The Mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh is a slice of paradise on Earth with its spectacular views and mesmerizing beauty, it always attract and charm its visitors not only from India but also from across the globe. Himachal also known as “Land of Snow” and “Dev-bhoomi” is blessed with splendid mountains, snow peaks, lush green and icy rivers, gushing streams, enchanting steep waterfalls, deep gorges and flower carpeted meadows. It is also known for its ancient Temples and Monasteries. It is a magical showcase of nature’s splendors. It’s an exotic land with its rich Gompas, legendary Buddhist scriptures, paintings and colorful festivals.
It will be a wonderful idea to celebrate “New Year” in this amazing land. Every Year large number of tourists comes to Himachal Pradesh to celebrate New year and to bid farewell to bygone year. This breathtaking place in lapse of nature always makes its visitors happy and cheerful.
Snowfall in the first month of New year fills people with new excitement and energy. Many places like Shimla , Manali, Dharmashala organizes spectacular new year parties for celebrations. Along with its fun and celebration, you can also enjoy the delicacies of tasty and lip smacking Himachal cuisine. For mountain and trek lovers, there are many places to engage in adventure activities like paragliding, river rafting etc. Himachal is also rich with Monasteries and Temples where you can offer prayers and meet Monks, an auspicious way to start New Year and to seek blessings of God. Let’s take a look at different places of Himachal Pradesh where you can celebrate this New Year and enjoy the novelty and pleasure it offer.
Shimla
Shimla, the queen of hills is famous for its stunning views and varied topography. With rich culture and unique architecture, it makes a place worth visit. It’s name has been derived from Goddess ” Shyamala Devi”, an incarnation of Hindu Goddess Kali. It is a state with picturesque sceneries and beautiful valleys. It is surrounded all over by Pine, Deodar, Oak trees. Shimla also houses several buildings that are styled in Neo Gothic Architecture. Snowfall during Winters is major attraction of Shimla, which draws tourists to this place, another reason to celebrate New year in unique way. There are many hotels and restaurants which conducts dance and musical events also late night parties on the occasion of New year eve. You have to book earlier to be part of these programmes and enjoy the fun and excitement. Shimla is a perfect destination to welcome New year. So if you are planning a trip to Himachal Pradesh and looking for the places to celebrate new year then Shimla should always be your top list.
Mc-Leodgunj
Mcleodganj is a magnificent hill station in Dharmashala. It is mostly dominated by Tibetan culture and teachings of Buddhism. It is also known as “Little Lhasa “because of large population of Tibetans .It is a right place to study and understand Tibetan Buddhism ,culture, crafts etc. You can also shop Tibetan handkerchiefs , Thangka and other souvenirs here. It also has famous Tibetan Museum where you can find unique pictures of Tibetan culture and also history. A trek to Triund will make your experience more memorable. Mc-leodganj is a lovely place to be in New year.
Manali
Manali is a popular hill station known for snow and natural beauty. It is situated on the banks of Beas River near Kullu valley. With breathtaking landscapes and picturesque views it is a favorite destination of many nature loving people.”Snow is like a magnet that attracts tourists towards Manali and bring smiles to the hotelites”says Ankit, owner of Manali Villa hotel. Many hotels in Manali organizes bonfires, Dj parties and dinners on Christmas and New year eve to entertain tourists. Its better to book In advance because of crowd during this time. One can also enjoy many adventure sports like trekking, mountaineering, skiing and many water sports. A great place to welcome New year and is among the best places to celebrate new year not only in Himachal pradesh but also in India
Dharmashala
Dharmshala is situated in the beautiful Kangra valley. This place is among my favorite spot for holidays. It is blessed with magnificent view of snow capped Dhauladhar ranges, rows of Deodar trees. The Dalai Lama’s residence and the Headquarters of Central Tibetan Administration are in Dharmashala, which makes it more popular. One of the main attraction of Dharmashala is Triund hill. It is also called jewel of Dharamashala. It gives good trekking experience, to view snow covered Dhauladhar ranges is a visual treat and gives amazing experience. You can do camping, play with snow and have crazy time, its place worth a visit. There are also many cafes in Dharmashala which serves unique Tibetan food.The most popular dish here is “Thupka”. It is a cold weather soup made with noodles and varieties of vegetables. You can also explore beautiful Monasteries here like Gyuto Monastery, Tibetan Buddhism Monastery, Nyingmapa Monastery , Dip Tse Chok Ling Monastery etc. So if you are looking for a decent new year with bonfire and all then Dharmshala would be the perfect destination for your holidays.
Read: Most beautiful villages in Himachal pradesh
Dalhousie
Dalhousie is an enchanting hill station in a Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh .It has beautiful Churches, Panoramic lush green carpets and pristine clear rivers.It is situated on 5 hills and has an elevation of 1111,970 metres above sea level. Dalhousie was named after Lord Dalhousie ,who was British governer general in India. Dalhousie is a treasure of enchanting waterfalls,beautiful streams and mesmerizing vistas of surrounding hills and forets.Here you can also find some amazing scotish and Victorian architecture.It gives a feel of British aura. Dalhousie houses 150 year old temple called as Lakshami Narayan Temple. Dalhousie is filled with shoppimg areas which offers a varieties of products like bags,dolls ,carpets,Tibetan handicrafts,kashmiri shawls and also Buddhist paintings.It is hub of Shopping centres and food joints. Nice place to spend new year in natural beauty and have fun.
Chamba
Himachal Pradesh have been always famous for beautiful Temples, Monasteries and Places along with its spectacular natural beauty. If you enjoy visiting different Temples and unique palaces, chamba is a perfect place for you. The beautiful town of Chamba is in the Chamba district. It is situated on the banks of Ravi river at its confluence with Sal River. Its snow-clad mountains and lush green forests attracts tourists from all over the world. It is also popular spot for snow skiing. Chamba houses many famous and beautiful Temples like Brajeshwari Temple ,Laxmi Narayan Temple ,Chamunda Temple ,Bansi Gopal Temple ,Hariraj Temple and many more .These charming Temples is also very rich in Architecture. It enriches soul to visit these Temples and seek blessings of God. Akhand Chandi Palace is a major attraction of Chamba which was built during 1747 to 1765 by Raja Umed singh. This spectacular palace is combination of British and Mughal creativity. Chamba should be visited during New Year to visit atheistic Temples and palaces and to be in lovely Himalayan surroundings.Chamba is also known for its colorful festivals and fairs.The most popular fairs (Jatras) are “Suhi Mata Mela “ and “Minjar Mela”.
Khajjar – The Mini Switzerland of India
Khajjar is famous for its stunning beauty and natural scenic views.Khajjar is a small picturesque hill station in Chamba district,Himachal Pradesh.It is located at 22 kms from Dalhousie and 24 km from Chamba.It is surrounded by tall deodar trees which add more beauty to this place.It is a small plateau which has a lake in the middle and weeds all around in its water.It is one of the most beautiful valley of Himachal Pradesh.You can either walk around the lake side or enjoy the horse riding which is quite pleasurable.Khajjar is also famous for Paragliding.It’s an ideal way to spend the New year touching the sky and admiring the beautiful landscapes of Himachal.
Kasol
Kasol is a tiny village in Kullu district, situated in Parvati valley, on the banks of Parvati river, on the way between Bhuntar to Manikaran.It is a lovely place among Pines and streams. If you want to spend the New year Eve in calm and peace, away from hustle bustle of city life, then Kasol is ideal place to visit.The fresh mountain air will fill you with new energy. Abundant with natural beauty, Kasol is favorite destination for backpackers, trekkers and nature admirers. Its one of the rare place where you can see pot and Hippy culture. Kasol has two sides, at one side it offers peace and calmness in lapse of beautiful nature where you can relax and have peaceful time. Its scenic beauty makes it dream destination for nature lovers..It offers best of both the worlds. Surrounded by Confecious trees and clear water streams, Kasol is full of mesmerizing natural beauty. Parvati river, flowing sideways makes it more beautiful and charming place. Kasol is also known as Mini Israel and perfect destination to celebrate new year because of dominance of Israeli culture, its also more frequented by Israeli tourists.Kasol is also ideal place to enjoy Israeli delicacies in Israeli cafes which also serve Italian, Chinese and Indian dishes. Here you can enjoy amazing trouts and desserts which are absolutely mind blowing. Delicious food with trance music will transform you into another world. Its great place to be in New Year eve So try plan your next new year in this beautiful village of parvati valley.