicrafts and artefacts to fill your shopping bag. Handloom items, Tibetan carpets, woollen sweaters and shawls are the popular items to buy.

Kangra airport is the nearest air base to reach Dalhousie which is just 140 km away. For rail travellers Pathankot is the nearest railway station. There are hotels and resorts in Dalhousie for over night stay.

Dharamshala: A walk in the snow

jaganath — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:23:51 +0000

Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh is the second name of paradise on earth. Endless mountain ranges filled with snow, shows the best side of Himalayas. Many tourists would agree this statement because there are very few places that can compare the beauty of this dream land.

Dharamshala have the entire ingredient that makes a perfect holiday. Lower Dharamshala is ideal for shopping. It has to be admitted that the lower Dharamshala was as crowded as Simla. The upper Dharamshala was completely different; it had the peacefulness and elegance and was an epitome of British colonial era. There are beautiful stone churchesbuild at the time of British rule, a couple of temples and monasteries.

The beautiful Dal Lake is just 11 km from Dharamshala. The scenic beauty of this place is difficult to express, snow clad mountains, pine trees, grassy slops, spectacular valleys. A visit to Dharamshala will be an experience that lasts for a lifetime. Haryana is the gateway to enter Himachal Pradesh; most of the Tourists enters Himachal Pradesh from here and is accessible by air, rail and road. There are several resorts and hotels in Dharamshala.

Usefulness of monsoon in Himachal

jaganath — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:50:28 +0000

Have you noticed that the price of apples have gone up a bit? The increase of rate has been steady, but it has risen for sure. One possible reason might be the irregular rainfall in the “apple basket of India”. Last year also drought like condition reduced the production of apples by 25%. The same condition is prevailing this year also. Unless there is good rainfall, farmers will face similar productivity reduction. Tragically, in some parts of the state, apple production have completely wiped out.

Apple production this year would be 35-40% lesser, unless of course the rain shows up. Rains should be continuous but not at a stretch. For ripening of fruits, there should be high day temperature and low night temperature. The highest amount of output was recorded in the year 2006-2007; which was of 29 million crates. With the state living on tourism and agriculture, care for the farmers should feature on Government’s agenda list for Himachal. If proper care is not taken on time, then Himachal’s tourism industry will be stuck a powerful blow.

Industrial infrastructure

jaganath — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:08:20 +0000

The State Government has established 16 industrial areas. 11 export promotion parks and 11 industrial estates with basic amenities such as roads, power, sewerage, water, communications and power supply cater to the industrial needs. Shoghi, near Shimla has an electronics complex. The state has established three agro export zones. The Parwanoo agro export zone is one of the largest in Asia.

Brief facts
First hill state in the country to achieve 100 per cent electrification of all census villages by 1988.

Rongtong Power House at an altitude of 12,000 ft approximately, is located at the highest altitude in the world.

Bhabha Power House, an underground facility with a capacity of 1,200 MW.

The Terrains of Himachal Pradesh

jaganath — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:02:14 +0000

Himachal Pradesh can be divided into three physiographical zones: They are the outer Himalayas or the Shivaliks, the inner or the middle Himalayas and the greater Himalayas or the Alpines.

The outer Himalayan region gets heavy rainfall during the monsoon season. The Shivaliks include the districts of Hamirpur, Kangra, Una, Bilaspur, and the lower parts of Solan, Sirmaur and Mandi.

The middle Himalayan region gets partial rainfall as the region is covered with snow for almost 6 months. It includes the parts of Sirmaur, Mandi and parts of Kangra, Shimla and Chamba.

The Alpine zone is at an altitude of 4,500 m and beyond; and comprises of the Kinnnaur and Pangi tehsils of Chamba and some parts of Lahaul and Spiti.

Baspa Valley, a beautiful valley of Kinnaur

jaganath — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:52:59 +0000

Baspa Valley is a river valley named after the Baspa River. It lies in the Kinnaur District of Himachal Pradesh, India. Baspa valley is also called as Sangla valley due to the presence of a major town in the valley by name Sangla.

The Baspa valley starts from Karcham (1,899 meters) where the Baspa river coming from the east joins the Sutlej river. The road for Baspa valley branches from the Hindustan Tibet road at the river junction and after turning south crosses the Satluj over a bridge to reach Karacham.

The valley is surrounded by green fields and high mountain peaks that attract tourists.

When demons marry; People worship them in Kullu

jaganath — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:51:15 +0000

People from across Himachal Pradesh come together every year in Kullu District’s Chachogi village to participate in a unique festival in which both the Gods and demons are worshipped. The festival is known as “Kotlu”. Kotlu is celebrated to make the demons happy.

The festival is celebrated in the form of an act: Four men dressed as demons and four men dressed as Gods. Men covered with flowers play as Gods. The demons wear green leaves and grotesque masks, after which ordinary people are not allowed to either touch them or talk to them.

The Hindu God Mahabali is worshiped on the first day and Kotlu is celebrated on the fifth day. The festival commenced on March 8, 2009 and concluded on March 14, 2009.