HIMACHAL PRADESH and enjoy the views. It’s a wonderful placetobe.and enjoytheviews. It’sawonderful . Here, even roadcutintothesideofamountainwall. thebeaten trackisadirt andendsin andSpititoKinnaur Lahaul mir, slicesthroughthemountainvalleysofLadakh, ofthemainoverland inKash- Theis thestart route Great Circuitstarts toLadakh. Himalayan temples andpalaces.mooners andthrillseekers.thelowerhillsholdforts, AcrossHimachal, theapplecapitalandeastern isKinnaur, gateway toSpiti. north further endless appleorchardsandbeautifulvalleys. ShimlaisIndia’smostenduringhillstation,and of McLeod Ganj,hometotheDalaiLamaandTibetan government inexile. drawn here purely for theTibetan Buddhistculture andheadstraighttothetraveller centre ranges riseabove providing Himachal, asettingforhostofadventure activities. Manyare busy traveller towns. The mightypeaksoftheDhauladhar,Pir Panjal andwestern Himalaya you cantrek fordaysover high-altitudepassesbutthenrelax withabeeratoneofthe dence, few Indianstates match PradeshfordiversityHimachal andmind-blowingscenery. From forested valleystomountainpasses,andBuddhist monasteries totheDalaiLama’sresi- Pradesh Himachal 330 © LonelyPlanetPublications Travel canbeslowandarduous, butthere aroundHimachal are plentyofplacestorelax Manali, famousinrecent scene, decadesforitscharas(marijuana)andbackpacker/hippie ManaliandtheKulluParvatiIn centralHimachal, Valleys are abaseforhippies,honey- Even before hillstations,serene youreach you’llpassBritish-era pineforests, theHimalaya Many regard thisasIndia’spremier mountainstate: awesomebutaccessible,aplacewhere

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Hangoutinthe Accumulate karma credits Accumulate byvolunteering karma with Take thetoytrainupto Cross the spectacular mountainpassesofRoh- Crossthespectacular Getoffthe touristtrailandvisitcenturies-old trek, climb,paraglide,raftorzorbinthe Ski, to themountainvillageof ( p392) tang LaandKunzum Lato Bharmour temples inlittle-visited capital adventure-sport Himachal’s playgroundof backpacker the Tibetan refugees of ( p395 ) andtheincredibly remote (p388) Parvati Valley McLeod Ganj Shimla Chamba Malana Manali (p350)andtrek ( p334 ), andenjoy theEnglishnessofIndia’sfavourite hillstation 36) and ( p386) (p350) Spiti Valley ( p357), ( p369)

Chamba & Bharmour McLeod Ganj Manali Shimla Parvati Valley Malana & Tabo &SpitiValley 331 The main trekking season runs from May seasonThe main trekking runs from May reservations recom- are accommodation for to remote valleys and mountain passes. Daily to remote start at Rs2000 treks for all-inclusive rates food and including guides, tent, per person, porters. but monsoon rains affect some to October, RAFTING RAFTING The Beas up some near churns River raft- and for kayaking water white impressive – see boxed Manali of out ing, best organised . p362 text, SKIING and snow- skiers to March, From January ) p367 at Solang Nullah ( congregate boarders ) near p342 and Narkanda ( near Manali, Shimla. TREKKING paradise, Pradesh is a trekkers’ Himachal McLeod in Manali, agencies and dozens of treks organised Ganj and other towns offer visa pages from your passport, in Shimla (see your passport, in Shimla from visa pages ) p395 text, (see), Kaza boxed p337 text, boxed ). p345 ( and Rekong Peo Activities capital, with a host adventure is ’s Manali – offer activities on wild summer and winter of . p362 text, see boxed PARAGLIDING the Himalayan The soaring thermals over para- conditions for perfect foothills provide ) p367 gliding, particularly at Solang Nullah ( ). p383 and Billing ( mended at this time. During the monsoon monsoon During the at this time. mended damp. and hills can be chilly the middle from Snow closes many mountainous areas the mountain to April, including November Lahaulvalleys of Spiti and the Manali– and is also the peak ski- road – however, this near Manali ing season at the modest resorts and Shimla. Information PERMITS politi- is The border between India and need an inner and foreigners cally sensitive, in between Rekong Peo line permit to travel in Spiti. You can obtain Kinnaur and Tabo two passport photo- the permit easily, with identity and the of and photocopies graphs , Pahari Punjabi and PRADESH •• History HIMACHAL May to June, September to early 6.1 million (noblemen), creating a patchwork a patchwork (noblemen), creating Shimla

55,673 sq km

thakurs November (July to October in Lahaul and Spiti) Area Capital languages Main When to go FAST FACTS FACTS FAST Population Sikh rajas came to dominate the region the region came to dominate Sikh rajas

The state of Himachal Pradesh was formed Himachal The state of During the 19th century the British started During the 19th century the British started Climate Climate to July May The main seasons are visitors for – advance and September to early November plants providing power for half the country. power plants providing 1971. Initially neglected by central govern- by 1971. Initially neglected itself as the has reinvented ment, Himachal hydroelectric India, with huge powerhouse of added and full statehood was achieved in in added and full statehood was achieved after Independence in 1948, liberating many after the In 1966 system. from the feudal villages from Punjab – includ- districts administered Kullu, Lahaul ing Kangra, and Spiti – were until most of the region was under the thrall the region until most of Shimla. of through to Shimla and the Kangra Valley. Valley. and the Kangra through to Shimla their influence The British slowly extended creating little bits of England in the hills of England in the hills of little bits of creating Dalhousie and Dharamsala. Shimla Shimla, became the ’slater summer capi- pushed railways were tal, and narrow-gauge ern Himachal, most following a mixture of of a mixture most following ern Himachal, Hinduism and . The first Westerners to visit were Jesuit mis- Jesuit to visit were Westerners The first kingdom the legendary sionaries in search of – a mythical Christian king- John Prester of Interestingly, Asia. dom lost in the middle of several Aryan tribes in are there east- to this day, including the Kinnauris of by the early 19th century, signing treaties signing treaties by the early 19th century, their power. with the British to consolidate at the top. were divvied up between a host of rajas, ranas divvied rajas, up betweenwere a host of and Kullu and Chamba with Kangra, tiny states, of the mountain Lahaul deserts of Spiti. The and the state of in the south accessible areas more Himachal were conquered by Tibet in the 10th by Tibet conquered were Himachal still dominates century, and Buddhist culture Ancient trade routes dominate the history of the history of dominate Ancient trade routes northern Pradesh. Large parts of Himachal History History lonelyplanet.com