Tourism in Himachal Pradesh

The Himalayas are found in Himachal Pradesh. The Shivalik range and mid- Himalayas are found here. The highest peak is Reo Purgyil with a height of 6,816m in Kinnaur. Furthermore, there some reservoirs and rivers in Himachal Pradesh which are tourist hotspots due to water port activities, sacred importance to Hindus, bird watching and have health centres around them.[2] The four major rivers in the state are Ravi, Chenab, Sutlej and Beas. The Sutlej and Beas river valleys are home to hot springs such as Tattapani, Manikaran and Vashist.[4]

Sunrise at TaniJubbar Lake

The Great Himalayan National Park is found in the Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh.[2] It has an area of 620 sq km and ranging from an altitude of 1500 meters to 4500 meters and was created in 1984. There are various forest types found here such as Deodar, Silver Fir, Spruce, Oak and Alpine pastures.[4] In the Great Himalayan National Park, there are a variety of animals found such as Snow Leopard, Himalayan Yak, Himalayan Black Bear, Western Tragopan, Monal and Musk Deer. This National Park is a trail to many hikers and trekkers too.[2] Moreover, there are sanctuaries which are tourist spots such as Naina Devi Sanctuary in Bilaspur district with an area of 120 sq km and Gobind Sagar Sanctuary with an area of 100 sq km. There are animals such as Indian porcupine and giant flying squirrel found here. The Gobind Sagar Lake has fish species such as Mrigal, Silver carp, Katla, Mahaseer and Rohu are found here.[4] Narkanda located in at an altitude of around 8850 feet is known for its apple orchards. It is located between the river valleys of Giri and Sutlej.[5]

There are a variety of festivals celebrated by the locals of Himachal Pradesh who worship gods and goddesses. There are over 2000 villages in Himachal Pradesh which celebrate festivals such as Kullu Dussehra, Chamba’s Minjar, Renuka ji Fair, Lohri, Halda, Phagli, Lossar and Mandi Shivratri.[2] There approximately 6000 temples in Himachal Pradesh with a known one being Bijli Mahadev. The temple is seen as a 20-meter structure built in stone which, according to locals, is known to attract lighting. They say that this is a way the Gods show their blessings.[6]