An Encyclopedic Study of the Himalayan Hill State: Himachal, The Paradise of India

Himachal Pradesh is bigger in size than Switzerland. Shimla was chosen as the summer capital of British India in 1864 by Viceroy John Lawrence. On Rohtang pass, 82 people had died in Oct., 1862. The Great Khali was born in Sirmour at Village Dhayan. Suketi Fossil Park in Nahan is a 2 Million years old. Rabinderanath Tagore and Subhash Chander Bose had visited Himachal and stayed at Dalhousie. Mahatma Gandhi, J.L. Nehru and Sardar Patel stayed in Cecil hotel, Shimla. Tune of National Anthem was composed by Ram Singh from Himachal. According to Transparency International, Himachal is the second most honest state in India after Kerala. The largest glacier of Himalayas Bara Shigri lies in Himachal Himalayan range. Nora Richard, the famous writer, settled at Andretta. Baba Kanshi Ram is also known as Pahari Gandhi. Dr. Y.S. Parmar was born at Bagthan in Sirmour. Gaiety Theatre, Shimla was built on the pattern of Royal Albert Hall, London. Manali has been named after Manu. Kargil conflict martyrs from Himachal are Vikram Batra, Amol Kalia and Sanjay Kumar. Burmese Govt-in-exile functioned from Shimla during 1942-45. Indian Olympian and Indian Hockey team captain charanjit Singh belongs to Himachal. Thoda dance has its roots in Kaurava-Pandava Mahabharata war. The oldest democracy of the world is at Malana (Kullu) in Himachal Pradesh. Kangra fort was the second most important fort in North India. Susharman Chandra built the Kangra fort and fought on the side of Kauravas in Mahabharata war. Mughal emperor Akbar visited Jawalamukhi temple and Malana village in Kullu. People of Malana consider themselves as the descendants of Alexander the Great. Atal Bihari Vajpayee has built his house at Preeni in Kullu. Priyanka Gandhi is building her house at Chharabra near Shimla. A.O. Hume, the founder of Indian National Congress lived at Rothney Castle in Shimla. Rudyard Kipling, the Nobel Laureate in 1907, also stayed in Shimla for some years. Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader lives in Dharamshala along with the Tibetan Govt-in-exile there. Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur, the first Health Minister of Govt. of India lived in Manorvilla at Summerhill, Shimla. The writer Rusking Bond was brought up at Kasauli.