Himachal Pradesh is known for its wonderful scenic beauty. Majestic snow capped mountains, lush green forests, gushing rivers and streams. Himachal also knows as “Land of snow “is dream destination of nature lovers and attracts tourists from different parts of the world. It offers exotic natural beauty which is charming with spell bounding landscapes.
Along with natural beauty it also homes many beautiful temples and Buddhist monasteries which is major attraction for its tourists.
Lets look at some of the important reasons why you should never miss visiting Himachal Pradesh:
Nature at its best form Himachal Pradesh with its stunning landscapes, calm and serene lakes. Snow clad mountains and beautiful waterfalls becomes one of the dream destination for nature lovers.
It gives lifetime unforgettable experience to its visitors. Wide variety of flowers like Lilies, Roses, Marigolds, Tulips and many other rare wild flowers add charm to this place.
Its lush green forests and majestic mountains are delightful to experience. The serene untouched and mesmerizing beauty of Himachal Pradesh touches every heart and makes them come here again and again. It’s a true heaven on earth which brings one close to nature.
Exotic Shimla
Shimla is one of the beautiful hill station and also capital city of Himachal Pradesh. It is once the summer capital of British India, so one can find the beautiful British architecture here.
The architecture of Shimla is called colonial architecture. One can also visit famous Jakhoo temple in Shimla dedicated to Lord Hanuman and take blessings of God. It is situated in Jakhoo hill.
Mall road in Shimla is ideal place to hang out with friends in evening and enjoy different types of yummy cakes, pizzas and other fast foods.
Beautiful Temples and attractive Monasteries
Himachal Pradesh is also called “Abode of Gods “because it is home for many beautiful and elegant Temples with magnificent architecture. Himachal Pradesh is not only endowed with marvelous natural beauty but also a great spiritual center, with clear fresh air and serene calmness it makes the ideal place to seek the blessings of divine.
Baijnath temple of Kangra valley dedicated to lord Shiva ,Shri Bhimakali temple of Sarahan dedicated to Maa Bhimkali ,Shree Vajreshvari temple of Kangra and many other beautiful temples attract tourists from all over the world for its divine power and great architecture. One can also see the influence of Buddhist culture in Himachal Pradesh.
It is also home of many splendid Monasteries and Gompas like Key Monastery in Lahaul and Spiti, which is also training center of Buddhist Lamas, Tabo monastery of Spiti valley, Bon Monastery situated in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh. Along with brilliant architecture it also has interesting paintings.
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Abundant wild life
In Himachal Pradesh you can find many interesting varieties of animals and birds. Its impressive national parks and wild life sanctuaries are true paradise for wild life admirers. It is home to animals like Musk deer, black bear, brown bear, Leopards and Sambhars etc .
Its dense forests and lush green environment gives delightful experience to its visitors. Best way to explore the wild side of Himachal is through trekking.
You can also find snow leopard and snow bear in Himalayan wild life zoo at Kufri in Shimla. You can watch both resident and migratory birds here like Tibetan snow-cock ,Himalayan snow-cock ,blue magpie , Himalayan vulture etc . One must visit Chail wildlife sanctuary ,Renuka wildlife sanctuary and Manali sanctuary to experience the rich wild life of Himachal Pradesh.
Fairs and festivals of Himachal Pradesh
Every festival in Himachal are celebrated with full vigor and energy. Festivals in Himachal are very colorful and celebrated with full enthusiasm. One must visit Himachal during festival time to experience its rich culture and diversity. Baisakhi festival is celebrated during April time. People have fun and dance, they also prepare various delicious dishes like Poltu , halwa etc . People love to dance and sing during the time of festivals.
Shivratri is also important festival of Himachal Pradesh. People worship Lord Shiva during this festival. People stay awake together during festival night and songs are sung in honor of lord Shiva. In the same way Dusshera , Holi is celebrated with great fun and enthusiasm.
Fairs are also held during festivals and local people and children adorn themselves in colorful clothes and spend fun time here singing, dancing, buying beautiful things like shawls, clothes, ornaments etc.
Local stalls here sell delicious Himachal delicacies. People also take part in sports like archery, horse riding etc. Some of the popular fairs of Himachal Pradesh are Durga fair, Minjar fair , Sui fair and Renuka fair.
Delicious Himachali food
One must try the delicious pahari food of Himachal to get lifetime experience. It’s a tasteful blend of their culture and tradition. Generally the food is rich and spicy with generous use of cardamom, cinnamon and other fresh spices displaying their unique aroma. Most of their food consists of rice, lentils, meat, broth and vegetables. They also use lots of yogurt and ghee in their dishes.
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Some of the famous delicious dishes of Himachal are:
Madra:
It is a Himachali style curry where Chicpeas are cooked in yogurt sauce. It is also called Chana Madra.
Mittha:
Mittha is a sweet dish of Himachal Pradesh. It is prepared with sweetened rice mixed with generous helping of raisens and dry-fruits.
Babru
It can be called Himachali Kachori . These are stuffed with black gram or whole Urad dal. Dal is soaked overnight and then they make the paste before stuffing into Kachori and than deep fry them. It is generally eaten in breakfast.
Other Himachal food one can enjoy in local hotels and restaurants are hot Momos , vegetable noodles, Siddu , pizzas etc
Shopping in Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a true shopper‘s paradise. It is a dream destination to indulge in your favorite shopping. You can buy here beautiful and artistic woolen shawls , carpets , handicrafts , Tibetan carpets and handicrafts , metalwork’s , woodwork’s , beautiful and elegant jewellery and bangles etc almost all big shops in cities sells them.
You will have many varieties and options which makes it interesting experience. Paintings of Himachal Pradesh are quite famous, the most notable of them are called Thangkas . They are made on cloth, these paintings consists of different poses of Buddha , they also paint Buddhist fairs and festivals.
You can also visit Tibetan market in Dalhousie where you can buy Kashmere handicrafts, traditional shawls, varieties of copper and silver Diyas.
Adventure activities
There is no dearth of adventures in Himachal for people who like taking risks and engage in active sports. Most popular adventurous activity in Himachal is trekking.You can trek through Dhauladhar and Pir Panjal ranges and explore its natural scenic beauty.Trekking is the best way to explore different beautiful landscapes of Himachal Pradesh.
Bir billing is the best destination for you to take part in exciting and thrilling paragliding. Other adventure activities you can enjoy in Himachal Pradesh are river rafting, skiing, rock climbing, Hiking and swimming.
Lahaul and Spiti
The beautiful Lahaul and Spiti are cold deserts of Himachal Pradesh and one of the must visit place to experience its surreal beauty. Lahaul and Spiti is surrounded by high mountain ranges. It is a best place to enjoy the snow and have fun. It is also photographer ‘s dream destination, you can click many beautiful pics here with stunning sceneries.
Simple and warm people
pic credit DEV TRAVEL BAG
Himachal people are generally simple, friendly and sweet people with lots of love in their heart. They are hospitable, beautiful and caring by nature. It’s a delight to interact with them and experience their amazing culture and lifestyle.
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