Would anyone expect the Dalai Lama to live somewhere that wasn’t naturally beautiful? 

The absolute beauty of Himachal Pradesh is mind-blowing. Home to Buddhist monasteries, forested valleys, and intense but accessible mountain passes, Himachal Pradesh is regarded as India’s most premier mountain states. Himachal Pradesh was also known as Deva Bhumi which translates to the land of the gods.

A unique perspective for Himachal Pradesh

Land-locked with the Tibetan plateau to the east, Jammu and Kashmir to the north, and the Punjab to the west give Himachal Pradesh a unique outlook and the state is topographically diversified as it includes vast tracts of high altitude Himalayan dessert as well as dense green forests.

You can trek for days here in Himachal Pradesh over high mountain passes which are stunning, awesome and accessible and include the peaks of Dhauladhar, Pir, and Panjal and of course the western Himalaya ranges which rise above Himachal Pradesh providing a powerful focal point.  Even better is the fact that you can sit down at the end of the trek and have a beer in one of the busy towns that have been set up to accommodate for travelers.

Himachal Pradesh Economy               

The state boasts of numerous picturesque tourist destinations, which are responsible for generating much of the revenue for the state. Agriculture which includes goats, sheep and some forms of cattle, textiles and hydroelectric power export industry are the other sources of income for the state.

Himachal Pradesh tourism and culture

The people here are still centered into a village life by their religious temples where they will congregate to worship.  One of the charms of this area are the many folk songs based in religious or romantic overtones they are sung at fairs and such where people gather to sing and dance together.  In general the people here in Himachal Pradesh are gentle souls who love life and get along peaceably.

The majority of people here are Hindu however in the areas that border with china are Buddhist and there is some very beautiful examples of Buddhist pagodas and temples here. The Hindu principals that are followed here have regional variations with the Hinduism practiced closer to the plains having a similar structure to that practiced on the plains, while the upper hills regions practice a Hinduism that is tied in with their local legends and beliefs along with the larger Hindu beliefs.

The architecture of the Hindu temples is severely influenced by the materials or lack of materials available, as such much of the upper hill regions temples are made of wood and similar in structure to the pagodas from which they have taken a fair amount of influence.

Many travelers are drawn to the area by the Tibetan Buddhist culture and as such may head immediately to the travel center of McLeod Ganj which is home to the Dalai Lama and the exiled Tibetan government.