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Himachal Pradesh, spread over 55,673 sq.km. is bordered by Jammu and Kashmir on north, Punjab on west and south-west, Haryana on south Uttaranchal on south -east and by Tibet on the east. It is a mountainous region, known for the natural beauty of its forests, rivers, valleys, hills and dales and is rich in natural resources.
ARTSDances Himachal is a land of dances. Its dance forms are varied and some are quite complicated. These dances are an inseparable part of tribal life which reflects the great perseverance and good humour of the human beings in the face of poverty and death. No festivity here is completed without dancing. The dance forms like Dulshol, Dharveshi, Drodi, Dev Naritya, Rakshas Nritya, Dangi, Lasa, Nati and Nagas are danced all over the state and provide a welcome break in the monotony of life. These last for hours and the beats and gestures keep changing from one stage to another. The Mala (garland) Dance The Kayang Mala dance is very popular in Himachal. In this, the dancers dressed in their traditional finery, weave their arms, together to form a sort of a criss-cross pattern so that, they appear like beads in an intricately woven garland. They drink chhang (a rice-brew) before the dance and that adds to the lusty beauty of the dance. The Demon (Rakshasa) dance or Chhambha These dances from the Kinnaur area are reminiscent of the pre-historic period. The Kinnaur folk are compared to playful deer. This dance form is performed with demon masks numbering three, five, seven or nine. It depicts the attack of the demons on the crops and their ritual chasing away by the forces of good. 'Chhambha' is similar to the Punjabi dance Bhangra. Dressed in their demon costumes and masks, the dancers look quite awesome. These dances are arranged in areas which have a dense population. During local festivals like Chaitol and Bishu, community dancing can be seen. In these men and women hold hands and dance. The leader is known as 'Ghure' and the rest follow in his footsteps. In some areas men and women dance separately. The Dalshone and Cholamba dances These dances belong to the Ropa valley and in these the patterns formed by the dancers look like coiled serpents. The Cholamba dance is performed when a tiger is killed. The skin of the dead animal is stuffed and a gold ornament is put in his nose. The carcass is then rotated and the people dance around it. The Nagas Kayang is a dance which copies the movement of a snake. The Herki Kayang is faster in tempo and is danced to a romantic song. This dance is performed by young men and women. The Shuna Kayang dance is danced in most villages in the area and it combines both slow and fast movements. This depicts scenes from the life in the village as also the forest. Jataru Kayang This is a popular dance at festivals. In this dance songs connected with the festival are sung. As the musician play upon their instruments the leader of the dance, dances with a traditional Chamar in his hands The chamar becomes a great source of resentment and leads to fights among the dancers. The Ghure who is the leader of the dance has to deposit a small fee at the temple of the deity for using the chamar. The Shan and Shabu dances These are two popular dances of the Lahaul valley people and are danced at the Buddhist Gompas in the memory of the Buddha. Shan means a song of prayer for the Buddha. Dances danced to these songs are known as Shan dances. It is a tribal dance which is performed at the completion of the harvesting of crops. The instrument played in this are drums, shehnai and a stringed instrument like a violin. A similar dance known as Shabbo is performed at festivals. It depicts the feelings and beliefs of the people in this area. These dances are linked to the local religious festivals. FESTIVALS The people in Himachal love festivals and participate in all the local festivals and fairs with great enthusiasm. Most of the fairs and festivals are connected with the various seasonal changes. There are many folklores connected with the beginning of each festivals. These fairs offer a clear glimpse into the lives, the beliefs and the popular customs of the rural life in Himachal. Each district has its own sequence of annual fairs which are connected with the historical and sociological background of that area. Festivals have an important place in the lives of the people in Himachal. On the festival day the farmers do not work in the fields and rich and poor alike celebrate these to the best of their financial abilities. If there has been a death in the family on the day of the festival, the festival is not celebrated by the other members, till a birth occurs around the same time. The Sikh festivals are celebrated largely in the cities. The tribal festivals have their own identity which is totally different from the festival celebration elsewhere. Pori festival The Pori festival of the Lahaul valley is remarkable. It is celebrated in the traditional way at the temple of Trilokinath. On this day the statue of the lord is bathed with milk and yogurt and then at about ten o' clock in the morning a crowd of people goes around the temple beating drums and blowing conchshells and bugles. A horse is also taken round the temple. It is believed that the god sits on its back and this is why the horse is drenched in sweet after the ritual. After the procession, the crowd along with the horse goes to the palace of the local ruler where the horse is given a grand welcome. The king then rides the horse and visits the fair ground which is dotted all over with small shops. On this day a butter lamp burns within the temple all day and all night long. The devotees add more butter to it as they come and accept the ritual Prasad of multi-coloured scraps of cloth with deep veneration. Dussera Dussera is celebrated all over Himachal. The Ramlila plays begins a month prior to this and finish on the day of the festival. In the evening an actor dressed as Lord Rama shoots arrows at effigies of Ravana, his son Meghnad and his brother Kumbh Karna and sets them on fire. After this, crackers are lit and sweets are distributed. The Kulu Dussera is the biggest draw among festivals. It is held in October in Dhalpur maidan of Kulu. The beginning is marked by Rathyatra, in which the chief deity 'Raghunathji' is carried in a fully decorated wooden chariot. The yatra signifies the march of Rama to conquer Ravana. The famous Nainadevi fair is held in August. Some of the devotees cover the entire distance to the temple by lying prostrate each time they take a step. Fulaich In the monsoon month of Bhadrapada comes the festival of flower-watching (ukhyang) in the Kinnaur valley. This festival is also known as Fulaich and it commemorates the dead. But it is not an occasion to weep and wail. The fair opens with animal sacrifices and soon the entire village collects on a hill top and looks for the 'Ladra' flower. People serve rice wine and food to the dear departed ones on a mound of bricks. These are later distributed to the poor and the Harijans in the village. Afterwards the people of the village reassemble at the house of the 'Dhangaspa' family and garland all the family members of the clan. The villagers also welcome the team that had gone up the hills to look for flowers. Sacrifices are made into wood nymphs and at many places. Dancers perform ritual dances with ancient weapons. Holi The festival of Holi comes in the full moon day in the month of Falgun. Some women in the village offer special Puja during Holi. Small twigs of the 'Kamal' tree are painted in red and yellow and then laid out in little bamboo baskets (khartoo) along with thread, kumkum, jaggery and roasted grams. The women carry this basket and little pots of coloured water in their hands and go for the Puja. This is first offered to an elderly man (Dandochh) and then the Holi is played. The next day the entire village plays Holi. The day prior to Holi, when the moon comes out, the Holi bonfire is built and set to fire. There is a scramble during this among the younger men to touch the Holi flag first. He who touch it first, is considered lucky. Special Kadah Prasad (sweet gruel) is also cooked and distributed. The Holi melas at Palampur, Ghughar, Paprola, Baijnath, Jaisinghpur and Sujanpur also have an attraction of their own. The Holi festival of Sujanpur traces its colourful history back to the glorious days of king Sansar Chand. This fair has been declared as a state festival by the Himachal government. The fair lasts for five days during which various processions of deities are taken out. Folk dances and traditional folk theater forms are also presented. Clay pots are also sold and the entire valley seems to reverberate with the joyous sounds of the traditional Holi songs. TOURISM
Himachal Pradesh, the land of eternal snow peaks abounds in exotic valleys, glorious green hill-slopes, snowcapped mountains, gushing streams and the hills of Himalays welcome the tourists from all over the world. In this mountain wonderland, the pace of life is measured and tranquil. Himachal Pradesh is full of hill resorts, pilgrimages, adventure sports destinations, and wildlife that attracts a wide range of tourist traffic. Today, Himachal Pradesh is one of the most important tourist destinations in India. It also has excellent trekking. Main tourist complexes are Shimla, Palampur, Dharamsala, Kulu-Manali, Chamba-Dalhousie. Temple at Bhima Kali, Sarahan, Hatkoti, Jwalajee, Chamunda Devi, Chintpurni, Renuka and Rewalsar, Deoth Siddh and Naina Devi are major attractions for pilgrims. Tourist complexes are also being set up at Keylong, Kaza, Sangla, Shoja, Kalpa, Khadrala, Kharapathar, Chindi, Bharmour, Chansal and Naggar castle. Hang-gliding competitions are held in Kangra valley. Solang Nallah slopes are getting popular for winter sports. There is an art gallery in Naggar and museums in Chamba, Shimla and Dharamasala. The beautiful tourist resort of Khajjair in Chamba district has been christened as the Switzerland of Himachal Pradesh How to get there: Road: The total road length in the state was 21,935km. It has eight national highways with a length of 1, 279km. Tourist information centres
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