Art & Culture of Himachal Pradesh – Himachal Pradesh Geography, Govt & Policies Notes Part 1

This disquisition deals with the State that is Paradise for every nature lover and a very important site for Hindu religion. Himachal Pradesh is home to numerous holy shrines. This beautiful state adorns snow-capped mountains, plunging valleys and most alluring monasteries. Correspondingly, this blog deals with the Cultural, Geographical and Political features of Himachal Pradesh.

Which place is known by the name ‘Mini Switzerland in India’? Where is the only temple dedicated to Hidimba (wife of Bhima)? Which state is famousfor ‘Toy Trains’?

So, let’s pave the way for some more interesting facts about the enrapturing beauty of Himachal Pradesh.

Himachal Pradesh is situated in the ‘Heart of the Western Himalayas’. It is a northern Indian state. Himachal Pradesh has a strong Tibetan presence. The state is characterized by extreme landscapes featuring several peaks, and extensive river systems. Himachal Pradesh is a land that offers solace to mind and soul. It is one of the most admired and praised destinations in India. Himachal Pradesh gets its name meaning “land of snow” or “home of snow” as HIMA means snow. The founding date of Himachal Pradesh is 25 January 1971.

STATE SYMBOLS OF HIMACHAL PRADESH:

Let’s go ahead and study the topmost aspect of Himachal Pradesh i.e. cultural and social features.

CULTURE of Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is one of the few states that had remained largely untouched by external customs. This state is multi-religious, multi-cultural as well asmulti-lingual like states of India. The people of Himachal Pradesh celebrate every day, and it is visible in their ethnic diversity. The attire of the Himachal people is very magnificent and vibrant. A plethora of rich culture, warm hospitable people, and a stunning landscape all combine to colour Himachal Pradesh with a variety of fairs, festivals, and events.

• There are majorly two classes in which the community of Himachal Pradesh has been divided: Rajput and Brahmins.
• On festivals and main occasions, men wear kurta pyjamas along with embroidered caps (Pahari topi) which became the identity for the people of the state.
• Pashmina Shawl, made from the hair of Pashmina goat in Himachal Pradesh is most famous and demanded all over the world.
• The official state language of Himachal Pradesh is Hindi spoken by the majority of people. The language of Hindi is an old derivative of the Sanskrit language. The other most popular language of Himachal Pradesh is Native Pahari. Other than these English, Punjabi, Dogri, Kangri and Kinnauri language are also used.
• Important Festivals in Himachal Pradesh are Chet Festival, Navratras, Baisakhi, Haryali,  Chrewal, Jagra, Phulech, Sair, Jidjed, etc.
• The cuisine of Himachal Pradesh has a significant influence from the Punjabi and Tibetan styles of food. The people of Himachal Pradesh prefer very spicy food items. One of the most important food items of the people of Himachal Pradesh is Dal and Chawal which is a very common food item of the north Indians.
• Another delicious well-known cuisine of the region is Roti and vegetable curry, Sidu, Patande. Sidu is offered to most of the guests who are overwhelmed at the heavenly taste of the indigenous cuisine. Patande is a well-known dish in the Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh.
• Nati is the most famous dance of Himachal Pradesh. It is listed in the Guinness world record book as the largest folk dance in the world. It is mainly performed in Kullu and Shimla districts of Himachal Pradesh.
• Major traditional dances of Himachal Pradesh that showcase the rich culture of the state are Demon Dance, Kayang Mala, Shand and Shabu dance, Chaulomba dance, etc.
• Tara Devi is a 250 years old temple in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.  It is believed that Tara Devi was the Kull Devi (Family Deity) of the Sen Dynasty, who came from the eastern state of Bengal in Himachal Pradesh.
• The Vashisht Temple situated in a village called Vashisht near Manali is famed for its natural sulphur spring. The Vashisht Temple is dedicated to sage Vashisht, who is believed to have meditated here. 
• Hidimba Devi Temple, locally known as Dhungari Temple, is located in Manali, Himachal Pradesh. It is the only ancient cave temple dedicated to Hidimba Devi (wife of Bhima-a figure in the Indian epic Mahabharat).

Let’s talk about the next aspect of Himachal Pradesh i.e. geographical features.

GEOGRAPHY of Himachal Pradesh

The Geography of Himachal Pradesh is very interesting. Mainly the region falls under the hilly terrain. It is a pleasant hill station. The population of Himachal is culturally rich and diverse at the same time. The communities residing in the Himachal region are very cordial people and they maintain a very well-knit society. A very strong fellow feeling works in these simple people.

• Total Area: 55,673 sq km

      Area Rank in India: 17^th

• Total Population: 6,864,602(as per 2011 census)

      Population Rank in India: 20^th

      Latitude extension: 30° 22′ 40″ North to 33° 12′ 40″ North

      Longitudinal extension: 75° 45′ 55″ East to 79° 04′ 20″ East.

• Himachal Pradesh is divided into 12 districts and it has 49 cities and towns. The following are the Geographical Divisions of Himachal Pradesh:

1. The Shivaliks or the outer Himalayas
2. The central zone or the lesser Himalayas
3. The northern zone or the great Himalayan and Zaskar

• Himachal Pradesh shares borders with 5 states- Jammu and Kashmir in the north, Punjab in the west, Haryana in the southwest and Uttarakhand in the southeast. A portion of the state border also touches Uttar Pradesh.
• Himachal Pradesh shares an international border with China. The length of the international border with China is 345 Km.
• The Chief Rivers of Himachal Pradesh that have a significant contribution towards the Natural prosperity of the state include:

1. Chenab
2. Beas
3. Ravi
4. Yamuna
5. Sutlej
6. Spiti

• Important Landforms of Himachal Pradesh features primarily the mountainous terrains that surround the place from all directions. Landforms of the state are divided into many categories such as slope, elevation, microclimatic situations and vegetation.
• Rohtang Pass is an important pass of the state which connects Kullu Valley to Lahaul and Spiti valleys. It is located in the Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas.
• Kalka to Shimla toy train in Himachal Pradesh is a UNESCO World Heritage site which well known for its narrow-gauge track.
• There are two important National Park in the state:

1. Great Himalayan National park of Kullu
2. Pin Valley National Park

Climate-

Himachal Pradesh is a hilly region and it experiences a pleasant climate throughout the year. It even experiences heavy snowfall during the winter months. The weather of Himachal alters with the change of altitude. 

• The region generally experiences three seasons:

1. The summer months in Himachal are the months of March to June.
2. By July the rainy season starts in the hilly region and it ends in September.
3. The winter season spans from October to February. In the winter months, some parts of Himachal experiences heavy snowfall. It occurs generally in the months of December to March. The days and nights during this time of the year become very cold.

Soil Type-

The major soil groups in Himachal Pradesh are brown hill soil, sub-mountain soils, mountain meadow soil and red loamy soil. Most of the soils in this region are acidic in nature.

Let’s study about the political features of Himachal Pradesh.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS of Himachal Pradesh

The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly has no pre-Constitution history. The state itself is a post-independence creation. It first came into being as a centrally administered territory on 15 April 1948 by the integration of 30 erstwhile princely states.

• Himachal Pradesh is governed through a parliamentary system of representative democracy, a feature the state shares with other Indian states.
• State Government is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It consists of an executive branch led by the Governor of Himachal Pradesh, a judiciary and a legislative branch.
• Like other states in India, the head of state of Himachal Pradesh is the Governor, appointed by the President of India. The Chief Minister is the head of government and is vested with most of the executive powers. 
• The Himachal Pradesh High Court is located in Shimla, which has jurisdiction over the whole of Himachal Pradesh.
• The legislature of Himachal Pradesh is Unicameral. The tenure of the Assembly is five years unless it is sooner dissolved. There are 14 House Committees in the Assembly.

Representation of Himachal Pradesh in Parliament:

Assembly seats (unicameral): 68

Rajya Sabha: 3

Lok Sabha: 4

First Governor of Himachal Pradesh: S Chakravarti

First Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh: Yashwant Singh Parmar

Here comes some interesting facts about Himachal Pradesh:

• Shimla, Dalhousie, Dharmshala, Kullu, Kasauli, Solan, Chail and Kufri are some famous hill stations of Himachal Pradesh.
• “Khajiar” in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh has earned the name ‘MINI SWITZERLAND’ because of its striking similarities.
• Vice-regal Lodge (Rashtrapati Niwas) is the old glorious official residence of the British Viceroy at the time when Shimla used to be the summer capital of India.
• Vikram Batra who was the hero of Kargil War and served as Captain in Indian Army was born in Palampur of Himachal.
• Malana is a fairly hidden village in Himachal Pradesh famous by the name of ‘The Village of Taboos’ due to their strict rules of no outsider touching any wall or belonging of the residents.
• Apple cultivation was initiated by Satyanand stokes in Kotgarh, Himachal Pradesh.

Hope this blog made most of the facts clear about the beautiful Himachal Pradesh. In our forthcoming blog, we will be studying about the other important aspects of Himachal Pradesh.

Where is ‘Mini Israel’ in India? Which state of India is considered as Second Least corrupted after Kerela? Which state is declared as the First Smoke-free state of India and when?

In the next blog, the facet correlated with these questions will be answered certainly. If you don’t want to miss it, click here – Know your State ‘Himachal Pradesh’ – Part 2. We hope it will help you in the preparation of your exams such as SSC 10+2, SSC CGL, CDS, NDA, etc.

Thank you