Himachal Pradesh is located in the northern region of India. It has a mountainous terrain divided into different Himalayan regions. The climate is cool throughout the year and the landscape becomes lush and green after the monsoon season. The main languages spoken are Hindi, Pahari, Punjabi, and others. The population is predominantly Hindu but other religions are also present. The economy depends on hydroelectric power, tourism, and agriculture. Major crops include wheat, rice, and barley. Popular tourist destinations include Shimla, Manali, and Dharamshala.

1. HIMACHAL
PRADESH
~:Abode of Snow:~

2. Where it is located?

3. GEOGRAPHY
 Topography mainly hilly.
 38% of total land is forest.
 Average altitude ranges from 450 m. to
6500 m above sea level.
 Hilly region divided into:
-Shivaliks or Outer Himalayas
-Lesser Himalayas
-The Great Himalayan & Zaska.
 Climate & weather is cool throught the
year.

4.  The beauty of Himachal unleashes
after the rainy season with lush
green cover on mountains.
 Chief rivers : Indus and Ganges;
• Chenab
• Beas
• Ravi
• Yamuna
• Sutlej
• Spiti

6. AFTER RAINY
SEASON
EARLY
WINTER

7. CENSUS
AREA: 55,673 sq km
NO. OF DISTRICTS: 12
CAPITAL: Shimla
POPULATION: 68.56 lakh
SEX RATIO: 974/1000
males
LITERACY RATE:
83.78%
% OF TOTAL
POPULATION: 0.57
DENSITY OF
POPULATION: 123/Sq km
FACT: No city over 1 lakh
population.

8. PEOPLE & CULTURE
LANGUAGES:Official language: Hindi
 Prominent language: Pahari
 Other languages: Punjabi, Dogri,
Kangri & Kinnauri
RELIGIONS: 95.77% - Hindus(Rajputs, Brahmins &
Mahajans-High caste; Artisans-Lower
caste)
 1.63% - Muslims
 >1% - Buddhists
 0.1% - Christians

9. FESTIVALS: Dusshera of Kullu :
7day fest to mark the
return of Lord Rama to
Ayodhya.
 Ladarcha Fest, Spiti :
A fair, celebrated in 3rd
week of august. Gettogether of visitors and
traders.
 Khepa Fest, Kinnaur:
Fest of chasing
demons and most
famous.

10.  Doongri Fest, Kullu :
Colourful fest to mark
the advent of spring.
 Minjar Fest,
Chamba : 7-day
carnival depiciting the
cultural bonding of
people. Local diety
taken in a pocession
for immersion.
 Shivratri Fair,
Mandi : A week long
fair at Baijinath’s
Shiva temple in Feb
and March.

11. PEOPLE: The people of Himachal love colour.
 Their dress patterns follow the local climate.
 The people of Lahaul wear long gowns and
trousers but their gowns do not have mandarin
sleeves.
 They wear grass or leather boots.
 Their caps indicate the region they come from.

12. MAJOR CROPS &
FOOD: Cultivate cash crops like
wheat, maize, rice and
barley.
 Best Dishes : Indra – A
dish prepared by Urad dal
and Bada in Shimla
district.
Siddu – Made from
Soybean or Walnut.
 Not To Be Missed :
Enjoying Makki or fresh
Corn flour i.e grounded in
water propelled-mill and is
eaten with milk at
breakfast.

13. ECONOMY
 The economy of the state is highly
dependent on three sources:
hydroelectric power, tourism and
agriculture.
 The first five year plan allocated
Rs.5.27 crore to Himachal.
 It has started from 1951.
 More than 50% of this expenditure
was incurred on road construction
 Himachal now ranks fourth in respect
of per capita income Agriculture
contributes over 45%
 Over 93% of the population in
Himachal depend directly upon
agriculture which provides direct
employment to 71% of its people.
 The Economy of the Himachal
Pradesh is currently the third fastest
growing economy in India.

14. POLITICS
 First CM of Himachal Pradesh
was Dr.Y.S.Parmar.
 BJP’s Prem Kumar Dhumal
was sworn in as 15th Chief
Minister of Himachal Pradesh
on 30th December 2007.
 Two major national political
parties: BJP & INC.
 The Assembly is unicameral
with 68 Members of the
Legislative Assembly & 4 Lok
Sabha seats.

15. How To Reach Himachal?
Shimla: By Air: From Delhi airport to Jubbarhati air
port.
 By Rail: Shimla is connected by a broadgauge
line up to Kalka (90 km). The journey between
Kalka and Shimla takes about six hours and is
one of the finest ways of enjoying the
landscape. The Shivalik Express is a deluxe
train on this route. Delhi (380 km), Chandigarh
(120 km) and Kalka (90 km) from Shimla.
 By Road: Shimla is connected by road to all
major cities in north India. Taxi cabs for Shimla
are available at Delhi, Chandigarh, Ambala and
Kalka.Buses can also be chartered.

16. TOURISM
Shimla
 The old Christ Church, with its
beautiful stained glass windows, is
one of Shimla's most prominent
landmarks. There are plenty of
adventure sports and short hikes
on offer in the vicinity as well.
Manali
 Manali, with its soothing backdrop
of the Himalayas, offers a blend of
tranquility and adventure that
makes it one of northern India's
most popular destinations. Located
in the Kullu Valley.

17. Contd.
Dharmashala & Ganji
 The towns of Dharamsala and
MacLeod Ganj are home to
the exiled Tibetan
Government. The Dalai Lama
resides in Dharamsala, and
many Tibetans have followed
him there.

18. Areas of industrial
development
 Information & Communication
Technology Industry, Computer
hardware, Call Centre's, I.T.
Software and services





Eco-tourism- Hotels, resorts
Automobile manufacturing units
Cold storage units/chain.
Food Processing Industry
Pharmacy products