Everything about Himachal Pradesh totally explained
Himachal Pradesh (
Hindi: हिमाचल प्रदेश, ) is a state in the north-west of
India. Himachal Pradesh is spread over and is bordered by the Indian states of
Jammu and Kashmir on north,
Punjab on west and south-west,
Haryana and
Uttar Pradesh on south,
Uttarakhand on south-east and by
Tibet on the east. The literal meaning of Himachal Pradesh is
Land of snowy mountains.
Himachal Pradesh was also known as
Deva Bhoomi (the land of the gods). The Aryan influence in the region dates back to the period before the
Rigveda. After the Anglo Gorkha war, the
British colonial government came into power. It was initially in Punjab, except
Siba State of Punjab Hills, under the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh till 1857
In 1950 Himachal was declared as the union territory but after State of Himachal Pradesh Act 1971 Himchal emerged as the 18th state of
Indian Union.
Himachal Pradesh has one of the highest per capita incomes of any state in India. Due to the abundance of perennial rivers, Himachal also sells hydro electricity to other states such as
Delhi,
Punjab &
Rajasthan. The economy of the state is highly dependent upon three sources for example Hydel power, tourism and agriculture.
95% of the state population constitutes of
Hindus. The major communities are of Brahmins,
Rajputs,
Kannets,
Rathis and
Kolis. As per the survey conducted in 2005 by
Transparency International Himachal Pradesh is ranked second least corrupt state in the country after
Kerala.
History
Indus valley civilisation flourished between 2250 and 1750 BCE. Tribes such as the Koilis, Halis, Dagis, Dhaugris, Dasa, Khasas, Kinnars and Kirats inhabited the region from pre-histotic era. During the
Vedic period, several small republics known as "Janapada" existed which were later conquered by the
Gupta Empire. After a brief period of supremacy by king
Harshavardhana, the region was once again divided into several local powers headed by chieftains, including some
Rajput prinicipalities. These kingdoms that enjoyed a large degree of independence were devastated by Muslim invaders a number of times.
The
Gorkhas, a
martial tribe came to power in
Nepal in the year 1768. Himachal Pradesh is a mountainous state with elevation ranging from about to above the
sea level.
The
drainage system of Himachal is composed both of
rivers and
glaciers. Himalayan rivers criss-cross the entire mountain chain. In fact the rivers are older than the mountain system.
Himachal Pradesh provides water to both the
Indus and
Ganges basins. The drainage systems of the region are the Chandra Bhaga or the
Chenab, the
Ravi, the
Beas, the
Sutlej and the
Yamuna. These rivers are
perennial and are fed by snow and rainfall. They are protected by an extensive cover of natural vegetation.
There is great variation in the climatic conditions of Himachal due to extreme variation in elevation. The climate varies from hot and sub-humid tropical in the southern tracts to cold, alpine and glacial in the northern and eastern mountain ranges with more elevation. The state has areas like
Dharamsala that receive very heavy rainfall, as well as those like
Lahaul and Spiti that are cold and almost rainless. Broadly Himachal experience three seasons; hot weather season, cold weather season and rainy season. Summer lasts from mid April till the end of June and most parts become very hot (except in
alpine zone which experience mild summer) with the average
temperature ranging from to . Winter lasts from late November till mid March.
Snowfall is common in alpine tracts (generally above for example in the Higher and Trans-Himalayan region).
Flora and fauna
According to 2003
Forest Survey of India report, legally defined forest areas constitute 66.52% of the area of Himachal Pradesh, although area under tree cover is only 25.78%. Vegetation in the state is dictated by
elevation and
precipitation. The southern part of the state which is at lower elevation has both
tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests and
tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. Meadows and pastures are also seen clinging to steep slopes. After the winter season, the hillsides and orchards bloom with wild flowers, while
gladiolas,
carnations,
marigolds,
roses,
chrysanthemums,
tulips and
lilies are carefully cultivated. The state government is gearing up to make Himachal Pradesh as the flower basket of the world.
Himachal Pradesh is a well known habitat to a variety of animals. There are around 1200 bird and 359 animal species in the state.
This includes the
leopards, ghoral,
snow leopard, musk deer (the state animal) and
Western Tragopan (the state bird). It has 12 major national parks and sanctuaries – the largest number in the Himalayan region. The
Great Himalayan National Park in
Kullu district was created to conserve the flora and fauna of the main Himalayan range, while the
Pin Valley National Park to conserve the flora and fauna of the
cold desert.
Subdivisions
Himachal Pradesh is divided into 12 districts namely,
Kangra,
Hamirpur,
Mandi,
Bilaspur,
Una,
Chamba,
Lahul and Spiti,
Sirmaur,
Kinnaur,
Kullu,
Solan and
Shimla. The state capital is
Shimla which was formerly British India's summer capital under the name
Simla.
A district of Himachal Pradesh is an administrative geographical unit, headed by a
Deputy Commissioner or District Magistrate, an officer belonging to the
Indian Administrative Service. The district magistrate or the deputy commissioner is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Himachal Administrative Service and other Himachal state services. Each district is subdivided into Sub-Divisions, governed by a
sub-divisional magistrate, and again into Blocks. Blocks consists of
panchayats (village councils) and town
municipalities. A
Superintendent of Police, an officer belonging to the
Indian Police Service is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues of the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Himachal Police Service and other Himachal Police officials.
Government
The Himachal Pradesh
Legislative Assembly has no pre-
Constitution history. The State itself is a post-Independence creation. It came into being as a centrally administered territory on
15 April 1948 from the integration of thirty erstwhile princely states.
Himachal Pradesh is governed through a
parliamentary system of
representative democracy, a feature the state shares with other Indian states.
Universal suffrage is granted to residents. The
legislature consists of elected members and special office bearers such as the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker who are elected by the members. Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker in the Speaker's absence. The
judiciary is composed of the
Himachal Pradesh High Court and a system of lower courts.
Executive authority is vested in the Council of Ministers headed by the, although the titular head of government is the
Governor. The Governor is the
head of state appointed by the
President of India. The leader of the party or coalition with a majority in the Legislative Assembly is appointed as the Chief Minister by the Governor, and the Council of Ministers are appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. The Council of Ministers reports to the Legislative Assembly. The Assembly is
unicameral with 68
Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). Terms of office run for 5 years, unless the Assembly is dissolved prior to the completion of the term. Auxiliary authorities known as
panchayats, for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs.
Governments have seen alternates between
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) &
Indian National Congress (INC), no third front ever has become significant. In 2003, the state legislative assembly was won by the Indian National Congress and
Virbhadra Singh was elected as the chief minister of the state. In the assembly elections held in December 2007, the BJP secured a landslide victory. The BJP won 41 of the 68 seats while the Congress won only 23 of the 68 seats. BJP's
Prem Kumar Dhumal was sworn in as
Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh on
30 December,
2007
Economy
| Gross State Domestic Product at Current Pricesfigures in millions of Indian Rupees
|
| Year |
Gross State Domestic Product |
| 1980 |
7,940 |
| 1985 |
13,720 |
| 1990 |
28,150 |
| 1995 |
66,980 |
| 2000 |
135,900 |
| 2005 |
230,240 |
| 2007 |
254,350 |
The era of planning started in Himachal in 1948 along with the rest of
India. The first
five year plan allocated Rs.5.27
crore to Himachal. More than 50% of this expenditure was incurred on road construction since it was felt that without proper transport facilities, the process of planning and development couldn't be carried to the people, who mostly lived an isolated existence in far away areas. Himachal now ranks fourth in respect of per capita income among the states of the
Indian Union.
Agriculture contributes over 45% to the net state domestic product. It is the main source of income and employment in Himachal. Over 93% of the population in Himachal depend directly upon agriculture which provides direct employment to 71% of its people.
The main cereals grown are
wheat,
maize,
rice and
barley.
Himachal has a rich heritage of
handicrafts. These include woolen and
pashmina shawls,
carpets,
silver and metal ware, embroidered chappals, grass shoes, Kangra and Gompa style paintings, wood work, horse-hair bangles, wooden and metal utensils and various other house hold items. These aesthetic and tasteful handicrafts declined under competition from machine made goods and also because of lack of marketing facilities. But now the demand for handicrafts has increased within and outside the country.
Himachal is extremely rich in
hydel resources. The state has about 25% of the national potential in this respect. It has been estimated that about 20,300MW of hydel power can be generated in the State by constructing various major, medium, small and mini/micro hydel projects on the five
river basins. The state is also the first state in
India to achieve the goal of having a bank account for every family.
As per the current prices, the total GDP was estimated at Rs 25,435
crore (Rs 254,350,000,000), as against Rs 23,024
crore (Rs 230,240,000,000) in the year 2004-05, showing an increase of 10.5%.
Transport
Roads are the major mode of transport in the hilly terrains of Himachal Pradesh. The state has road network of, including eight
national highways (NH) that constitute .
Railway track is accessible only to a few places in Himachal Pradesh. The
Pathankot–
Jogindernagar line connects
Punjab with Himachal Pradesh. The other railway tracks pass through
Shimla,
Solan and
Una.
Shimla is connected with
Kalka by a narrow gauge railway line, which in turn is connected with the major cities in
India. Himachal has two narrow gauge rail tracks. The
Kalka-Shimla Railway track has a length of 96 kilometers. It passes through 102 tunnels and crosses 864 bridges.
There are three
domestic airports in the state—
Shimla Airport,
Bhuntar Airport serving
Kullu and
Manali, and
Gaggal Airport serving
Kangra and
Dharamsala. The air routes connect the state with
Delhi and
Chandigarh. There are no international airports in Himachal Pradesh.
Jagson Airlines has flights from
Delhi to
Shimla.
Demographics
The population of Himachal in 2001 stood at 6,077,248 as per the provisional results of the Census of India 2001. The population of Himachal Pradesh includes estimated population of entire
Kinnaur district, where the population enumeration of Census of India, 2001 couldn't be conducted due to natural calamity. In terms of population it holds the same position (twenty first) among States and Union territories as at the previous census. The population of the State rose by 17.53% between 1991-2001. The sex ratio (for example, the number of females per thousand males) of population was recorded as 970, which has declined from 976 in the previous census. Total
literacy of the State rose to 77.13% from 63.94% in 1991.
The tribal population of the state comprise of the
Gaddis, Kinnars,
Gujjars, Pangawals, Lahaulis and Spitians. The Gaddis are the traditional shepherds who migrate from the alpine pastures to the lower regions during the winters. The Kinnars are the inhabitants of the Kinnaur region and have traditionally practiced polyandry and polygamy. The Gujjars are nomads who rear buffalo herds. Himachal also has a sizeable population of Tibetans
About 95.4% of the population of Himachal Pradesh consists of Hindus, Muslims 2.0%, Sikhs 1.2% and Buddhists 1.2% . There main communities are Brahmins, Rajputs, Kannets, Rathis and Kolis. Himachal Pradesh has the highest proportion of Hindu population in India. Other religions are
Sikhism and
Buddhism. The Lahaulis of Lahaul and Spiti region are mainly Buddhists.
The major spoken languages include
Hindi,
Punjabi, Mahasui, Kulluyi, Lahauli, Kinnauri, Chambyali, Sirmauri, Bilaspuri,
Pahari,
Dogri,
Kangri.
Some of the achievements in human development by the state are listed below-
- The life expectancy at birth was 62.8 years (higher than the national average of 57.7 years) for the period 1986–1990.
- The Infant mortality rate has fallen down from 118 in 1971 to 62 in 1999.
- The crude birth rate has declined from 37.3 in 1971 to 22.6 in 1998 for example below the national average of 26.5 in 1998.
- The crude death rate has declined from 15.6 in 1971 to 7.7 in 1998.
- The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has declined from 4.7 to 3.6.
- Overall literacy grew by 34.65% between the period 1981 and 2001.
Kullu district is leading with the value of 0.534 in Human development index (HDI)
Languages of the
Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in Himachal Pradesh are the
Sunam language 558 (1998),
Gahri language 4,000 (1997),
Jangshung language 1,990 (1998),
Kanashi language 1,400 (2002 Chauhan),
Kinnauri language 48,778,
Kinnauri Bhoti language 6,000 (1998),
Chitkuli language 1,060 (1998),
Pattani language 11,000 (1997),
Shumcho language 2,174 (1998) and the
Tukpa language 723 (1998)
Culture
Himachal was one of the few states that had remained largely untouched by external customs, largely due to its difficult terrain. With the technological advancements the state has changed very rapidly.
It is a multireligional, multicultural as well as multilingual state like other Indian states. Some of the most commonly spoken languages includes
Hindi,
Punjabi,
Pahari,
Dogri,
Kangri and
Kinnauri. The
Hindu caste communities residing in Himachal include the
Brahmins,
Rajputs,
Kannets,
Rathis and
Kolis. There are also tribal population in the state which mainly comprise
Gaddis,
Kinnars,
Gujjars,
Pangawals and
Lahaulis.
The state is well known for its handicrafts. The carpets, leather works, shawls, paintings, metalware, woodwork and paintings are worth appreciating. Pashmina shawl is one of the product which is highly in demand not only in Himachal but all over the country. Himachali caps are also famous art work of the people. Extreme cold winters of Himachal necessitated wool weaving. Nearly every household in Himachal owns a pit-loom. Wool is also considered as pure and is used as a ritual cloth. The well known woven object is the shawl, ranging from fine pashmina to the coarse desar. Kullu is famous for its shawls with striking patterns and vibrant colours.
Local music and
dance reflects the cultural identity of the state. Through their dance and music, they entreat their gods during local festivals and other special occasions.
Apart from the fairs and festivals that are celebrated all over India, there are number of other fairs and festivals also that are of great significance to Himachal Pradesh.
Shimla, the state capital is home to Asia's only natural Ice skating rink.
The day to day food of
Himachalis is very similar to the rest of the north
India. They too have
lentil,
broth,
rice,
vegetables and
bread. As compared to other states in north India non vegetarian is more preferred.
Hamirpur District is among the top districts in the country for literacy. Education rates among women are quite encouraging in the state.
The standard of education in the state has reached to a considerably high level as compared to other states in
India. The state has several reputed educational institutes for higher studies.
The
Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) and the
NIT, Hamirpur are some of the pioneer institutes located in the state.
Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry has earned a unique distinction in India for imparting teaching, research and extension education in horticulture, forestry and allied disciplines.
The government is working constantly to prepare various plans and projects in order to strengthen the education system of the state. Recently, the State Government has decided to start three nursing colleges to develop the health system in the state.
There are over 10,000 primary schools, 1,000 secondary schools and more than 1,300 high schools in Himachal.
The state government has decided to start up with 3 major nursing colleges to develop the health system in the state.
In meeting the constitutional obligation to make primary education compulsory, Himachal has now became the first state in
India to make elementary education accessible to every child in the
state.
The State has got Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital. Besides that their is Himachal Dental College which is the first recognised Dental Institute in the State.
Media and communication
Though situated in a remote part of the country, Himachal Pradesh has an active community of journalists and publishers. Several newspapers and magazines are published in more than one language, and their reach extends to almost all the
Hindi speaking states. Radio and TV have permeated significantly. Judging by the number of people writing to these media, there's a very large media-aware population in the state.
The Telegraph,
The Statesman,
Asian Age,
Hindustan Times,
Punjab Kesari and
The Times of India are the newspapers published here. Vernacular newspapers such as those in
Hindi,
Punjabi and
Nepali are also read by selected readership.
Doordarshan is the state-owned television broadcaster.
Multi system operators provide a mix of Nepali, Hindi,
English, and international channels via
cable.
All India Radio is a public radio station. Private
FM stations are also available in few cities like
Shimla.
BSNL,
Reliance Infocomm,
Tata Indicom, and
Airtel are available
cellular phone operators.
Broadband internet is available in select towns and cities and is provided by the state-run BSNL and by other private companies.
Dial-up access is provided throughout the state by BSNL and other providers.
Further Information
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