Wonderland Himachal proudly presents 'HOPE': An initiative for our motherland

Wonderland Himachal hereby proudly introduce you with the very first edition of HOPE (Himachal on Phone).We are working on a door-to-door survey of Himachal’s each commercial establishment as well as Industrial sector, either it is your next door Urban area or a distant tribal-ends of the State.

We aim at providing information on Himachal Pradesh covering all 12 districts with a vast and fresh data of every commercial and industrial sector. Beside this, it has many user friendly features which will help you in your day to day life as following:
 Geographical Surveys
 Eco-sense
 Exploring
 Rich cultural heritage
 Contacts of Embassies/high commissions/government help lines/offices.
 Exploring Himachal
 Data-based surveys.
Hope will surely be of great aid to any person with any interest.
We humbly invite everybody to help us so that we all together present a remarkable gift to our motherland, Himachal Pradesh.

Himalaya in Indian Mythology

Himalaya hold a prominent place in the culture and mythology of Indian people, particularly the Hindus.

Shiva, the most important among Trinity of Gods, resides on Mt Kailash and his consort, Parvati, is the daughter of Himalaya (or Himavan).

In Sanskrit, the word Parvati means ‘of the mountain’. When Ganga descends from the heavens after the long penitence of King Bhagirath, Shiva received her in his locks, and let her descend slowly on the Earth.

The river Yamuna is considered to be the daughter of Sun and sister of ‘Yama- the God of Death’. According to Buddhist mythology, Guru Padmasambhava was born from the lotus in a lake on the west of Mount Kailash.

This legend is similar to that of the birth of Lord Brahma in Hindu mythology.

TIBETAN CULTURE

The State of Himachal Pradesh is not new to Buddhism. Its two border districts of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti have been under the influence of Buddhism since 618-649 AD. It was, therefore, no surprise when Dalai Lama, In April 1960, chose Dharamshala, a hill station in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, to be the place where he would reside and later made it the Headquarters of the Tibetan Government in exile. Immediately McLeodganj, a small bazaar dotted with bungalows here and there, Dharamshala came to limelight and found place in world map. Today little Lhasa is the sobriquet attributed to McLeodganj because one sees the prayer wheels, Buddhist monks, the ochre red robes, chinky-eyed smart girls, Tibetan Jewellery, ornaments and crafts here. The whole environ is Lhasa like. Daily chant of prayers from Namgyal Monastery has a mesmerizing effect. Names like Yak or Shangri-La restaurant immediately takes one’s imagination to the spicy and hot Tibetan cuisine, which is delicacy for tourist and attraction for natives. Yes, the natives have also accepted the culinary intrusion of the foreigners gladly and without resistance. The cuisine is so palatable and in demand that many an Indian restaurant all over the State has accommodated Momo (meat dumplings) and Thupka (noodles in broth) in it’s a la carte.

SOLAN

Solan was the capital of erstwhile princely State Bhagat. The concept of Himachal Pradesh was here mooted in a conference of princes of various hill State of Western Himalayas and representatives of Prajamandal, fighting for independence from the yoke of princely rule, on 15th of April 1948. It remained a Tehsil of Mahasu district till 25th January, 1971 when Himachal Pradesh gained the status of full-fledged State and Solan became the headquarters of District Solan.

At a height of 1350m, it has salubrious climate throughout the year. It has been declared as the 'Mashroom City of India' in the nineties because here is produced a variety of button mushrooms. It has the famous Brewery that was established in the year 1835 by Dyer Meakins (Mohan Meakins today).

Temples of Shoolini Devi, Narsingh and open parks are the places to visit in the town. Karol Tibba (Peak), Meteol Tibba, Kotla Nallah (Stream), Saproon springhare other places of interest. Not so far, are Mareog, Gaura and Karkanu, the angling spots by river Giri. You can also enjoy the facility of HP State Library here.

Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry is situated at Nauni at a distance of 15km from the town. It nurtures 15,000 species of flora and has successfully domesticated an enormous variety of herbs.

Wander away from Solan

Chail:

The summer capital of the former princely State of Patiala built in the late 19th century at a height of 2226 m known for exquisite Palace Hotel of HPTDC and at 2444.4 m the Highest Cricket Pitch and Polo Ground in the World. Easy walks in and around Chail amidst green forests, stroll at wild life sanctuary and fishing along Gaura river can be interesting.

Shillon Bagh:

Not so far from here, it is a private hotel on Chail-Kufri road. Dochi, Maharaja Patiala's farmhouse, known for exotic gladioli and other flowers, is hardly few kms on Chail-Kandhaghat road.

Barog:

Just 7 kms from Solan, the small village at a height of 1680m is gradually developing into a township dotted with quite a few hotels and eateries. This little township has come up on top of a hill through which runs the longest tunnel in Kalka-Shimla Railway line. The northern end of the tunnel opens on a tidily kept railway station at Barog where exists a pretty, cozy dining room having a wall clock marked with 'Benson of London, NW Railways 1903'.

Kasauli:

Its proximity to plains,35 km away from Kalka, makes it more in demand of tourists who flock in here when there blazes the sun. Dainty English style cottages, oldy goldy shops, forests of pine and horse chestnut, magnificent view of the Gangetic plains which turns into a spread of twinkling lights under the cover of darkness, refreshing mountain breeze and much more is there at a height of 1927 m of Kasauli.

A vantage spot for views is Monkey Point. Dominating Choor Chandni (3647 m) standing majestically above all the lower hills leaves an imprint. Sanawar with a famous public school, Garkhal with Shirdi Sai Temple, Sabathu with a 19th century Gorkha Fort, Dagshai with a cantonment are other places worth visiting when in Kasauli.

Nalagarh:

A diversion from Pinjore, falling between Chandigarh and Kalka, towards west takes visitors to Nalagarh, an ancient town that has a look of any town in the plains. The best part of the stay at The Fort, Nalagarh, a Heritage Hotel, where one can enjoy the nostalgia of the past in the comforts of the present.

Arki:

The capital of princely State of Bhagal lies off Shimla-Bilaspur highway. Fine wall painting can be seen in the old palace. Visit to Kaliseli, Brampukhar, Bari Dhar, Ghagnu Ghat and temple of Vanya Devi may be interesting.

Golden Rules When You Travel

As a traveler, you will have an impact on the environment and culture of the place you are visiting. Learn about your destination before you get there. Read guide-books, travel articles, histories or novels by local authors and pay particular attention to customs such as greetings, appropriate dress, eating behaviors, etc. Being sensitive to these customs will increase local acceptance of you as a tourist and prize your trip.

Follow established guidelines. Take care of the guidelines for limiting tourism's impact on the environment and local culture. Staying on trails, packing up your trash, and remaining set distances away from wildlife are a few ways to minimize your impact in sensitive areas.

Seek out and support locally owned businesses. Support local businesses during your eco-travels to ensure maximum community and conservation benefit from your spending.

Eco-Tourism in India is still at a very nascent stage, but there are for sure conscious efforts to save the fragile Himalayan-Eco System and culture and heritage of the indigenous people, which is probably the largest concentration in the world.

Holiday Camping vis-à-vis Hotel accommodations are gathering momentum amongst the metropolis traveler. A number of holiday camping options are available in the Himalayan belt, where soft adventure tourism is packaged with holiday camping to create an acceptable eco-tourism product.

Culture and Village

The mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh is a multi-religional, multicultural and multilingual state. Nestled in the foothills of the mighty Himalayas, Himachal is blessed with some of the most spectacular landscapes. The culture of Himachal Pradesh is extremely rich, which is reflected in the day-to-day lives of the local people. Noted for their colorful dresses and distinguished physical features, the people of Himachal Pradesh exhibit a very warm and friendly nature and the ‘untouched’ simplicity about them constitute an integral part of the beautiful Culture of Himachal Pradesh.

 

The culture of Himachal Pradesh is also evident from the languages spoken in the state. Though Hindi is the state language, Pahari – a deviation of Sanskrit and Prakrit is spoken by many people in Himachal. There are many tribal dialects spoken in Himachal Pradesh too – including Chambyali, Pangwali, Lahauli, Kinnauri and others.

 

The typical house in Himachal Pradesh is constructed of clay bricks, with roofs being made of slate. In the traditional village houses, the lowest storey is used for household cattle, the middle for storing grain, and the top floor forms the living area.

 

Himachal is considered to be the abode of the Hindu God Shiva and Goddess Parvati – there are numerous temples of Shiva and Parvati scattered all around the state.

 

Music and Dance form a very important part of the Culture of Himachal Pradesh. Both these art forms revolve mainly around religion in Himachal Pradesh. Some of the popular dance forms in the state include Losar Shona Chuksam, Dangi, Gee Dance and Burah dance, Naati, Kharait, Ujagjama, Chadhgebrikar and Shunto.

 

Eco-Tourism in Himachal Pradesh

The Indian State of Himachal Pradesh is a mostly mountainous area, neighboring Tibet and China in the East, the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir in the north and northwest, Punjab, Haryana, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh to the south. It has a geographical area of 55,673 sq. Kms. and a population of 6.1 million people and is located at altitudes ranging from 350 to 7000 meters (1050 ft. to 21000 ft.). Nestled in the Western Himalayas, it has provided refuge and abode to the Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama and his Tibetan followers. This majestic, almost mythic terrain is famous for its beauty and serenity.

 

The forests of Himachal Pradesh (H.P) constitute two-thirds of the state’s geographic area and are crucial to the region’s environmental and economic well-being---a storehouse of rich bio-diversity, vital in preserving the fragile Himalayan eco-system, and a primary livelihood source for its rural population. The ‘forest sector’ encompassing the entire biophysical and environmental components, highly sensitive to the uniqueness of the mountain environment, must place its people at the centre.

 

Accordingly a new course has been charted to shift forest policy in a way that recognizes the ecological and social value of environmental services as well as its economic values. Tapping environmental services through eco-tourism offers a way to lighten poverty and enhance livelihood options.

Back to the Wilderness

The unexplored………! The unknown……..! The uncommon……!.

If you’re spirited enough, take the trail less traveled with

“WONDERLAND HIMACHAL“

What’s in a name? In our case, everything!

We promise to provide all - Indians and foreigners - an insight into the ‘real’ Himachal; its history, traditions, languages, culture, fairs, festivals and religions….

In other words, we want to provide you a complete insight & introduce you to the Beauty of Himachal, its Simplicity, Vastness along with the hidden treasures of this great land!

It is our endeavor to promote Himachal Pradesh to the outside world while striving to protect an age-old tradition as well as preserve the environment for generations to come.

We have committed ourselves to make every possible effort and cater you with an experience you will fondly look back upon, not caring of what it cost you, as you will be returning back a richer person full of memories.

At Wonderland Himachal, we lay stress on ‘off the beaten routes’, less traveled places and Himalayan tribal sectors to take the stress out of you.

All our packages & itineraries are flexible, amendments to the itineraries can be easily made and re-worked as per your preferences and interest. In fact, using your ideas together with our advice and expertise you can create your own itinerary, leaving the rest to us. We are pleased and proud to offer a quality and flexibility of service to organize your holidays.

We very much look forward to be a part of your travel plan & help you to discover the legacy of ancient heritage. It’s about exploring, seeking … not just nature, but also your inner being. We believe in giving good experience to our guest at reasonable cost. No hidden cost; No fine print… just an experience to treasure.

Impossible, as it may sound, but just plan one tour with us and it will illustrate our point. So, let us take you on a brief tour of Wonderland - “Himachal”. We guarantee that your journey will be quite unlike anything, you’ve experienced before.