Glimpses of Himachal Pradesh with Sample Itinerary: Pictorial Travelogue, #6

By Ansusekhar Guin and Madhuri Guin

Himachal Pradesh is in the North Eastern part of India. It is known as the "Land of Gods" and is very popular with tourists and pilgrims. Himachal Pradesh is mainly in the Himalayas. The Himalayas starts from Burma and goes through China, Tibet, Assam, West Bengal, Nepal, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Kashmir, Pakistan, and Afghanistan to Middle East Asia.

In the northeast of Himachal Pradesh are the Himalayas, the Dhauladhar range in the northwest, and the Shivalik range in the South. The Pir Panjal range separates it from Kashmir.

The natural beauty of the entire Himachal Pradesh, be it Dharamshala, Manali, or Spiti Valley, attracts crores of tourists all over the year. Lakhs of tourists and pilgrims assemble in Kulu valley for the Dusserah festival. Flora and fauna of Himachal Pradesh are in abundance. In the spring, Himachal becomes colorful with thousands of flowers and fruits. Known and unknown birds fill the atmosphere with their chirping. One can see various jungle animals, like, panther, leopard, black bear, brown bear, snow leopard, etc. The rivers of Himachal are full of trout fish. Himachal is a paradise for trekkers. According to the tourist department of Himachal, 134 peaks of more than 5000 meters in height change their colors at Sunrise, Sunset, daytime, and full moon nights.

The most significant boost to tourism happened during the mid-80s to mid- 90s when the State invested much in infrastructure. In the beginning, Himachal became the summer destination. However, the department of tourism and civil aviation of the State wanted to make it a destination for all seasons. Accordingly, they developed the infrastructure with particular emphasis on activity-based tourism. Now Himachal is also known as "A destination for all seasons and all reasons." To promote tourism in the countryside, the State invested as much as possible within available resources.

According to the 2021 estimate, 56 lakhs of tourists visiting Himachal Pradesh, which was a 75% increase over 2020. There are 84 hotels and 14 Homestays of Himachal Tourism at different tourist destinations. In addition, there are unlimited private hotels at these places. According to State Government statistics of December 2021, there are 7369 hotels and homestays, 850 restaurants, and 128250 beds all over Himachal Pradesh.

Himachal is the hub of adventure, Nature, culture, history & spirituality. The varied topography of snow-capped peaks, friendly locales, lush green meadows, deep valleys, pristine rivers, and thick forests have made the gorgeous State of Himachal Pradesh a beautiful destination. Himachal offers solace to the mind and souls of nature lovers. Himachal is a paradise for not only thrilling and mind-boggling trekking and paragliding, but there are also lush green valleys like Kinnaur, Kullu, and Kangra & barren terrains of Lahaul & Spiti, and the Buddhist culture of Mcleodganj. In addition, there are famous lakes like Renuka, Rewalsar, Prashar, Suraj Tal & Chandratal.

The cheapest way to travel in Himachal Pradesh is by bus. But this may be time-consuming and require more time to cover the State. So the best way is to hire a rental car. We are presenting most of Himachal's well-known and off-beat places in this book. The State-run Himachal Road transport corporation runs the public transport system in Himachal Pradesh, where one can book bus tickets online.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ansusekhar Guin
• Release date: Feb 20, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224092055

Ansusekhar Guin

Ansusekhar Guin, retired from Govt. service in the year 2006, and Madhuri Guin are addicted to travelling and regularly travel within and outside India. They also operate a YouTube travel channel " The Bong Explorers", where they share videos of their trips. So far, they have uploaded 90 travel videos. Madhuri Guin operates an e-commerce business, named www.dollsofindia.com, where she is marketing Indian art and culture through paintings, sculptures, posters, Textiles, jewellery, fashion items, unique crafts and puja items.They just started writing picture travelogues and itineraries on their experience of travel in different countries. These books are available as kindle edition, e-books, paperbacks in black & white and Hardcover in colour in Amazon. The list of their travelogues is: Glimpses of Italy and Sample Itinerary, Around the World through some sample itineraries, Madhya Pradesh: Heartland of India, Glimpses of Himachal Pradesh with Sample Itinerary, Budget Travel in Dubai, the Shining Gem of Arabian Desert, Glimpses of Karnataka (Sample Travel Plans), Glimpses of Gujarat Visit: Sample Itinerary, Glimpses of Uttarakhand with Sample Itinerary, Glimpses of Sikkim Visit: Sample Itinerary, France: The Country of Love and Art.

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Chapter 1: Glimpses of Himachal Pradesh with Sample Itinerary

Himachal Pradesh is in the North Eastern part of India. It is known as the Land of Gods and is very popular with tourists and pilgrims. Himachal Pradesh is mainly in the Himalayas. The Himalayas starts from Burma and goes through China, Tibet, Assam, West Bengal, Nepal, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Kashmir, Pakistan, and Afghanistan to Middle East Asia.

More than 1000 years before the birth of Christ, the Das tribes from the Ganges valley settled in Himachal Pradesh. The mixture of Aryas, the locals, and Das sometimes created different tribes who formed their kingdoms. The Guptas reigned from the second to the fifth Century, and then came Bardhans, Ranas, and Thakurs. Muslims entered Himachal Pradesh in the 10th Century. Himachal was attacked many times by Mahmood of Gajni in the 11th Century, Tughlak in the 14th Century, and Mughal in the 16th Century. Then came Gorkhas from Nepal and the Thakurs sought help from the British. That was the beginning of the British establishing the summer retreats in Himachal. In 1864, the British found their summer capital in Simla. When China captured Tibet, Dalai Lama and his mission came from Lhasa in 1959 and established their colony in Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh.

The Rajputs came to Himachal over the years and made their small kingdoms. Finally, on 15th April 1948, 30 Rajput kingdoms and Punjab's hilly areas made Himachal Pradesh and joined India as a separate state. But actually, it got state recognition only in 1971.

In the northeast of Himachal Pradesh are the Himalayas, the Dhauladhar range in the northwest, and the Shivalik range in the South. The Pir Panjal range separates it from Kashmir.

According to Hindu mythology, Manu, the creator of humanity, came to Manali in Himachal Pradesh after the great deluge. The natural beauty of the entire Himachal Pradesh, be it Dharamshala, Manali, or Spiti Valley, attracts crores of tourists all over the year. Lakhs of tourists and pilgrims assemble in Kulu valley for the Dusserah festival. Flora and fauna of Himachal Pradesh are in abundance. In the spring, Himachal becomes colorful with thousands of flowers and fruits. Known and unknown birds fill the atmosphere with their chirping. One can see various jungle animals, like, panther, leopard, black bear, brown bear, snow leopard, etc. The rivers of Himachal are full of trout fish. Himachal is a paradise for trekkers. According to the tourist department of Himachal, 134 peaks of more than 5000 meters in height change their colors at sunrise, Sunset, daytime, and full moon nights.

A lot of boosts happened to Tourism when the British declared Shimla as India's summer capital and built a chain of hill stations in Himachal Pradesh, which never looked back. The most significant boost to tourism happened during the mid-80s to mid- 90s when the State invested much in infrastructure. In the beginning, Himachal became the summer destination. However, the department of tourism and civil aviation of the State wanted to make it a destination for all seasons. Accordingly, they developed the infrastructure with particular emphasis on activity-based tourism. Now Himachal is also known as A destination for all seasons and all reasons. To promote tourism in the countryside and unexplored areas, the State invested as much as possible within available resources.

According to the 2021 estimate, 56 lakhs of tourists visiting Himachal Pradesh, which was a 75% increase over 2020. There are 84 hotels and 14 Homestays of Himachal Tourism at different tourist destinations. In addition, there are unlimited private hotels at these places. According to State Government statistics of December 2021, there are 7369 hotels and homestays, 850 restaurants, and 128250 beds all over Himachal Pradesh.

There are five airports serving Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, and Pathankot in Punjab, the border of the State, and Bhuntar-Kullu, Gaggal- Kangra, and Jubarhatti-Simla inside the State.

Pathankot is the major broad gauge station serving Himachal as the direct train connection. In addition, there are three narrow gauge lines: Kalka-Simla, Pathankot-Joginder Nagar, and Una Himachal line.

Himachal is easily accessible by Bus from Pathankot, Chandigarh, and Kalka. Interstate bus services are also available from neighboring states. Online bus booking is also available from Himachal Tourism and Himachal Road Transport Corporation. Taxis are available in plenty to go to any corner of the State, and road conditions in most places are good.

Himachal is the hub of adventure, Nature, culture, history & spirituality. The varied topography of snow-capped peaks, friendly locales, lush green meadows, deep valleys, pristine rivers, and thick forests have made the gorgeous State of Himachal Pradesh a beautiful destination. Himachal offers solace to the mind and souls of nature lovers. Himachal is a paradise for not only thrilling and mind-boggling trekking and paragliding, but there are also lush green valleys like Kinnaur, Kullu, and Kangra & barren terrains of Lahaul & Spiti, and the Buddhist culture of Mcleodganj. In addition, there are famous lakes like Renuka, Rewalsar, Prashar, Suraj Tal & Chandratal.

The cheapest way to travel in Himachal Pradesh is by bus. But this may be time-consuming and require more time to cover the State. So the best way is to hire a rental car. We are presenting most of Himachal's well-known and off-beat places in this book. The State-run Himachal Road transport corporation runs the public transport system in Himachal Pradesh, where one can book bus tickets online, whose link is given below:

https://online.hrtchp.com/oprs-web/avail/services.do

For car rental, one can contact the following links. A four-seater sedan car for 30 days may cost around Rs. 75000.

https://himachalcarrentals.com/

https://www.maharanacab.com/car-rental-himachal/

https://himachalcarrentalservice.com/

And many more

One can opt for hotels, homestays, B&B, or apartments to