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Adventure
Tours
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Himachal Pradesh
the heaven on earth
History
and Geography
The earliest known inhabitants of the region were tribals
called Dasas. Later, Aryans came and they assimilated
in the tribes. In the later centuries, the hill chieftains
accepted the suzerainty of the Mauryan empire, the Kushans,
the Guptas and Kanauj rulers. During the Mughal period,
the Rajas of the hill states made some mutually agreed
arrangements which governed their relations. In the 19th
century, Ranjit singh annexed / subjugated many of the
states. When the British came, they defeated Gorkhas and
entered into treaties whith some Rajahs and annexed the
kingdoms of others. The states of the area were united
and the present Himachal Pradesh was formed on 15 April
1948. With the reorganisation of Punjab on 1 November
1966. certain areas belonging to it were also included
in Himachal Pradesh.
On 25 January 1971 Himachal Pradesh was made a full-fledged
State. The State is bordered by Jammu and Kashmir on north,
Punjab on west and south-west, Haryana on South-west,
Uttar Pradesh on south-east and by Tibet on the east.
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 Each
and every activity of tourism is directly or indirectly
aimed at providing a 'worthwhile experience' to
the visitors to translate it into 'pleasing memory'.
It is a very natural, human phenomenon that memory
fades with time without remembrance. Souvenirs are
a form of objectified tokens for keeping the memory
alive and are very appropriately termed as 'memory
ticklers'. Souvenirs create an emotional link of
the tourists with the destination and play a very
important role in bringing the tourists back to
the same destination. People get emotional satisfaction
by showing the souvenirs to their friends and in
their social circle. Lately, the concept of holidaying
in famous destinations has become a stgatus symbol
and souvenirs from a famous destination decorated
in the house is of course the best way to impress
others. Some of the tourists buy the souvenirs for
this sole purpose, but for most of the tourists
buying souvenirs, it is a way to keep their memory
fresh or a way to appreciate the art and culture
of the destination.
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| Kullu
& Kinnauri Caps |
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| They are circular woollen
caps with a vibrantly coloured folded flap. This flap
is woven in beautiful geometric patterns typical to
Kullu or is made of velvet as in the Kinnauri Caps.
Traditionally, the Kinnauri Caps are worn by both
men and women folk, whereas the Kullu Caps are worn
by men only. |
| Shawls
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 Kullu
and Kinnauri shawls come in various colours and designs.
These shawls are woven from the wool shed by the pashmina
goat or from the wool of angora rabbits. The three
dominating colours used in the Kinnauri designs are
Red, Yellow and Blue, which symbolise spiritual power,
sublime truth and transcendental knowledge respectively.
Each combination represents a sipritual-cum-mystic
message in its intricate pattern.
Kullu shawls are different from the Kinnauri ones,
as they signify less devotion and more of prosperity
by liberating from its religious confines. They have
a wider range of base colours and vibrantly coloured
borders. |
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| Pullahs are footwear
made of fibre extracted from hemp and wool. The sole
is made of hemp and the upper part is woven of wool
and is in different colour combinations and beautiful
designs. 'Pullahs' are made in many parts of Himachal
such as Lahaul, Pangi, Shimla etc., with slight variation
in designs and make. |
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| Carpets and blankets are
an essential part of Himachali furnishing. Carpets
in brilliant colours are woven with a variety of traditional
motifs. There are Garudas on flowering trees, dragons,
swastikas, flutes to symbolize happiness and lotus
blooms to mean purity. |
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| Chamba rumals are exquisitely
embroidered squares of cloth and part of Chamba's
rich artistic heritage. The unique feature of this
craft is that both sides of the embroidered pattern
are identical with no front or rear side. They make
unique decorative items and are also used as wall
hangings. |
| Miniature
Paintings |
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| There are 2
distinct schools prevalent in the State - Kangra and
Bosohali. The Kangra paintings were developed under
the patronage of Raja Sansar Chand, the ruler of Kangra
in 17th century. The subjects of the paintings are
from Mahabharata. The prominent centres of this school
were Nurpur, Arki, Nalagarh and Mandi. |
| Metal
Craft |
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| Metal
craft is one of the traditional crafts of Himachal
Pradesh. The more commonly used metals are silver
and copper, though bronze is also used. The local
craftsmanship in carving, ornamenting and engraving
of silver has evolved into classic designs, different
in different parts of the State. The locally available
items include carved silver lamp stands, tea pots,
wine cups and metal sculpture. |
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| Fine jewellery is
crafted out of silver and gold in most parts of the
State. Elaborate silver jewellery is worn by the women
in Kinnaur, Gaddis of Chamba and Kangra and the Gujjar
women. |
| Dolls |
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| Small dolls, adorned in
the traditional dress of Himachal from the different
parts of State, are a very popular souvenir amongst
the tourists. These dolls are available in many costumes
such as Gaddi dolls, Kinnauri dolls, Lahauli dolls
etc., each fully decked up in clothes and jewellery
of the traditional styles. |
| Wood
Craft |
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| The most abundant wood
in Himachal's forests are the pine and deodar, besides
walnut, horse chestnut and wild black mulberry. Intricately
carved seats, doors, windows and panels are some examples
of the dexterity of Himachal's craftsmen. The articles
which the tourists buy as souvenirs are fruit bowls,
beer mugs, wooden jewellery, carved images, key rings
and candle stands. |
| Agricultural
& Horticultural Products |
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| 'Kangra Tea'
which is grown in Palampur and nearby areas is rapidly
becoming popular. There are many flavours which have
been named on the various 'raagas' of classical music,
giving them a cultural aroma. Besides the cooked food,
there is another very unique preparation called "Jarees",
which is served as a mouth-freshner after the meal.
'Jarees' is a mixture prepared from very finely chopped
dry coconut, "saunf", black cardamom, 'supari'
and 'misri'. This is a speciality from Chamba and
is produced there only. 'Jarees' is becoming popular
amongst the tourists visiting Chamba. 'Chamba Chukh'
is another speciality from the Chamba District. It
is a pickle made of chillies, lime juice, salt and
mustard oil. Few years back it was only a household
product, but some entrepreneurs have started its large
scale production experimenting with various recipe
and the demand of Chamba-Chukh, is increasing. |
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