Walking Wanderer

Himachal is such an amazing state that more I try to know about this diverse state the less I know. Home to Himalayas this opulent state is stunning getaway for any bag packer who want to get rid of his or her hectic life. Traveling is something which has always inspired me to write more and more and when you are Himachali then you just have a never ending source of Inspiration. This time I thought of writing about some cool things which only happen in Himachal and you should be really really proud of these Things.

1.Dialect

I believe that Himachal Pradesh is mini country within a large country. With every district having different language, food, culture, folk dance, Deities and many more things. The rich and diverse nature of this beautiful state is just beyond imagination. Let me cite an example in Shimla district the dialect of pahari language is totally different from the dialect spoken in Kullu district. Both these dialects are totally different  both in pronunciation and subject denotation. Like in Kangra people speak Kangri in Mandi it is Mandyali and in Chamba it is Chambyali. Such is the diversity and versatility of our beautiful state so what do you guys think about it

2.Dhaam

This thing is something which I believe every Himachali loves. Let me first define the meaning of Dhaam for those people who are not Hiamchali. Dhaam denotes to the serving of different food items in one meal that contain atleast 5-7 traditional food items served one by one with rice. I believe that Dhaam is not the best part but the diversity within food from district to district is just phenomenal. The food items ranges from place to place. Generally in the Kullu area sepu badiya, madra, chana dal, kadi, dal maash, khatta, rayeta and sweet rice are served. In lower Himachal regions a variation occurs in some of the items such as ‘jhole’ takes place of kadi and a pure ghee mung dal replaces the chana dal. This is the best part and top things which make me proud of being Himachali

Read: Top Places to visit in Kasol

3.Traditional State

Himachal is one of the peaceful states in India. For the fact the only crimes registered in this state are about smuggling of Hasish and if you exclude that from the list it will be the most peaceful state in India. The traditional woolen shawls or commonly known as Kullu shawls are not only winterwear but it is a piece of art. The best part of the Kullu shawls is that they are hand woven. The men in the valley wear a traditional cap which is also called as “Topi” this cap is made from the light fabric suited for summers and heavy woolen fabric for colder seasons.

4.Architecture

With the advancements in technologies India is heading toward the boom in Infrastructure and designing but still we need to preserve our  traditional houses and temples. Himachal is known as the Dev bhoomi and is home to number of deities. The Himalayas in the past ages has developed its own distinctive architectural style. This type can be understandable as stone and wood structure with a square or rectangular plan and a roof with a concave appearance or superimposed pyramidal roofs. The wood used in the construction of houses is Cedrus deodara, locally known as Dyaar, is a very valuable timber because it does not show easy signs of decay and is not prone to the attacks of insects.

Read: Facts about Malana village

5.Diversity within diversity

The best part what I like about my state is the geography which is truly versatile and Incredible. From the  cold barren lands of spiti valley to the dense forests of central districts of Kullu, Shimla regions is just far beyond imagination. Here in Himachal the wettest place is palampur located in the Kangra district which receives the maximum amount of rainfall the reason for this is very simple because it lies in the perpendicular alignment to Dhauladhar mountain ranges. This beautiful state has everything one can imagine from hottest to coldest place you just need to step out of your comfort zone and travel.

6.People

The native people of every place n the state are always welcoming. They are always ready to help the outsiders in every manner possible. There are many life incidents of tourists coming to different parts of the state struck into a difficult situation, where localities came up to help them. I myself had many of those experiences the best of which I would love to mention. On our way to Kinnaur through the Spiti valley something went wrong with our tour bus and it stopped in the middle of nowhere. There was no person or a house to be seen anywhere. It was growing dark so we decided to go back to a village that we passed by a few kms before. We were a group of 50.When we reached the place it was already dark so we asked help from the local people. They instantly came forward and invited us to their homes, there they made food and provided bedding’s to each one of us. Our bus remained broken for three days plus there used to be no light for weeks and all those days we stayed with them, ate their food and apples, helped them in their daily chores, danced and sung with them. Whatever situation we passed through everyone of us was overwhelmed by their hospitality and kindness. Literally I fee so proud to be a part of this state. Though the people of the state are innocent and calm but those who try to take this as an advantage are taught a lesson accordingly.

Read: why you should not visit Kasol

7.Festivals

Apart from the general customs and traditions shared by the entire country, different ethnic communities in Himachal have their own rituals and practices followed according to the local myths and tales. The most important and distinguishing reference is the polyandry or marriage of one girl to all the brothers of the same family; this system is followed in Kinnaur district just to ensure the intact property from generation to generation. Another certain example is that of funeral ceremonies being followed in the district of Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti; where the deads are cremated in either of following three ways depending on persons past as burning in a pier or burying or throwing dead body into river/ to wild animals.

8.Deities – Rishis to Rakshas

The Himachal Pradesh is mentioned in most of the ancient texts to be an abode of almost all the sages; they meditated in the silence and deep forests and hence had attained divine knowledge and powers. Their powers are still influencing many folks who worship them. The lower part of the state has most of the shaktipeeths (divine energy temples) such as Mata Chintapurni, Mata Jawalamukhi, Mata Naina etc. The Mandi area has maximum concentration of Shiv temples and so called as ‘Shiv Bhumi’. With shiv as their lord, the nag clan and their dieties are also worshipped here. The dieties of the Shimla area are the kings who meditated to attain cosmic powers such as Mahasu devta,  Shirgul devta, etc. The kullu area has almost all the rishis and munis like Parashar rishi, Ved vyas, Vashisht rishi, Kapil muni, Narad muni etc. Also the rakshas dieties occupy their space in the same district.

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