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Himachal Pradesh was also known as ''Deva Bhoomi'' (the land of the gods). The Aryan influence in the region dates back to the period before the Rigveda . After the Anglo Gorkha war, the British colonial government came into power. It was initially in Punjab under the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh till 1857. In 1950 Himachal was declared as the union territory but after State of Himachal Pradesh Act 1971 Himchal emerged as the 18th state of Indian Union . The state is located in altitudes ranging from to above sea level. The state capital is Shimla (formerly British India's summer capital under the name Simla); other major towns include Solan , Dharamsala , Kangra , Mandi , Kullu , Chamba , Hamirpur , Dalhousie and Manali . HISTORY See Also: History of Himachal Pradesh GEOGRAPHY See Also: Geography of Himachal Pradesh FLORA AND FAUNA See Also: Wildlife of Himachal Pradesh ECONOMY See Also: Economy of Himachal Pradesh Agriculture contributes over 45% to the net state domestic product. It is the main source of income and employment in Himachal. Over 93% of the population in Himachal depend directly upon agriculture which provides direct employment to 71% of its people. The main cereals grown are Wheat , Maize , Rice and Barley . Himachal has a rich heritage of Handicrafts . These include woolen and Pashmina shawls, Carpets , Silver and metal ware, embroidered chappals, grass shoes, Kangra and Gompa style paintings, wood work, horse-hair bangles, wooden and metal utensils and various other house hold items. These aesthetic and tasteful handicrafts declined under competition from machine made goods and also because of lack of marketing facilities. But now the demand for handicrafts has increased within and outside the country. CULTURE See Also: Culture of Himachal Pradesh Himachal was one of the few states that had remained largely untouched by external customs, largely due to its difficult terrain. With the technological advancements the state has changed very rapidly. Himachal is well known for its handicrafts. The carpets, leather works, shawls, paintings, metalware, woodwork and paintings are worth appreciating. Pashmina shawl is one of the product which is highly in demand not only in Himachal but all over the country. Himachali caps are also famous art work of the people. Local music and dance reflects the cultural identity of the state. Through their dance and music, they entreat their gods during local festivals and other special occasions. Apart from the fairs and festivals that are celebrated all over India, there are number of other fairs and festivals also that are of great significance to Himachal Pradesh. Shimla , the state capital is home to Asia's only natural Ice skating rink29. The day to day food of ''Himachalis'' is very similar to the rest of the north India . They too have Lentil , Broth , Rice , Vegetables and Bread . As compared to other states in north India non vegetarian is more preferred. Some of the specialities of Himachal include ''Pateer'', ''Chouck'', ''Bhagjery'', ''Patrode'', ''Beduan'' and ''chutney'' of Til. Famous people associated with Himachal include English author Rudyard Kipling , Indian film personalities Dalip Singh Rana , Anupam Kher , Preity Zinta , Amrish Puri (who studied here), and Prem Chopra (brought up here), economist and former vice-president of World Bank Shahid Javed Burki , Satyananda Stokes who introduced apple in the region, writer Idries Shah , Ornithologist Allan Octavian Hume (had his home here), and former general of Pakistan Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq who studied here. GOVERNMENT See Also: Government of Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh is governed through a Parliamentary System of Representative Democracy , a feature the state shares with other Indian states. Universal Suffrage is granted to residents. |
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