The Siwalik region has hot summers (March to June), with temperatures rising above 100 °F (38 °C), cool and dry winters (October to February), and a wet season (July to September), with rains brought by the southwestern monsoon. As elevations increase farther north, the climate becomes wetter and cooler. In the Great Himalayas, winters are bitterly cold and snowy, with temperatures dropping below 0 °F (–18 °C).
The population of Himachal Pradesh is composed of a variety of distinct ethnolinguistic groups and social
castes. Among the most prominent communities are the Gaddi (Gaddi), Gujari, Kinnauri, Lahuli, and Pangwali. Many
Punjabi immigrants have settled in the major towns and cities since Indian independence in 1947.
The vast majority of the population is Hindu, although Buddhists form the dominant group in the sparsely
populated districts of Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur, both of which share a border with Tibet. The state also has
small minorities of Sikhs, Muslims, and Christians.
Although every former princely state within Himachal Pradesh has a local dialect named after it, Hindi (the
official state language) and Pahari are the principal languages. Both are Indo-Aryan languages. In Lahaul and
Spiti and in Kinnaur, however, the most widely spoken languages belong to the Sino-Tibetan family.
Himachal Pradesh is one of the least-urbanized states in India. In the early 21st century its urban population
accounted for less than 10 percent of the total. There are more than 50 towns, and the capital, Shimla,
constitutes a city of reasonable size. The capitals of the former princely states, including Bilaspur, Mandi,
Chamba, and Kullu, are now district headquarters. Dalhousie, Kasauli, and Sabathu are hill resorts of British
origin. Kangra, Palampur, Solan, and Dharmshala are other notable towns in the state.
Most people in Himachal Pradesh depend for their livelihood on agriculture, pastoralism, transhumance (seasonal herding), horticulture, and forestry. However, the government of Himachal Pradesh has encouraged the development and dispersal of manufacturing, with different towns—mostly in the southern part of the state—often specializing in the manufacture of particular goods. The town of Nahan, for instance, is known for its production of agricultural implements, turpentine, and resin, while television sets, fertilizer, beer, and liquor have been among the major manufactures of Solan. Meanwhile, Rajban is identified with cement production, and Parwanoo is recognized for its processed fruits, tractor parts, and electronics. Shimla is also known for its manufacture of electrical goods, while paper and hardboard products generally have come from Baddi and Barotiwala. Alongside the growth of heavier industry, thousands of artisan-based small-scale manufacturing units have remained in operation across the state.
The state has implemented a series of development plans based on the utilization of its abundant hydropower
potential and mineral and forest resources. Himachal Pradesh produces a significant portion of India’s
hydroelectric power. Existing hydropower plants include a station on the Ulh River at Jogindarnagar, the massive
Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej River, the Pong Dam on the Beas River, and the Giri Dam on the Giri River. Himachal
Pradesh also has embarked on joint-venture hydropower projects with the central government, such as the large
Nathpa Jhakri project in Shimla district. To combat a serious soil-erosion problem in the Siwaliks and to
protect the fragile Himalayan ecosystem, the state has launched a reforestation program. It also has instituted
stricter enforcement of environmental laws.
Despite its remote location, Himachal Pradesh has a reasonably well-developed infrastructure that not only has aided domestic mobility but also has helped in the promotion of tourism. Scenic narrow-gauge rail lines run from Kalka to Shimla and from Pathankot (in Punjab) to Jogindarnagar. There also is a railhead in Una. Roads, however, crisscrossing through the ranges and valleys, serve as the communications lifeline of Himachal Pradesh; the state operates many bus routes throughout the network. Regular domestic air service is available in Shimla and Kullu.
The basic governmental structure of Himachal Pradesh, like that of most other Indian states, is determined by
the national constitution of 1950. The state government is led by a governor, appointed by the president of
India. The Council of Ministers, headed by a chief minister and responsible to the directly elected Legislative
Assembly (Vidhan Sabha), assists and advises the governor.
The state is divided into a number of districts, each of which is headed by a deputy commissioner. The
districts, in turn, comprise several subdivisions, which embrace several more levels of local administration.
The smallest (and most numerous) administrative unit is the village.
Since the late 20th century, Himachal Pradesh has made great efforts to expand education. Consequently, there
has been a remarkable rise in the number of primary, secondary, and postsecondary institutions and a
corresponding increase in enrollment at all levels.
Himachal Pradesh University, founded in 1970 in Shimla, was the state’s first institution of higher education;
it now has dozens of affiliated or associated colleges. Other major tertiary institutions include a medical
college in Shimla, an agricultural university in Palampur, an engineering college in Hamirpur, a university of
horticulture and forestry near Solan, and a university of information technology, also in Solan district. In
addition to its universities and colleges, Himachal Pradesh has some important research centres, most notably
the Indian Institute of Advanced Study in Shimla and the Central Research Institute in Kasauli.
The fairs and festivals of the rural communities provide many occasions for song, dance, and the display of
colourful garments. The Kullu valley, known as the valley of the gods, provides the setting for the Dussehra
festival held each autumn to celebrate the defeat of the demon king, Ravana, by the prince Rama (as recounted in
the ancient Hindu epic the Ramayana). During the festival, the various temple gods are carried in procession in
covered palanquins, accompanied by bands of singers and dancers. Participants in this and other such
celebrations are typically decked in vibrant attire, often accented with exquisitely designed shawls from
Kinnaur district, finely embroidered handkerchiefs from Chamba, or distinctive woolen caps from Kullu.
Pilgrims from neighbouring states and from within Himachal Pradesh itself converge in large numbers to worship
at shrines of legendary antiquity. The town of Dharmshala has more recently emerged as a sacred site,
particularly for Tibetan Buddhists; it was in Dharmshala that the Dalai Lama settled after he fled from Tibet in
1959 in the wake of China’s occupation of Lhasa.
Aside from their festivals and sacred sites, the Shimla hills, the Kullu valley (including the town of Manali),
and Dalhousie are popular tourist destinations, especially for outdoor recreation. Indeed, skiing, golfing,
fishing, trekking, and mountaineering are among the activities for which Himachal Pradesh is ideally suited.