Himachali-Culture

  The North Indian state of Himachal Pradesh is a state that has remained largely untouched by foreign customs. With the technological advancements, the state has changed very rapidly. Himachal Pradesh is a multi-religion practising, multicultural and multilingual state like other Indian states. Some of the most commonly spoken languages are Hindi and the various Pahari languages.[1] The Hindu communities residing in Himachal include the Brahmins, Rajputs, Kannets, Rathis and Kolis. There are also tribal population in the state which mainly comprise Gaddis, Kinnarms, Gujjars, Pangawals and Lahaulis.[2] Himachal is well known for its handicrafts. The carpets, leather works, shawls, paintings, metalware and woodwork are worth appreciating. Pashmina shawl is one of the products which is highly in demand not only in Himachal but all over the country. Himachali caps are also famous art work of its people. Local music and dance reflects the cultural identity of the state. Through their ...

Small friendly gestures, quick laughs, a fleeting romance in the heart or a simple, resonating conversation on the road. Cherished by travellers, these interactions are unexpected and what makes them more special is that they are between complete strangers. You may not know the person’s name, background or any details at all. And yet those moments of camaraderie, love, respect are usually a part and parcel of our travel life. Something we look forward to, expect and love. They often get us through doubts. Re-instill our faith in the world. And sometimes even help us out in sticky situations. But how little we know about these people. Being on the road we keep moving on, lots of questions but only the moving terrain around us answers them. Being here in the Himachali mountain town for a month, I had time to find some answers about the people, the culture, economic situation and other random bits like making tea with jaggery (yumm!). And yet, a month is hardly a long time especially for ...

The historical backdrop of Himachal Pradesh goes back to around two million years. These unique occupants of Himachal, the Kols and the Mundas, were constrained by the general population of the incomparable Indus valley human advancement to climb to the slopes. The Indus valley development thrived here somewhere in the range of 2250 and 1750 BC. The second rush of vagrants to the state saw Mongoloid, as Bhota and Kiratas coming in. In any case, the most critical parcel of individuals entered the zone just a short time later in the third influx of movement. These were Aryans from Central Asia. The Aryans contributed tremendously in making the way of life of the Himachal as it is today. Himachal Pradesh was built up in 1948 as a Chief Commissioner's Province inside the Union of India. The state comprised some of the hill districts around Shimla and southern slope regions of the previous Punjab area. Himachal turned into a section C state on 26 January 1950 with the usage of the Co...