Shimla is the capital and the largest city of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared as the summer capital of British India. After independence, the city became the capital of East Punjab and was later made the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. It is the principal commercial, cultural and educational centre of the state.
Solan is a city in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of Solan district. It is located 45.5 kilometres (28 mi) south of the state capital, Shimla. Solan has an average elevation of 1,550 metres (5,090 ft). The city is situated between Chandigarh and Shimla on the Kalka-Shimla National Highway-5. The narrow-gauge Kalka-Shimla railway passes through Solan. Located on the Punjab-Himachal Border, Solan is nestled in the Shivalik hills of the Himalayas.
Kinnaur district is one of the twelve administrative districts of the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. The district is divided into three administrative areas and has six tehsils. The administrative headquarters of the district is at Reckong Peo. The mountain peak of Kinnaur Kailash is found in this district. As of 2011, it is the second least populous district of Himachal Pradesh, after Lahaul and Spiti.
Shimla district is one of the twelve districts of the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. Its headquarters is the state capital of Shimla. Neighbouring districts are Mandi and Kullu in the north, Kinnaur in the east, Uttarakhand in the southeast, Solan to the southwest and Sirmaur in the south. The elevation of the district ranges from 987 metres (3,238 ft) to 4,500 metres (14,764 ft).
The state of Himachal Pradesh is spread over an area 55,673 km2 (21,495 sq mi) and is bordered by Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on the north, Punjab on the southwest, Haryana on the south, Uttarakhand on the southeast, a small border with Uttar Pradesh in the south, and Tibet on the east. Entire Himachal Pradesh lies in the mountainous Himalaya region, rich in natural resources
Chail is a hill station in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is 45 kilometres (28 mi) from Solan city and 44 kilometres (27 mi) from Shimla. It is known for its salubrious beauty and virgin forests. The Chail Palace is well known for its architecture: the palace was built as summer retreat by the Maharaja of Patiala during the British Raj, on the land allotted to him by the British for former's assistance in the Anglo-Nepalese War. The cricket ground and a polo ground which is there at an altitude of 2,444 m was owned by erstwhile royal family of Patiala. It is the world's highest cricket ground.
Rajgarh is a town and a nagar panchayat in Sirmaur district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It was a Princely State ruled by Raja of Raghuvanshi lineage.
Renuka lake is in the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh in India and it is 672 m above the sea level. It is the largest lake in Himachal Pradesh, with a circumference of about 3214 m. This lake was named after the goddess Renuka and is designated as Ramsar site since November 2005.
The Renuka Sanctuary is a nature sanctuary. It is situated in Sirmour district in Himachal Pradesh and is connected to a network of roads. It covers about 4.028 square kilometres. Also known as Renuka Reserve Forest, it has been formally declared a sanctuary. A further area of roughly about 3 square kilometres that lies outside the sanctuary has been declared as a buffer area.
Chail Sanctuary is located at Chail, a hill station which is home to sambar, goral and cheer pheasants at Blossom and Jhaja. Barking deer and kalijin are seen during dusk and dawn. The best time to visit is from March to October.
The Manali Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh in northern India. The sanctuary starts about 2 km from Manali. It is the catchment of Manalsu khad. A path from Manali log huts and Dhungri temple passes through dense Deodar, Kail, Horse chestnut, Walnut and Maple forests. Musk deer, Monal and Brown bear, Leopard and Snow leopard are some of the common animals seen here. Herds of Ibex are seen migrating in the glacier zone in summers. The area of the sanctuary is about 31.8 square kilometres. The following area was declared as a sanctuary on 26 February 1954, under the Punjab Birds and Wild Animals Protection Act of 1933.
The Daranghati Sanctuary is located in Rampur Bushahr, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India. It has undisturbed forest areas. Monal, Tragopan, Koklas and Kalij are the pheasants found here. Some of the common animals found here are Musk deer, Goral and Thar. Forest staff posted at Dofda and Sarahan is there for advice and guidance.
Kalatop Khajjiar Sanctuary, or simply Kalatop Sanctuary, is a 30.69 km² animal sanctuary at Kalatop and Khajjiar in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh, India. The sanctuary area is well laid out for trekking trails both at Kalatop and Khajjiar. There is a dense deodar and fir forest covering 19.63 km² of the sanctuary, which is about 6 km from Dalhousie. Pheasants, serow and black bear are some of the common animals found here. The sanctuary lies in the path of the Ravi River, and is surrounded by coniferous and oak forests.
Maa Bhangayani is known to be the most powerful goddess of Himachal Pradesh's Sirmour district. According to the legends, Shirgul Maharaj was imprisoned by a Mughal king of that time who was frightened by Maharaj's spiritual powers. With the blessings of Maa Bhangyani, the king of Bagad and Guga peer helped him to gain freedom. This incident has been enlisted in golden chapters and since then Maa Bhangayani has been celebrated as god sister of Shirgul Mahadev.
Badi Ki Dhar also known as Badi Dhar is a holy place situated, near Solan city in Solan district, around 56 kilometres (35 mi) from Shimla in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Piplughat and can be seen from the famous Ridge ground of Shimla. Badi Dhar is situated at an altitude of 6781 feet above sea level. At the time of Britishers, they surveyed the Badi Dhar to establish Shimla, but people use to say that they were not successful to make is Shimla. Beautiful sights of Shimla as well as Pinjore-Zirakpur road can be seen from the top of the hill. Although only few can spot Pinjore-Zirakpur road from the top of the hill that is also during the nights only. The place is famous for its Lord Shiva temple and annual fair which is organised on 14/15 June. It is expected to rain on the fair day every year, which makes it popular in the whole District. Gathering of around 5,000 to 10,000 people is expected on that day.
Bamta is a panchayat in Chopal in the district of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India.
Tourism in Himachal Pradesh relates to tourism in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. This is popularly renowned for its Himalayan landscapes and popular hill-stations. Many outdoor activities such as rock climbing, mountain biking, paragliding, ice-skating, trekking, rafting, and heli-skiing are popular tourist attractions in Himachal Pradesh.
Simbalbara National Park is a national park in India, located in the Paonta Valley of Sirmour District, Himachal Pradesh, along its border with Haryana. It is also known as Col. Sher Jung National Park. The vegetation consists of dense Sal forests with grassy glades. The protected area was created in 1958 as the Simbalbara Wildlife Sanctuary with 19.03 km². In 2010, 8.88 km² were added to it and it was made into a National Park, covering an area of about 27.88 square kilometres (10.76 sq mi). There is a perennial stream in the valley. The Travel and Tourism department of Himachal Pradesh has preserved the park in its natural form.
Talra Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India. It became a wildlife sanctuary in the year 1962. This wildlife sanctuary covers an area of 40 km2. It is an eco-sensitive zone, notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC). It is home to Snow Leopard which is very rare in the region.
