Himachal Pradesh
The state of Himachal Pradesh was called 'Deva Bhoomi ' or the Land of the Gods.
There are evidences of the existence of the pre-historic humans in this region.
It is generally believed that large inhabitants of this region had actually
migrated from Central Asia and the Indian plains from time to time. The first
race to enter Himachal Pradesh was Proto-Australoid followed by Mongoloid and
the Aryan. The Rig Veda mentions about Dasyus and Nishads living in this region
and their powerful king Shambra who had 99 forts. From the early period of its
history, tribes like the Koilis, Halis, Dagis, Dhaugris, Dasa, Khasas, Kinnars
and Kirats inhabited it.
The Aryan influence over this area dates back to the period before the Rig Veda.
The Aryans with their superior war tactics defeated the local tribes and settled
here permanently. The period also saw the establishment of small Janapadas or
Republics in Himachal Pradesh. They maintained a good relationship with the
Mauryans so that they can remain independent for a long time. They lost their
independence with the rise of the Guptas in the North Gangetic plains. After
the decline of the Guptas, several small kingdoms ruled this hilly state and
established their power in its different regions. Sankar Varma, the king of
Kashmir exercised his influence over the regions of Himachal Pradesh in about
883 AD.
This region witnessed the invasion of Mahmud of Ghazni in 1009 AD. In about
1043 AD, the Rajputs ruled over this territory. The Mughal rulers erected several
works of art as an admiration of this land. The Rajputs, under the leadership
of Sansar Chand owned this region in 1773 AD, till the attack by Maharaja Ranjit
Singh in 1804 AD, which crushed the Rajput power here. The Gurkhas conquered
this area and ravaged it.
SHIMLA
Shimla, the capital city of Himachal Pradesh, lies about 343 km from Delhi
at an altitude of 2,213 metres above sea level. Before the British discovered
it in 1819, Shimla was a small village that was part of the Nepalese kingdom.
In 1830, the local Raja was persuaded to part with the land by the British
and the settlement became the subcontinent's most fashionable summer resort.
Shimla was declared the summer capital of India in 1864. After India's independence,
Shimla became the capital of Punjab till 1966, when it came under Himachal
Pradesh.
The summers in Shimla are quit pleasant as the maximum temperature rarely crosses
25°C. Winters are cold and Shimla experiences quite a heavy snowfall. If
you are among those who want to escape from the scorching heat of the plains,
Shimla would be the ideal getaway. But for those who love snow, a visit in winters
can be an exciting experience. The British discovered Shimla in the form of
a little village in 1819. Until then, it was a part of the Nepalese kingdom.
It was during Lord William Bentinck's time that Shimla was truly acquired by
the Government of India. The British persuaded the local Raja to part with the
land in 1830, and the settlement became the subcontinent's most fashionable
summer resort. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of India. After
the independence of India, Shimla became the capital of Punjab until 1966, when
it came under Himachal Pradesh.
MANALI
Once called the "end of the habitable world," Manali is an important
hill station of northern India and is the destination of thousands of tourists
every year. Its cool atmosphere provides a perfect haven for the ones afflicted
by the hot Indian summers. Besides offering quite a few places for sightseeing,
Manali is also famous for adventure sports like skiing, hiking, mountaineering,
paragliding, rafting, trekking, kayaking, and mountain biking. In brief, Manali-the
veritable "valley of the Gods"-is an ideal place for the ones in
search of both adventure and comfort. The Kulluis in brightly patterned puttoos,
Tibetan women wearing ankle-length rainbow-striped pinafores, Nepali porters,
Buddhist monks, and even the odd party of Zanskaris, swathed in fusty woolen
gonchas, muddled together with souvenir-hunting Indian and Western tourists-all
add up to the welcoming hubbub of Manali.
Manali has a pre-historic legend behind its name. Vaivasvata, the seventh incarnation
of Manu, the first creation according to Hindu mythology, found a tiny fish
in his bathing water. The fish told him to look after it with devotion, for
one day it would do him a great service. The seventh Manu cared for the fish
until it grew so huge that he released it into the sea. Before departing, the
fish warned Manu of an impending deluge when the entire world would be submerged
and bade him to build a seaworthy ark. When the flood came, Matsya (fish), the
first avatar of Lord Vishnu, towed Vaivasvata and the Seven Sages to safety.
As the waters subsided, the seventh Manu's ark came to rest on a hillside and
the place was named Manali after him.
DHARAMSALA
Two and a half millennia after the Buddha walked on earth, another walks in
his foot steps." Welcome to Dharamsala, the land of Dalai Lama, a charming
little town with elegant bungalows. Dharamsala enjoys the unique distinction
of being the chosen home of the spiritual and temporal head of the Tibetan
people.
Set against the magnificent backdrop of the towering Dhauladhar ranges, which
rise up to more than 4000 meters, Dharamsala, which literally means the Holy
Refuge, lies perched up on the high slopes in the upper reaches of the Kangra
valley. Founded in 1855, it is one of the 80 hill resorts developed in the
seventeenth century by the British to beat the heat and dust of the sweltering
plains.
The annexation of Tibet by China in 1959 did not leave many options for the
14th Dalai Lama and his Buddhist government. Moreover, not many countries
were willing to risk the wrath of the Communist rulers of China, a nation
that was beginning to make its presence felt in the international arena. The
Indian government came to their rescue, offering them asylum in Dharamsala.
Of course, there are those who opine that the Tibetan refugees were of great
propaganda value at a time when India and China were not the best of neighbors.
Whatever the reasons, a steady stream of Tibetans has relocated here since
1960, as much to escape Chinese oppression as to bask in the presence of the
man they regard as their spiritual and political leader.
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