Himachal Pradesh is one of the chief tourist places in India. Himachal Pradesh is full of tourist attractions. Himachal Pradesh forms a part of the Great Himalayan Range and thus truly portrays the nature.

History of Himachal Pradesh:  During the Vedic period, the Aryan group of people entered the state of Himachal Pradesh. Afterwards, the Guptas, Mauryans and the Mughals tried to control the state so as to have a control over the pilgrimage and the trade routes between Tibet and India. After the decline of Mughal rule, the Ladakh controlled Spiti and Lahul in mid-18 century. In 1840, the state came under the rule of the Sikh kings. At last the state came under the Britishers, who ruled the place till 1947. In the year 1948, Himachal Pradesh was established as administrative unit, which included 30 princely states.

Capital of Himachal Pradesh:  Shimla is the capital of Himachal Pradesh and it was built up in mid-eighteenth century. Britishers used to call Shimla.

Climate of Himachal Pradesh:  The State can be divided into two regions: The Southern part, which is almost as hot as the plains and the northern region having a temperate summer and a winter with extreme cold and heavy snowfall. The rainfall is around 180 cms.

Population in Himachal Pradesh:  6 million.

Culture and Festival of Himachal:  The people of Himachal Pradesh are very proud of their culture and thus remain busy all year round in fairs and festivals, which are full of songs, music and dance. The chief tourist attractions are the Shimla hills, Dalhousie and the Kullu valley. The state of Himachal Pradesh is ideal for activities like trekking, skiing, fishing, golfing, mountaineering etc.

Handicrafts from Himachal Himachal Pradesh is famous for its Handicraft producst. Some of them are designer shawls of Kinnaur, broidered handkerchiefs of Chamba and beautiful caps of Kullu. The state is also well known for the painting school of Kangra Valley.

Festivals of Himachal Pradesh There are various festival celebrated in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Some common ones are Shivratri in Mandi (Feb/March), Tea Festival of Kangra Valley (April), the festival of Sul Mata in Chamba (March), Shimla Summer Festival (May) and many more.

People of Himachal Pradesh:  The people of Himachal Pradesh are called Himachalis. They live a very simple life and are mainly engaged in fields, orchards or flocks. The population here comprises of various tribes like Gadis, Kinnauris, Gujaris, Pangwalis, Rajputs and Lahulis. Hindi is the state language, while Pahari is the principal language. Himachal Pradesh is not so urbanized and that can be seen through its population in which only 10% is urban population.

Occupation of Himachal Pradesh The chief occupations of the people of Himachal Pradesh are agriculture, horticulture, pastoralism and forestry. The chief industrial products of the state are agricultural implements, resin, turpentine, television sets, beer and liquor, fertilizer, cement, processed fruits and many more. There are various artisan based industrial units here in Himachal Pradesh.

Best Time to Visit:  Best Time to Visit in Himachal is during the months Mid-May to Mid-October.