Dev Bhoomi Himachal

Tourist places in Himachal Pradesh

2009-06-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

There are lots of tourist places in Himachal and visiting all can't be possible in one go. You can plan out different trips to various places at your convenience.

The Kullu valley is also known as the valley of the Gods where beside seeking blessings of Goddess Hidimba at Manali and a dip in hot water of Vashistha you can enjoy trekking, rafting, gliding and skiing. Don't forget to visit Solang valley, Roerich art gallary and the Naggar Castle, a stone and wood structure built by Raja Sidh singh over 500 years ago.

Kangra valley has lots of sacred places like Jawalamukhi, Brajeshwari Devi temple, Chamunda Devi, Rock cut temple Masroor, places of historical importance like Sujanpur fort, Kangra fort, Judges Court in Heritage village Paragpur. You can have a glimpse of western culture at Mcleodganj(Dharmshala). Dharmshala cricket stadium , Bhagsunath, lush green tea gardens of Palampur and Sobha Singh art gallery at Andretta are other famous tourist spots of Kangra.

Chamba Chaugan, Khajiyaar the mini Switzerland of India and Shiva temples in Bharmaur, Manimahesh are special attractions of Chamba district.

State capital Shimla has been hot spot for tourists since British rule. Round the year tourists from India and abroad visit Shimla, Jakhu temple, Kufri, Naldera and Mashobra.

Briefly glance at famous tourist places and plan your next visit to Dev Bhoomi Himachal:

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Wild Life sanctuaries and Parks in Himachal Pradesh

2009-04-25T21:13:00.001-07:00

Dev Bhoomi Himachal has affluent flora and fauna. Approximately 64% of total geographical area of state is covered with forests. This huge forest area accounts to variety of Wild Life found in Himachal Pradesh. There are two national parks(Great Himalayan National Park & Pin Valley National Park) and Thirty two sanctuaries in Himachal Pradesh till December 2008.

Great Himalayan National Park

Situated in Distt. Kullu at an altitude of about 1500mts to5800mts, it consist of upper area of Jiwa, Tirthan and Sainj tributaries which merge in Beas river. This area consist of good forests and meadows having diverse wild life population. Tirthan was declared sanctuary on 17th June,1976 and was declared national park on 1st March 1984. It is surrounded by pin valley national park on the north east, Rupi Bhaba sanctuary on the North west. Here one can find Leopard cat, Barking deer,Himalayan Black bear, Musk deer, Red fox, Jackel, Goral, Ibex, Brown bear, Langur, Leopard,Blue Sheep,Snow leopard,wolf,Rich in flora, it has Banoak, Deodar, dry alpine scrub, Bamboo, Brakes. Tackers,flora and fona lovers have the ideal choice for this park. More information can be found at Wikipedia or at website created by Friends of GHNP.

Pin Valley National Park

Situated in Lahul-Spiti the Pin Valley National Park spreads over an area of 675 Km2 and altitude of the National Park ranges from about 3,500 metres near Ka dogri to more than 6,000 metres at its highest point. It was declared a National Park on 9th January 1987.

With its snow covered higher reaches and with limited vegetation, Pin Valley National Park forms the natural habitat of a number of endangered animals including Himalayan Ibex, Snow Leopard, Bharal, Wooly Hare, Tibetan Wolf, and Snow Cock. Whereas locating a Snow Leopard or Snow Cock could be a once in lifetime experience, it is the Himalayan Ibex which can be seen standing on a shoot against rising or setting sun. More information can be found at H.P. Forest department's website.

Pong Lake Sanctuary

Pong lake situated in Distt Kangra was created in 1976 by constructing a dam in the river Bias.This reservoir spreading over about 300 sq. km.attracts a large number of migratory water birds.It is a wet land having dry bamboo and Himalyan forest. It has one permanent Island and several others connected to the shore.The reservoir has become a habitat for several species of fish generating good revenue. Migratory birds during the winter season attracts a large number of tourists to have a glimpse of different species of water birds.Water sports are also organized for sport lovers. Indian wild beer,redfox,barking deer,hare,Mongoose, Nilgai, Sambar, Indian cobra,Indian python besides various varieties of fish like Mahasheer, Millap, Soal etc do exist.

Here is the complete list of Parks and sanctuaries and area covered by each.

S.No.	Sanctuary/ National Park	District	Area ( Km² )
1	Govind Sagar	Bilaspur	100
2	Shri Nainadevi	Bilaspur	123
3	Sach-Tuan Nala	Chamba	103
4	Gamgul-Siyabehi	Chamba	109
5	Tundah	Chamba	64
6	Kugti	Chamba	379
7	Kalatop-Khajjiar	Chamba	69
8	Pongdam Lake	Kangra	307
9	Dhauladhar	Kangra	944
10	Rakchham-Chhitkul	Kinnaur	304
11	Lipa Asrang	Kinnaur	31
12	Rupi-Bhaba	Kinnaur	503
13	Sainj	Kullu	90
14	Tirthan	Kullu	61
15	Kias	Kullu	14
16	Khokhan	Kullu	14
17	Kanawar	Kullu	61
18	Manali	Kullu	32
19	Kibber	Lahaul & Spiti	1400
20	Bandli	Mandi	41
21	Nargu	Mandi	278
22	Shikari Devi	Mandi	72
23	Daranghati I & II	Shimla	167
24	Talra	Shimla	40
25	Water Supply Catchment	Shimla	10
26	Churdhar	Sirmour	66
27	Simbalbara	Sirmour	19
28	Renuka	Sirmour	4
29	Chail	Solan	109
30	Shilli	Solan	2
31	Majathal	Solan	40
32	Darlaghat	Solan	6
	Total Area Wildlife Sanctuary		5562

33	Great Himalayan National Park	Kullu	765
34	PIN Valley National Park	Lahaul & Spiti	675

You can see all these parks and sanctuaries on map at Maps of india. So next time you are in Himachal watch out for Wild Life.

Hitech Himachal: IT is the new face of the hill state

2009-03-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

Last 10 years have been years of technology in Himachal. If you look at Himachal of 90's, having a dish antenna to watch satellite channels, BSNL landline phone, computer and that too with a internet connection was a sort of privilege. Though Ramayana(Popular T.V. serial) had intensified people's desire of having a television set, yet non availability of signal was a major hurdle. Making a STD call still required a trunk booking.

Then started an era of technology evolution in Himachal. Then telecom minister Sukh Ram(Who is convicted in few cases) played a major role in this emergence of technology. His rural telephone scheme and tie up with Doordarshan to set up T.V. towers made it possible for people of Himachal to have a landline connection and a T.V. set even in remote areas.

There is no looking back for hill state since then. Now almost every part of Himachal has broadband connectivity, more than 5 GSM or CDMA mobile operators, DTH services or Cable network equipped with latest fiber optics, Cyber cafes, and bank ATMs . You should not surprise if you see Himachal Pradesh State Co-Operative bank providing online banking and ATM facility to its customers. Himachal is soon going to have IPTV, WiMAX, 3G and list goes on.

This technical advancement has helped in industrial growth of Himachal. Beside other industries, software industry has also flourished in state. Shimla, Baddi, Parwanoo and Dharmshala have software companies and freelancers who are doing well in the field of software development .

Today one can see exam results of Himachal Pradesh Board of school education or HP university online on their websites. Penetration of IT in the state can be seen from the fact that now there are number of full time websites and blogs writing round the clock about tourism and travel in Himachal, pahari songs, and news on Himachal Pardesh. Websites like Himvani.com and Himachal.us (both are N.G.O. initiative) not only provide latest news on Himachal but also run so many social campaigns.

E-Governance

IT revolution is not limited to private sector but Govt. of Himachal Pradesh itself has gone Hi tech. Himachal Govt. recently won national awards for e-governance. Official website of the state government, www.himachal.nic.in, constructed and maintained by a team of the National Informatics Centre (NIC), has been adjudged as the “Best website” by editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Website Himachal.nic.in provides information related to vacancies in Himachal, gazetted notifications, pension related information. You can also send your complaints to Chief Minister from Himachal.nic.

Himachal Pradesh State Wide Area Network (HIMSWAN) project under National e-Governance Programme has been launched in the state to provide Hi-tech connectivity down to the level of tehsils, sub-tehsils, blocks and Panchayats with state headquarter shimla throught internet to introduce e governance throughout the state. Himachal Govt. in collaboration with GNG has started Gram Sugam Kendras(Common Service Centers (CSCs)) in each Panchayat. The scope of services that can be provided through CSC is not limited to State Government domain but also include services of Central Government Departments as also that of private/public sector organizations like LIC, BSNL, Mobile phone service providers, Internet Café and many more. In private domain, CSCs may provide services like Ticket Booking, Gram Haat, Tele-Medicine, Tele-education, Internet Access, Insurance, Cable TV etc.

Few good websites on Himachal:
Himachal.nic.in
Himachal.us
http://www.mcllo.com/
www.123himachal.com
www.himvani.com

Why Himachal is called Dev Bhoomi ?

2008-12-18T07:42:00.000-08:00

People always wonder why Himachal is known as Dev Bhoomi(Land of God)? Land of snow fed meadows, singing streams has more than 2000 temples with almost every village having at least one temple besides community Devta or local Deities. If you track high areas of Himachal and find small temples built of stone at places with no habitation then don't be surprised. It is a common thing in Himachal.

No fair or festival is complete without the presence of local Devta who travel in Palki. Belief is such that there are places in Himachal where all the decisions are made by the Deity. Whether someone is suffering from hysteria, ill mental health, or it is a land dispute all has to be solved by local Deities.

It may sound unrealistic and unbelievable to rest of world but still few people of DevBhoomi believe in such things and they always abide by whatever is being ordered by local Deities.

The Temples in Himachal Pradesh are both, the holy places as well as the tourist places. One should not miss eighty four temples of Bharmaur including swarg ka dwar, Chintpurni, Jawaliji, Naina Devi, Hidimba devi temple, Vashisith, Chamunda Devi, Shiv Temple Baijnath, Jakhu temple and list goes on.............

Paragliding, Hang-Gliding in Bir-Billing

2008-10-12T10:07:00.000-07:00

People of Dev Bhoomi Himachal has always been a part of adventurous sports knowingly or unknowingly. Mountaineering, Crossing rivers either in Jhoola(Wooden box fixed with a pulley in rope ) , by swimming or by boats has always been part of daily life for Himachali's.

Adventures Sports

With the economic, social and technological development, all these daily activities has now become sports activities for tourists and even for the people of Himachal. Latest technology, grass root development in all walks of life has introduced few new sports in Himachal like mountain biking , Car rally(Raid-De-Himalaya), Rafting and aero sports like Gliding.

Gliding

Hang Gliding started in Himachal in Eighties from Bir-Billing. Billing in Himachal Pradesh is located at 2290 mts. from sea level in the Kangra valley. Billing has the credit for organizing the very first Paragliding competition according to the rules of Federation Aeronautique International. Billing is considered to be one of the best takeoff points for hang Gliding and Paragliding.

The unadorned peak of Billing, above the Buddhist monastery of Bir in Kangra(Himachal Pradesh), has been the venue for five national and three international hang-gliding rallies since 1984. Shielded by the mountains and surrounded by lush green tea gardens, Bir a small village with a Tibetan Colony(Chaugan) and monasteries in Kangra district, serves as a landing ground and a base for Hang and Para gliders. For last few years only paragliding competitions are being organized in Bir-Billing and Hang gliding has become a thing of past.

Himachal Pradesh Tourism Corporation (HTDC) organizes aero sports training courses and events at various times of the year. HTDC also runs Aero Sports Complex at Bir which imparts training in Paragliding and Hang-Gliding. The Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Government of Himachal Pradesh organises the 'Para Gliding Pre world Cup' at Billing- Bir every year in the month of October .

If you love adventure, greenery and wanted to feel fresh and energetic then do visit Bir-billing in the month of October. Bir is approximately 30 Kms from Palampur whereas Billing is only 14 kms from Bir.

Weekend drive to Dharmpur

2008-08-31T05:17:00.000-07:00

If you happen to be in Chandigarh, Ambala, Panchkula, Mohali or nearby areas then don't miss the chance to go on a weekend drive to Dharmapur, a small town located on national Highway no. 22 on Kalka-Shimla highway. Not only you can enjoy cool and pure breeze from hills but also the adventures drive.

If you love weekend drive, exotic food, open spaces and a lively atmosphere, then Dharmpur is the place for you. Famous food junctions viz Giani Da Dhaba, Cafee cofee day, Modern Dhaba, Cafe Coffee Day, Golfer's , Hot Millions will certainly delight you. The most popular food point for tourists is 'Giani da Dhaba' . So many people just travel to enjoy delecious meal. On the way you can also enjoy Timber Trail ropeway at Parwanoo, burgers at McDonald's.

Dharampur is also connected by Kalka-Shimla narrow gauge railway line which mean you can also enjoy Kalka-Shimla heritage train if you don't want to drive own vehicle. So what are you waiting for?? Next weekend?

Jugal Kishore

2008-07-26T05:52:00.000-07:00

Ever thought that famous old Hindi film Dada having popular song " Dil ke tukde tukde kar ke muskara ke chal diye..." was a work of a Himachali. Yes, It was Jugal Kishore a Himachali by birth.

Jugal Kishore belonged to a small village Thakurdwara near Palampur(Kangra) in Himachal Pradesh. He lost his father at an early age. Jugal Kishor was from a very poor family so for livelihood he went to Mumbai(Bombay). He made a few Punjabi and Hindi films and achieved the biggest success in his Silver Jublie movie "DADA". He died of a heart attack in 1979. He as a Director, Producer created following films:

Directed

Dada, 1979
Do Khiladi, 1976
Anokha, 1975
Morni, 1975
Apradhi, 1974
Sabak, 1973
Munimji, 1972
Khoj, 1971
Deedar, 1970
Simla Road, 1969
Fareb, 1968
Bahadur Daku, 1966
Lal Bangla, 1966
Faisla, 1965
Main Hoon Jadugar, 1965
Ek Din Ka Badshah, 1964
Jagga, 1964
Gul-E-Bakawali, 1963
Laajo, 1963
Khedan De Din Char, 1962
Guddi, 1961
Miss Good Night, 1960
Mitti Mein Sona, 1960
Bhangra, 1959
Ten O'Clock, 1958
Ghulam Begum Badshah, 1956

Produced

Do Khiladi, 1976
Anokha, 1975
Apradhi, 1974
Sabak, 1973
Munimji, 1972
Khoj, 1971
Deedar, 1970
Faisla, 1965
Gul-E-Bakawali, 1963

Music Director

Bheegi Palken, 1982

Prominent Personalities Of Himachal

2008-07-20T00:53:00.000-07:00

Dev Bhoomi Himachal has produced legends that brought name and fame to Himachal through their unconventional efforts in different walks of life. Their dedication to their respective fields is exemplary.

Entertainment and Cinema

· Jugal Kishor (Film Director: Dada Fame) : Read More

· Ramesh Sharma(Film Producer): Ramesh Sharma who has produced movies like Baaghi , hails from Jhaniari village of Hamirpur district.

· Preity Zinta (Actress)

· Kangna Ranaut(Actress)

· Prem Chopra: Brought up in Himachal. What Prem Chopra says about his stay in Himachal in an interview with Screen?

“Himachal Pradesh, for me, means greenery, beautiful scenery and content and loving people. Compared to the big city, the locales are very happy there. And their happiness shows on their faces. I guess it is the weather, the environment or may be it is because people don’t have too many desires and are happy with what little they have. They know how to live within their limited budget. In Himachal Pradesh, you can feel the nature taking care of you. I would say the place has been blessed with nature. Even the mud smells divine.” Read More….

·Anupam Kher

·Mohit Chauhan

·Manohar Singh

·Shriya Sharma(Kasuati zindgi key and Kya aap Panchvi Pass Se Tej Hain fame: She belongs to Nurpur area of Himachal. Read More...

·Shreya(Blue Umbrella fame)

Politics

·Shanta Kumar: Great Politician and writer

·Y.S. Parmar : Great Politician

·Pahari Gandhi Baba Kanshi Ram(Freedom fighter and Poet)

Defense

·Maj. Somnath Sharma(PVC)

·Capt Vikram Batra(PVC for Kargil War)

·Sourbah Kalia

·Rifle Man Sanjay Kumar(PVC for Kargil War): Sanjay hails from the Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh.

Sports

·Great Khali: WWE fighter belongs to Dhirana village of Sirmaur Distt. in Himachal Read More….

·Suman Rawat: ( Arjuna Awardee)

Famous Personalities related to Himachal

Himachal’s Shrine and pure environment has attracted people so much that they decided to make Himachal their home for their creative work

·Nicholas Roerich: Russian paintimg artist who lived at Naggar in Manali. Rorick Rorik Art Galley, Naggar, Kulu is a hot spot for tourists and art lovers.

·Sardar Shoba Singh: Famous painting artist from who created his most memorable paintings at Andreta near Palampur. Shoba Singh Art Gallary is full of his remarkable work and a must visit place for art lovers. During his 38 year stay at Andretta, S. Sobha Singh painted hundreds of paintings including famous “Kangra Bride” and ‘Her grace the Gaddan’. See his famous paintings http://www.sobhasinghartist.com/painting1.html

·Norah Richards (Drama): Norah Richards famous theartre artist also chose Andretta as her abode .

·Ruskin Bond: Ruskin Bond (Born 19 May, 1934) famous Indian author of British descent. He was born in Kasauli (Himachal Pradesh). His famous books include Blue Umbrella,

Others Who Lived or are living in Himachal

·Dalai Lama: His holy Dalai lama running tibetian Govt. in exile from Dharmshala(Kangra).

·Dev Anannd: Evergreen actor completed his college education from Govt. Degree college Dharmshala(Kangra).

·Amrish Puri: Mogembo graduated from BM College in Himachal. Read what Amrish Puri says about his stay in Himachal in an interview with Screen?

“
I have very pleasant memories associated with Simla. Back in the 40s and 50s the place was a haven of nature. I recall with nostalgia my many walks along the Mall road. The cool breeze caressed you and you could just walk and walk without feeling tiresome. Now of course the place is so overcrowded that one shudders to set foot there…..”

Read More….

·Hamid Karzai: Hamid Karzai President of Afghanistan studied in Himachal from 1979 to 1983, Karzai took a postgraduate course in political science at Himachal Pradesh University in Shimla .

·Omar Abdulla: Studied in Himachal at the Lawrence School, Sanawar, near Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh state

·Sanjay Dutt: He was educated at the Lawrence School, Sanawar, near Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh state

·Balraj Sahni : Remained Associated with Gaiety theatre Shimla.

·Parikishit Sahni: Studied at studied at Lawrence School Sanawar, Himachal. What Parikishit Sahni says about his stay in Himachal in an interview with Screen?

"When I think of Himachal Pradesh, the first thing that comes to my mind is the fantastic beauty of the state, the snow-capped mountains, the landscape, the tall pine trees, the clouds. Also the people there are so nice, well-behaved, warm and peace-loving. I don’t know whether to say this or not but marijuana is freely available there, which is why you have many people, especially foreign tourists flocking to Kulu Manali."

Himachal Bhagti Sangeet

2008-06-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

Himachali Bhajans(Pahari Bhagti Sangeet) are integral part of Himachali culture. Whether it's birthday,marriage or some other festival,Bhajan in local(pahari) language are always sung along with other Hindi Bhajans & Aaarti.You can enjoy few Himachali Bhagti songs below.

Shiv Kailasho Bhajan            Bhala Sadhu Jogia

Bhajo Meri Tulasi                 Manukh Chola

Download Bhagti Songs

You can visit following websites for Pahari Bhagti Songs
http://www.bhaktisangeet.com/bhajan/himachali/himachali.html
Download radha krishna and few other at CoolGoose

Download Naina Devi Aarti
http://www.nainadevi.com/mp3/a1v-1fm.mp3
http://www.nainadevi.com/mp3/a2v-1fm.mp3

Visit Palampur this summer

2008-05-11T00:07:00.000-07:00

Want some relief from hot summer then visit Palampur and breath cool,fresh air in the lap of Himalayas

Uploaded on authorSTREAM by devbhoomihimachal

Himachal Day

2008-04-14T18:45:00.000-07:00

Today Dev bhoomi Himachal completed 60 years of existence .After independence the Chief Commissioner's province of H.P. came into being on 15th April, 1948.Since then Himachal day is celebrated every year on 15th April.Himachal has witnessed tremendous growth in all walks of life in last 60 years.Literacy rate which was just 7.1% in 1948 has gone up to 86%.Almost all villages have drinking water facility and electricity.Himachal now have more than thirty thousand industrial units. Most of people confuse Statehood day celebrated on 25th January with Himachal day.On 25th January,1971 Himachal got the status of full fledged state due to efforts of Dr. Y.S.Parmar.
Refer to http://himachal.nic.in/tour/history.htm for history of Himachal.

Marriage in Himachal

2008-03-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

Every community,region,religion has its own set of customs and manners .Marriage customs in Devbhoomi Himachal not only differ from one done in rest of India but also within state.Kundli(Horoscope) still plays a vital role in match making.Marriage in same gotra and inter cast marriages are still not considered good.Once the horoscopes match then priest fixes date of marriage .Different districts of Himachal has different marriage customs .Bride and Groom are carried in Palki in some places .Boy has to wear Dhoti to perform some rituals in marriage.Girl normally wear a suit(Now a days Lehngas are also popular).Bride is given jewelry ,cloths etc by grooms family .Bride is also given jewelry by her maternal uncle and family.Dham(Lunch served) is one of attraction of Himachali marriage .

Here are some videos which will let you enjoy a Himachali marriage .

Video source:Youtube

Mandi Shivratri fair

2008-03-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

Devbhoomi Himachal celebrates number of fairs and festivals ,most of which are part of religious celebrations.Whether it is Minjar of Chamba,Dushurra of Kullu or Shivratri of Mandi all has one thing common ,presence of local gods and Goddesses .Mandi a town on the bank of river Beas with so many ancient temples celebrates International Shivratri fair every year in the month of March.

Source of information,Images:WebShots,Video:Youtube

Great Khali from Longest yard to Get Smart

2008-02-29T18:42:00.000-08:00

Born as Dalip Singh Rana in a small village of Himachal is now Great Khali for the world.Dalip Singh Rana was born on August 27th, 1972 in a humble family of the Dhirana village of Sirmaur Distt. in Himachal Pradesh .He worked for
many years as a labourer in a small village and later in Shimla, later he was picked by the Punjab Police chief and recruited as a constable in Punjab Police due to his bodybuilding talent.
He Won Mr. India talent and this led to his journey to WWE.There was no looking back for him after defeating undertaker in no time.He got offers for Hollywood movies and his remarkable performance in Longest Yard proved his talent in acting too.
Dalip's latest Hollywood film venture is the upcoming comedy Get Smart starring Steve Carell and Bill Murray.Film is expected to be released in sept. 2008.Though he lost to Undertaker this year yet his popularity remains same.Khali is not only a source of inspiration for Indian Youth but for whole world .He has proved that strong will and continuous efforts always bear fruit in any walk of life.Dalip's journey from small village to Hollywood give a message:"If your duty is to sweep ,sweep so well that no body can excel you"

Scene from Longest Yard

Mohit Chauhan a true Himachali

2008-02-03T03:26:00.000-08:00

Mohit Chauhan who came into the lime light with the song ‘Dooba Dooba Rehta Hoon’ from his first album Boondein hails from Sirmaur(Nahan) in Himachal.Mohit Chauhan(Silk Route) well known celebrity has also sung for various Hindi films such as Mukt (2001), Road (2002), Main Meri Patni Aur Woh (2005), Rang De Basanti (2006), Jab We Met (2007) etc.

Mohit is founder member of Silk Route popular Indian music band.Mohit had no formal training in music.He taught himself the harmonica, the acoustic guitar etc.He had his college education from Dharmshala(Kangra) and it is where he started performing in a musical group.Mohit who loves Himachali folk music and pahari songs included "More ni marna.... " and "Thanda pani ..." in his albums .His music is inspired by the mountains and the rich culture of the hill people.His such efforts has given new shape to Himachali folk music .

Click here to listen/download some of his songs.

Himachal Celebrates 38th Statehood Day

2008-01-24T07:11:00.000-08:00

On 18th December, 1970 the State of Himachal Pradesh Act was passed by Parliament and the new state came into being on 25th January, 1971. Thus H.P. emerged as the eighteenth state of Indian Union.
In these 37 years Himachal has made a remarkable development in every area. Whether its education, power projects, entertainment and media or social empowerment Himachal has set a milestone. Power Projects are serving as cash crop for the state and Baddi has turned out to be first choice of industry.
Himachali’s well known for their hard work and honesty are on top notch positions not only in India but in so many countries of world.
Days are nor far when Himachal becomes self sufficient and we produly say "I'm Himachali...I'm Paharia...." .Let us we all strive hard to make this happen .

Himachali food:Khatta Meat(Rare non veg)

2008-01-15T06:33:00.000-08:00

Himachali's have developed different tastes over the period of time .Himachali food finds bit resemblance with some food of south and the famous Punjabi food.Himachali's love to have Chattni,Khatta/Mahani,Khoru/Kheru,Achaar etc. along with food.Kangra area of Himachal is famous for different dhishes sour in taste.If you have been to Kangra you must have enjoyed famous Khatti dal.But this time recipe for non-veg lovers.Khatta meat(Mutton sour in taste) and Khatti Machi(Sour fried fish) are among one of dishes which are rare these days.Lets talk about Khatta meat .
First of all prepare garam masala using badi and choti elaichi,few pieces of daal chini, cloves and grind them.Get fresh mutton and chop it in pieces.Now add some mustered oil(depending on quantity of mutton) into a pressure cooker or kadahi and add chopped onion, garlic, ginger, and green chillies to it. Cook the mixture till it gets brown in color.Then add chopped tomatoes to the mixture and stir well till oil gets separated. Add chilli powder, garam masala, methi powder, salt, amchoor(dried mango powder) or Makadiyan(dried mango pieces) and dhania powder to it and cook well for 2-3 minutes. Now add mutton pieces to it and cook on full flame for 15-20 minutes and stir continuously.You can also add some lemon juice for flavour.Close the lid of the pressure cooker and let it cook for 15-20 minutes.In case you find even after 15-20 minutes mutton is not cooked well then cook it for additional 10-15 minutes.Serve Khatta meat with rice.
There are some Dhaba's on roadside which still serve traditional Himachali food including Khatta meat or Khatti machali.

Portfolio of Himachal Cabinet ministers

2008-01-09T19:22:00.000-08:00

BJP Govt in Himachal finally inducted 9 ministers in cabinet .One member each were taken from Mandi, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Shimla and Solan districts.Kangra got 4 ministers.

1.Thakur Gulab Singh – PWD (Public Work Department)and Revenue .
2. J.P.Nadda – Forest ,science and Technology,Environment and Parliamentry affairs.
3. Sarveen Chaudhary – Dept. Of Social Justice and Empowerment
4. Ravinder Singh Ravi – IPH (Irrigation And Public Health Department) .
5. Ramesh Dhawala – Food and Supply ,Labour and Empowerment
6. Rajiv Bindal – Health ,Ayurveda and Family Welfare.
7. Narender Bragta – Horticulture Dept.
8. Ishwar Dass Dhiman – Education Minister
9. Kishan Kapoor – Transport,Town and Country planning and Housing.

Himachal election results

2008-01-02T08:11:00.000-08:00

BJP- 41 (+25) ,Congress- 23 (-20) ,Others- 4

Constituency	Party	Candidate Won
Kinnaur	Bharatiya Janata Party	TEJWANT SINGH
Rampur	Indian National Congress	NAND LAL
Rohru	Indian National Congress	VIRBHADRA SINGH
Jubbal-Kotkhai	Bharatiya Janata Party	NARINDER BRAGTA
Chopal	Indian National Congress	SUBHASH CHAND MANGLATE
Kumarsain	Indian National Congress	VIDYA
Theog	Independent	RAKESH VERMA
Simla	Bharatiya Janata Party	SURESH BHARDWAJ
Kasumpti	Indian National Congress	SOHAN LAL
Arki	Bharatiya Janata Party	GOBIND RAM
Doon	Bharatiya Janata Party	VINOD KUMARI
Nalagarh	Bharatiya Janata Party	HARI NARAYAN SINGH
Kasauli	Bharatiya Janata Party	DR. RAJIV SAIZAL
Solan	Bharatiya Janata Party	DR. RAJEEV BINDAL
Pachhad	Indian National Congress	GANGU RAM MUSAFIR
Rainka	Indian National Congress	DR. PREM SINGH
Shillai	Indian National Congress	HARSHWARDHAN CHAUHAN
Paonta Doon	Bharatiya Janata Party	SUKH RAM
Nahan	Indian National Congress	KUSH PARMAR
Kotkehloor	Bharatiya Janata Party	RANDHIR SHARMA
Bilaspur	Bharatiya Janata Party	JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA
Ghumarwin	Indian National Congress	RAJESH DHARMANI
Geharwin	Bharatiya Janata Party	RIKHI RAM KAUNDAL
Nadaun	Indian National Congress	SUKHVINDER SINGH SUKHU
Hamirpur	Bharatiya Janata Party	URMIL THAKUR
Bamsan	Bharatiya Janata Party	PROF. PREM KUMAR DHUMAL
Mewa	Bharatiya Janata Party	ISHWAR DASS DHIMAN
Nadaunta	Bharatiya Janata Party	BALDEV SHARMA
Gagret	Bharatiya Janata Party	BALBIR SINGH
Chintpurni	Indian National Congress	RAKESH KALIA
Santokgarh	Indian National Congress	MUKESH AGNIHOTRI
Una	Bharatiya Janata Party	SATPAL SINGH 'SATTI'
Kutlehar	Bharatiya Janata Party	VIRENDER KANWAR
Nurpur	Independent	RAKESH PATHANIA
Gangath	Bharatiya Janata Party	DES RAJ
Jawali	Bharatiya Janata Party	RAJAN SUSHANT
Guler	Indian National Congress	NEERAJ BHARTI
Jaswan	Indian National Congress	NIKHIL RAJOUR (MANU SHARMA)
Pragpur	Indian National Congress	YOG RAJ
Jawalamukhi	Bharatiya Janata Party	RAMESH CHAND
Thural	Bharatiya Janata Party	RAVINDER SINGH
Rajgir	Bharatiya Janata Party	ATMA RAM
Baijnath	Indian National Congress	SUDHIR SHARMA
Palampur	Bharatiya Janata Party	PARVEEN KUMAR
Sulah	Bharatiya Janata Party	VIPIN SINGH PARMAR
Nagrota	Indian National Congress	G. S. BALI
Shahpur	Bharatiya Janata Party	SARVEEN CHOUDHARY
Dharamsala	Bharatiya Janata Party	KISHAN KAPOOR
Kangra	Bahujan Samaj Party	SANJAY CHAUDHARY
Bhattiyat	Indian National Congress	KULDEEP SINGH PATHANIA
Banikhet	Bharatiya Janata Party	RENU CHADHA
Rajnagar	Indian National Congress	SURINDER BHARDWAJ
Chamba	Bharatiya Janata Party	BAL KRISHAN CHAUHAN
Bharmour	Bharatiya Janata Party	TULSI RAM
Lahaul And Spiti	Bharatiya Janata Party	DR. RAM LAL MARKANDA
Kulu	Bharatiya Janata Party	GOVIND SINGH THAKUR
Banjar	Bharatiya Janata Party	KHIMI RAM
Ani	Bharatiya Janata Party	KISHORI LAL
Karsog	Independent	HIRA LAL
Chachiot	Bharatiya Janata Party	JAI RAM THAKUR
Nachan	Bharatiya Janata Party	DILE RAM
Sundernagar	Bharatiya Janata Party	ROOP SINGH
Balh	Indian National Congress	PRAKASH CHAUDHARY
Gopalpur	Bharatiya Janata Party	INDER SINGH
Dharampur	Bharatiya Janata Party	MAHENDER SINGH
Joginder Nagar	Bharatiya Janata Party	GULAB SINGH
Darang	Indian National Congress	KAUL SINGH
Mandi	Indian National Congress	ANIL KUMAR

One more Himachali Dish

2007-12-15T07:37:00.000-08:00

One more Secret Himachali dish :Siddu ,all the way from Kotkhai.

Himachal Election:who will take whom?

2007-11-29T09:44:00.000-08:00

All political parties have declared their final lsit of candidates.Shanta,Sat Mahajan,SukhRam are out of state politics .Dhumal is back as a CM candidate.Following is list showing who is going to take whom:

Congress                                 BJP                      Constituency
Virbhadra Singh        Kushi Ram Balnatta            Rohru
Gangu Ram Musafir        Suresh Kashyap            Pachhad (SC)
Thakur Ram Lal        Randhir Sharma            Kotkehloor
Sujan Singh Pathania        Rajan Sushant            Jawali
Brij Behari Lal        Pravin Sharma            Palampur
Raj Krishan Gaur        Govind Thakur            Kullu
Rangila Ram Rao        Col Inder Singh Thakur            Gopalpur
Kaul Singh Thakur        Jawhar Thakur            Darang
Chandresh Kumari        Kishan Kapoor            Dharamshala
Rohit Thakur        Narender Bragta            Jubbal Kotkhai
Subhash Manglate        Radharaman Shastri            Chopal
Vidya Stokes        Bhagat Ram Chauhan            Kumarsain
Rajinder Verma        Daulat Ram Verma            Theog
Harbhajan Singh Bhajji        Suresh Bhardwaj            Shimla
Sohan Lal        Tarsem Bharti            Kasumpti (SC)
Prakash Chand Karat        Govind Verma            Arki
Lajja Ram        Vinod Chandel            Doon
Lakhwinder Rana        Harinarayan Singh Saini            Nalagarh
Raghu Raj        Rajiv Sajjal            Kasauli (SC)
Dr. Kailash Prashar        Rajiv Bindal            Solan
Anil Sharma        Praveen Sharma            Mandi
Nand Lal        Brij Lal            Rampur (SC)
Dr. Prem Singh        Balbir Singh            Renuka (SC)
Harsh Wardhan        Baldev Singh Tomar            Shillai
Kirnesh Jung        Sukh Ram            Paonta
Kush Parmar        Shyama Sharma            Nahan
Tilak Raj Sharma        JP Nadda            Bilaspur
Rajesh Dharmani        Karmdev Dharmani            Ghumarwin
Biru Ram        Rikhi Ram Kaundal            Geharwin (SC)
Sukhvinder Singh        Vijay Agniotri            Nadaun
Anita Verma        Urmila Thakur            Hamirpur
Col. B.C.Lagwal        Prem Kuamr Dhumal            Bamsan
Suresh Kumar        ID Dhiman            Mewa (SC)
Vidya Zar        Baldev Sharma            Nadaunta
Kuldeep Kumar        Balbir Sing Chaudhary            Gagret (SC)
Rakesh Kalia        Narinder Sharma            Chintpurni
Mukesh Agnihotri        Jagroop Singh            Santoshgarh
Verinder Gautam        Satpal Satti            Una
Ram Nath Sharma        Virender Kanwar            Kutlehar
Ajay Mahajan        Mallika Pathania            Nurpur
Bodh Raj        Anita Dhiman            Gangath (SC)
Neeraj Bharti        Harbans Singh Rana            Guler
Nikhil Rajour        Vikram Singh Thakur            Jaswan
Yog Raj        Naveen Dhiman            Pragpur (SC)
Ruma Kaundal        Ramesh Dhawala            Jawalamukhi
Sanjay Rana        Ravinder Singh Ravi            Thural
Dr.Milkhi Ram Goma        Atma Ram            Rajgir (SC)
Sudhir Sharma        Dulo Ram            Baijnath
Jagjiwan Paul        Vipin Parmar            Sulah
G.S. Bali        Mangal Chaudhary            Nagrota
Kewal Singh Patania        Sharveen Chaudhary            Shahpur
Surinder Kumar        Vidyasagar            Kangra
Kuldeep Singh Pathania        BS Chauhan            Bhattiyat
Asha Kumari        Renuka Chadda            Banikhet
Surinder Bhardwaj        Mohan Lal            Rajnagar (SC)
Pawan Nayyar        Balkrishan Chauhan            Chamba
Satya Prakash Thakur        Khimi Ram            Banjjar
Ishwar Dass        Kishori Lal            Anni (SC)
Mast Ram        Mansa Ram            Karsog (SC)
Shiv Lal        Jai Ram Thakur            Chachiot
Tek Chand        Dile Ram            Nachan (SC)
Sohan Lal Thakur        Thakur Roop Singh            Sundernagar
Prakash Chaudhary        Damodar Dass            Balh (SC)
Chander Shekhar        Mahinder Singh Thakur            Dharampur
Surender Pal        Thakur Gulab Singh            Joginder Nagar

Himachali dish:Patrode

2007-11-18T06:45:00.000-08:00

There are lot of traditional dishes which are cooked in Himachali kitchen.With the modernization of food habits these dishes are on the verge of disappearance .One such dish is 'Patrode'/'Patode' or sometimes called 'beth'.

Ingredients:
Taro leaves (arbi ke patte,Famous as Kachalu ke patte in Himachal) : 7-10(As per requirement) Rice,Chane ki Dal,Dale mah,Turmeric powder (haldi),Coriander powder (dhania),Salt,Mustered Oil,Water,Thread,Pomegranate seeds (anardana) or amchoor,Desi Ghee,Green chillies ,Garam Masala ,Gram flour (besan) : 250 gms

Recipe:
Soak Rice , Chane ki dal,dale mah overnight.Prepare a paste of Soaked rice,Soaked chane ki dal,soaked Dale mah,Salt(as per taste),Haldi(turmeric),Garam Masala,Dhania powder, green chillies ,4-5 tea spoons of mustered oil, pomegranate seeds or amchoor(Optional) either in a mixer-grinder or on a sillbatta (If you didn't get time to soak rice,chane ki dal and dale mah then as a quick alternative you can use Gram flour).
Wash Taro leaves (arbi/Kachalu ke patte).Now apply the paste formed above evenly on the underside of a taro leaf. Place another leaf on that and repeat the process till you have piled up three-four leaves. Now roll the leaves and keep applying the paste. When it is completely rolled, tie them up loosely with a thread(Instead of thread you can use turmeric leaves to tie and have different flavour).Repeat the process with the remaining leaves.
Now there are two processes to cook depending upon your taste:

Place some thing at the bottom of the pressure-cooker. Add 1 & ½ cup of water and 1 tbsp of oil to water and steam cook the above chunks till three/four whistles. Let it cool for about 15-20 minutes. Remove the threads and cut it into two pieces.

Serve it hot with desi ghee spread over it or deep fry these small pieces. And serve it with chatney or tomato sauce.

Or
Pour some mustered oil in pressure cooker or in some deep pot having lid and thick base .Cook these chunks on low gas for approximately half an hour or till these chunks get fully cooked .Make sure to displace chunks after a gap of 4-5 minutes so that these get cooked from all sides.Serve them hot with deshi ghee,sauce or chatney.

Happy Diwali

2007-11-08T02:32:00.000-08:00

Himachal election winner?

2007-11-01T22:30:00.000-07:00

BJP Rally in Mandi(H.P.)

2007-10-21T23:17:00.000-07:00

Rally season has started in Himachal Pradesh.This Video shows BJP rally in Mandi.