BTS-PTS-04 A STUDY OF FAIRS AND FESTIVAL OF HIMACHAL PRADESH

Himachal Pradesh popularly known as the valley of gods’ is the 18th State of Union of India.
It came into being on 15th April, 1948 by integrating thirty hill states of Western Himalaya
into one administrative unit. It is a land of fairs and festivals and its centuries old culture
rightly command interest and respect. It is located in one of the interior regions of the
Western Himalayas, between north Indian plains and Ladakh, the land of Lamas.
Much has been written on Himachal Pradesh, both specialized and general. Most of these are
on history, travels, art and economy paying little attention to the social and cultural life of the
people in the State. Now efforts have been made to that end, so that the information to the
students, general readers and scholar is easily available.
Himachal Pradesh is a land of cultural diaspora! Words fail to define the mixture of different
cultures one can see here. For the people of Himachal Pradesh, every day is nothing less than
a celebration or jubilation. The festivals vary in terms of scale but most of them are attended
by huge crowds who want to carry forward the rich legacy and rituals of their ancestors.