© Lonely Planet Publications 279 Himachal Pradesh Crowned by the rugged peaks of the western Himalaya, Himachal Pradesh is North India for the thousands of foreign and domestic travellers who come here every year. Few states can match such incredible diversity – rolling foothills, lofty hill stations, madcap traveller towns, serene pine forests, endless apple orchards and the high-altitude deserts of Lahaul and Spiti, cut off from the outside world by snow for six months of the year. The mystique of the mountains is overpowering. The mighty peaks of the Dhaula Dhar, Pir Panjal and western Himalaya ranges rise above Himachal, providing a setting for a host of adventure activities from treks and rafting to skiing and Buddhist meditation. Tibetan Bud- dhist culture abounds in the ancient monasteries of Lahaul and Spiti and the bustling traveller centre of McLeod Ganj, home to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile. In the far east of Himachal, Shimla is India’s most popular hill station, and further north is Kin- naur, the eastern gateway to Spiti and an increasingly popular destination for domestic hill tours. In central Himachal, Manali and the Kullu Valley provide a base for hippies, honeymooners and thrill seekers. Across Himachal, the lower hills bristle with castles, forts, temples and palaces. Manali is the start of the main overland route to Ladakh. Increasingly popular, the Great Himalayan Circuit starts in Kashmir, slices through the mountain valleys of Ladakh, Lahaul and Spiti to Kinnaur and ends with some luxury in Shimla. Even the beaten track is a dirt road between mountain walls – no wonder Himachal is most people’s favourite northern state! HIMACHAL PRADESH HIGHLIGHTS Sink a chottapeg (little drink) in a Raj-era hotel in Shimla ( p282 ), India’s favourite hill station Accumulate karma credits with the Tibetan Chamba & Lahaul Valley refugees of McLeod Ganj ( p319 ) Bharmour Manali Ski, trek, climb, paraglide, raft or zorb in the Tabo & Dhankar backpacker playground of Manali ( p306 ), Himachal’s adventure-sport capital McLeod Ganj Encounter chilled-out people and centuries- old temples in little-visited Chamba ( p335 ) and Bharmour ( p337 ) Shimla Leave the crowds behind by jumping off the Leh–Manali bus in the serene Lahaul Valley ( p339 ) Seek inner peace at the Buddhist monasteries of Tabo ( p344 ) and Dhankar ( p344 ), set amid stunning mountain scenery in the remote Spiti Valley 280 HIMACHAL PRADESH lonelyplanet.com HIMACHAL PRADESH To Padum To Tanglang La (90km); (65km) Leh (190km) J A M M U & H I M A L A YA N R A N G E K A S H M I R Killar P a n g i V a l l e y Sach Pass J A M M U & (4390m) K A S H M I R Chenab Shinkun La (5090m) Tissa Sarchu River P a t t a n V a l l e y Bharatphur City PatseoBaralacha La Udaipur River (4950m) Darcha Ghemur Tayul Gompa Bhaga Sahoo Triloknath Gompa P i r Chandra Jispa P River Shashur Khajjiar a Keylong L A H A U L n j Kalicho Pass Gompa Banikhet Chamba a l Khardong Gompa C h a m b a V a l l e y (4803m) Tandi Dalhousie Ravi R a Guru Ghantal Gompa n g Chandratal e Gondla Rohtang La To Jammu River Kugti Pass Sissu (110km) (3978m) Chauri Khas Bharmour (5040m) Losar Kuarsi Khoksar Gramphu Indrahar La Solang 1 Manimahesh Mirhi Hamta Pass Kunzum La Pathankot (4300m) Manimahesh Nullah (4270m) Chakki Nurpur Lake (4551m) h a u l a d h Holi Kailash L a h a u lBattal D a r (5656m) Manali ὄὄὄ V a l l e y R McLeod Ganj a Chikha Chattru Kotla n g Dharamsala e Jagatsukh Deo Tibba Jawali Gaggal (6001m) Yol Waru Pass Tashijong Chandratal Valley Masrur Palampur & Taragarh Katrain Naggar Kangra Baijnath Glaciers Billing 21 Nagrota Malana Manikaran Bara Shigri Bir Raison Kullu Parvati Ranital Beas Chamunda K a n g r a Jogindernagar Devi Kullu Pulga River Kasol Thakur Khan V a l l e y Jari a t i V Jawalamukhi ὈὈὈὄὄὄr v ὄa Bhuntar l River a l Chintpurni P e ey y Vall Be a s Kandi Sainj River Nadaun Prashar 1A Tirthan Sainj Mubarakpur Lake Aut Hamirpur Mandi Great Himalayan Larji National Park Banjar Rewalsar Pandoh River Barsar Gushaini V a l l e y j l e Jalori Pass t Hoshiarpurὄὄ ὈὈὈὄu Sundernagar (3223m) Khanag S Jeori Una Rampur Sutlej Sarahan Karsog Ani Jaijon Nirath Srikhand Kotgarh Mahadev Jalandhar S i w a l i k Bilaspur River (5227m) Thanedhar Tattapani Seema To Amritsar Phagwara Swarghat Narkanda Khadrala Bagi (70km) Naldehra Rohru ὄὄR a n g e ὈὈὈHattu Peak Mashobra Fagu Arki Kufri Jubbal Hatkoti s Theog Pabbar Kiratpur l l Shimla P U N J A B Rahon i Nalagarh H l a 22 m River h i Rupnagar S Kandaghat Chail HIMACHAL PRADESH Ludhiana Solan S i Kasauli Barog w 21 a l i k Dharampur Giri H Kalka i l l s River Pinjore River ns 1 To Chandigarh Renuka Lake Dadahu/Dosarka Nahan Paonta Sahib Ambala H A R Y A N A River To Delhi Sangrur (185km) Yamuna lonelyplanet.com HIMACHAL PRADESH •• History 281 0 60 km History 0 40 miles Ancient trade routes dominate the history of Himachal Pradesh. Large parts of northern The external boundaries of India Himachal were conquered by Tibet in the on this map have not been authenticated and may not be correct. 10th century and Buddhist culture still domi- nates the mountain deserts of Lahaul and Spiti. The more accessible areas in the south of the state were divvied up between a host of rajas, ranas and thakurs (kings), creating a patchwork of tiny states, with Kangra, Kullu and Chamba at the top of the pile. Sikh rajas came to dominate the region by the early 19th century, signing treaties with the British to consolidate their power. The first Westerners to visit were Jesuit mission- Spiti River aries in search of the legendary kingdom of Pangmo Shilla (7026m) Prester John – a mythical Christian kingdom Kibber Morang L i n g t i V a l l e y lost in the middle of Asia. Interestingly, there Ki Ki Gompa C H I N A are several Aryan tribes in North India to Rangrik Kaza S p i t i T I B E T V a l l e y this day, including the Kinnauris of eastern Dhankar Dhankar Tso Lake Gompa Himachal, most following a mixture of Hin- Tabo Sichling Sumdo duism and Buddhism. S P I T I Kungri Leo Purgyal During the 19th century the British started Sagnam Gulling Chango (6770m) Pin Valley creating little bits of England in the hills at National Mane Rang Nako Pin Valley (6593m) Shimla, Dalhousie and Dharamsala. Shimla ὈPark Mud Shipki La later became the British Raj’s summer capi- River (5669m) Pin K I N N A U R Pin-Parvati Pass tal and narrow-gauge railways were pushed (5319m) Puh through to Shimla and the Kangra Valley. Hindustan Spillo/Khanum The British slowly extended their influence Kinnaur Valley -Tibet Hwy Kalpa until most of the region was under the thrall Jangi Morang Rekong Peo of Shimla. Wangtu River Lippa Ὀὄ Karcham The state of Himachal Pradesh was formed Tapri Kinner Kailash Nichar S a n g l a Sutlej (6050m) after Independence in 1948, liberating many Kamru villages from the feudal system. In 1966 the HIMACHAL PRADESH Sangla Rakcham V a l l e y Chitkul districts administered from the Punjabi – in- Baspa River cluding Kangra, Kullu, Lahaul and Spiti – were added and full statehood was achieved in 1971. Ὀ Initially neglected by central government, Himachal has reinvented itself as the power- U T T A R A K H A N D (U T T A R A N C H A L) house of India, with huge hydroelectric plants providing power for half the country. FAST FACTS Population: 6.1 million Area: 55,673 sq km Capital: Shimla Mussoorie Main languages: Hindi, Pahari and Punjabi Dehra Dun When to go: April to June, October to Rajaji Wildlife Sanctuary November (July to October in Lahaul and Spiti) 282 EASTERN HIMACHAL PRADESH •• Shimla lonelyplanet.com Climate not advised – a number of accidents and The main seasons for visitors are May to July ‘disappearances’ have occurred in Himachal and September to November – advance reser- Pradesh (see the boxed text, p303 ). vations for accommodation are recommended Popular moderate treks include the trek at this time. During the monsoon the middle to the Pin Valley in Spiti ( p302 ), the Hamta hills can be chilly and damp, and snow closes Pass trek from Manali to Lahaul ( p315 ), the many mountainous areas from November trek from McLeod Ganj to the Chamba Valley to April, including the mountain valleys of ( p328 ) and the trek from Padum to Darcha in Lahaul and Spiti. However, this is also the Ladakh’s Zanskar region ( p391 ). Another pos- peak skiing season in the Kullu Valley and sible trekking destination is the Great Hima- around Shimla. layan National Park ( p299 ) near Kullu. Information Getting There & Away PERMITS The main route into Himachal is by bus, but The border between India and Tibet is politi- there are small airstrips near Shimla, Kullu cally sensitive and foreigners need an inner and Dharamsala that receive flights from line permit to travel between Rekong Peo in Delhi. However, flights are often cancelled Kinnaur and Tabo in Spiti. You can obtain the and travellers have reported being booked permit easily, with two passport photographs onto overpriced alternative flights by the air- and photocopies of the identity and visa pages lines.