Himachal Pradesh is part of the mountainous area of Northern India. This almost unknown Indian state collects lots of heritage and cultural traditions between his borders.

Himachal Pradesh lays under the western Himalayan peaks. His name was coined from Sanskrit language: him stands for snow and achal for mountain; Acharya Diwakar Datt Sharma, an Himachali Sanskrit scholar, has chosen it. Despite the isolation of a mountainous area the history of this region dates back to the prehistory and has followed a long path until today.

The dominating community of the state is Hindu (96% of the population), while the rest is composed by tribal population, such as Gaddis, Kinnars, Gujjars, Pangawals and Lahaulis; a percentage of people are also Tibetans. The population is practising Hinduism, but there are some spotted Buddhist communities, due to the Tibetan government in exile has chosen Dharamshala as its abode (mainly in Lahaul and Spiti areas). Muslim, Christian and Sikhs are present in small numbers.

The relationship between Himachali people and their religion is really close, as god Shiva has picked this part of India for dwelling. Lots of temples show the deep religious beliefs of these scattered villages. Hindi and Pahari languages are the most spoken languages of this state: though Hindi is the state language, many people speak Pahari. Pahari itself has many dialects and all of them trace their origin to the Sanskrit language.

The costumes of Himachal Pradesh vary in relation to the different areas of the state. To bear with the cold climate, scarves and shawls are both common and famous. Pashmina goat is generally used to realise these garments.

The local economy is based on agriculture and farming. The state is known as the apple-basket of India, because this is the most common crop. However, plums, pears, peaches and citrus fruits (mango, strawberry, guava) are also cultivated. Himachal produces its own hazelnuts and chilgoza pine nuts, a rare dry fruit found only in Himachal Pradesh.

This hilly and mountainous state is slowly entering in the touristic circuit of India. Apart of the architectural-religious heritage and strong traditions, the nature and the trekking routes are part of its richness. The mountain ranges have great variations, between 450m to 6500m. It’s an ideal state for climbers, mountaineers and trekkers.

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