Fairs and festivals in Himachal Pradesh

Dancing with Gods and Goddesses

Fairs and festivals in Himachal Pradesh

During the year, there are as many festivals in Himachal as there are villages, and on any given night there is a chance that one can pick up the strains of verses being exchanged between men and women in some distant villages down in the valley. The culmination of each cycle of events gives the Himachalis an opportunity to express their cheer and gratitude. Such an occasion might me structured around a formal gesture of reverence towards the presiding presence, but invariably it transforms itself into a one-day free zone for self expression. An alpine blossom adorns braided hair, and Himachali topis assume a rakish angle. The local ensemble pick rakish angle. The local ensemble picks up a lilting pahari melody, and it is time to link hands and swing to the community dance steps –the naati. Even the devtas are made to join, supported on the shoulders of their devotees. Over the evening, the human chain acquires a special flourish, aided by swigs of the celebrated local wine made from apricots, plums, apples or barley. Some of it is young and heady, brewed just for the occasion, but, some sipped delicately by the elders as they watch from balconies, is actually a vintage liquor to match the best in the world.

Some religious occasions have, of course transcended mere village celebrations to attract just not hundred of villagers, but also scores of deities from all parts of the valley. During such festivals, the local village gods congregate to pay homage to the presiding deity of the valley, and the proceedings of the fair last beyond the auspicious day, sometimes for as long as a week. Perhaps the best known is Dusshera at Kullu, which unlike in the other parts of the country begins on Vijayadashmi, the day it culminates elsewhere. Over hundred local deities gather to salute Shri Raghunathji, whose image is pulled across the Dhalpur maidan in a chariot, symbolizing the march of Lord Rama to battle Ravana.

Minjar, held sometime in August, is a similar occasion for the gods to congregate, this time in the Chowgan at Chamba. Thronged by Gaddis and pangwals adorned with minjars, caplets made to stimulate the silky golden fronds of the maize plant, this fair is held to appease the rain god Varuna. The minjars are immersed in the Ravi River on the concluding day.

Shivratri, in February or March, is the day for all to pray at the temple of the supreme Lord Bhutnath, after which the fair continues in a week-long exposition of local talent in a folk theatre such as Kairala or Bainthra.

The unique Manimahesh yatra is more than a festival, on the 15th day after Janmashtami, the birthday of Krishna, thousands climbs up from Bharmour to the sacred Manimahesh lake at 3,800 meters (12467 feet), for a ritual dip in its holy waters. Above the lake towers Manimahesh Kailash, 5,575 meters (18,290 feet) high, also considered by local people to be the abode of Lord Shiva.

Into Kinnaur valley - April 2006

Himalayan journeys April 2006

Christ Church, Shimla.

One of the oldest church in north India.

The Mall, Shimla.

The British nostalgia.

Kufri hills.

View of Shali peak, one of the highest in Shimla.

Hatu peak, Narkanda.

Crested with temple dedicated to local goddess and 360 degrees of panorama.

Kotgarh, from Hatu peak (3400mts.)

One of the major apple growing belt of India.

Admiring a stunning panorama of Himalayan ranges.

Hansbeshan range, is the closest Himalayan range visible from Hatu peak

A knowledgeable guide is recommended to make your Himalayan voyage a memorable one.

Being a part of middle Himalayan range, it snows till April also.

Sutlej river, carving its way down to the plains of Punjab.

A pre-Himalayan river originating form Tibet.

Sarahan, known for its Bhimakali temple complex.

Enroute Old Hindustan Tibet Road.

Local vegetarian cuisines delicious in the Himalayan countrysides.

A temple on a cliff top and below flows Sutlej River.

The course of Sutlej river has been diverted for hydro-electric projects in the valley.

River crossing to reach school!

A bridge on Sutlej river.

Lunch break.

A hydro-electric project on Sutlej river at Karcham, a bifurication to the left opens into Baspa valley

Mountain Biking in Himalayas!

Riding with the Himalayan breeze!!!

Mountain biking, as the name strikes mind, one get thrilled with its thought . In recent years we received and met numerous adventure lovers. This is the only reason why, this small colonial town based in the lap of Himalayas, has successfully hosted two successive events covering hundred of kilometers of mountainous terrains. As this sport requires rough terrains, so foothills of Himalayas becomes a perfect base for mountain biking. The breeze filtered through the sweet smelling pines invites anyone who enjoys nature.

In addition to these episodes, we, team of my nature lover friends this month on 13th May rode from Shimla through some stunning landscapes, meadows and streams to reach a small hamlet at the base of river Satluj. Though the start of the event was bit late but after a some short intervals we started biking from Shimla to Mashobra (15km), a small village, and we were ready to storm down into a lush green valley.

At an altitude of 2130mts Mahasu ridge bifurcates further into two, thus creating Mashobra and Shimla ridges. Mashobra, admired by artists, writers and thinkers, is a small village overlooking Himalayas. After safety briefing by our senior member (Coco Bhai), we suddenly disappeared down into the valley. Through a stunningly beautiful oak and coniferous forest cover, which sometimes blinked with the snow capped panorama of Himalayan ranges, we stopped a small circular meadow.

The old Cedar cover now gave way to sweet smelling pines and number of deciduous trees. The team was astonished with the views of adjoining valleys dotted with small villages practicing traditional step farming. The team members now geared and after 45 minutes we were on the flat part of the section which kept us working for another 30 minutes. And soon the mighty Satluj River became visible and day slowly turned into a golden dusk shining on the golden shores of Satluj. As we all reached our finish point, the small village of Tattapani was ready to to host us at the bank of river Satluj. A dip into the hot sulphur baths right at the river bank refreshed us again. After a delicious dinner at at a small cafe we all drove back to Shimla with adventurous memories of the ride.

Some photos of the ride.

Explore Himalayas but be sure about your saftey

The Basic Hiking and Camping Skills in Himalayas

Going hiking in the Himalayas is one of the best ways, to experience the thin air and rediscover nature. But trekking the forest or going off the beaten track is not for the faint hearted. If you are new to this, it’s best to be guided by the pros. Just in case, here are a few answers to the queries you might be questioning yourself before a full day hike or a multi-day trek in Himalayas.

Get in shape.

Go green over the ridge, trekking Himalayas is no joke. Most of the time it does take its toll and your body has to be prepared for it. Get regular exercise before hand. Work the treadmill and even practice walking with a backpack on. Getting your body in the right condition is the one of the most important skill. In Himalayas most of the time one might long for sufficient oxygen to his/her lungs unless he is physically and mentally prepared for it. Here nature offers uneven and narrow village trails or sometime a never ending steep ascent. There is no point knowing what to do in your destination if you don’t get there due to exhaustion. Always get well aclmitized before trying anything above 3500 mts. in Himalayas!

Choosing your campsite.

Incase of a multi-day trek one of the most important task at the end of the walk is of choosing a campsite. A campsite in the mountains should be preferably chosen with great care. A place with least winds, not under a glacier incase of high altitude trekking. Mostly grassy meadows are best along with even surfaces with minimum gravel. The grounds of the tents should drains well when it rains. This will give you a nice sturdy ground to sleep or walk around on. Feel free to test the place to. Watch out for nearby danger such as rock piles or tree debris as well as possible flash flood areas. If you're not up for that entire checklist, you can always find an established campsite instead. But where's the adventure in that?

Bug off.

Especially in the Trans-Himalayan regions of Himacahl Pradesh, close to the border of Tibet, do not worry about mosquito or bugs, you will not find them. Clothing is your first defense against the sunburns in the Himalayas. Wear comfortable long sleeves and a hat in light colors. Always wear good sunglasses and a Keep a handy insect repellant lotion and use it sparingly. Try not to loiter around wet grassy meadows where mosquitoes tend to breed. On the campsite, you can always use Citronella candles to make it your safe haven.

River Crossing.

When it comes to crossing bodies of water, whether it’s a small stream, a river, or a recent rainstorm flooding, always take extra precaution. The first thing to do is to find another way around them, especially if they look too dangerous. Wear sandals with tight tied straps as much possible while crossing river. If you don’t have them, remove your socks and the boots will do. Never cross barefoot. There's more chance of slipping on the rocks this way. You should be okay with a hiking stick when crossing ankle deep waters. When it comes to melted snow, cross in the morning when the waters had the chance to freeze again the night before.

Watch out for bridges or stones covered with algae, they can be quite slippery and dangerous. Also take time to unbuckle your waist belt to give you enough time to remove your backpack at the wrong moment. When crossing with a rope across a river, don’t tie yourself to it, the current may hold you down. Instead just hold on to them tightly.

Use your hiking stick wisely.

Other than to help you on the road, there is more to having a hiking stick handy. As mentioned before, you can use hiking sticks to help you cross rivers and bodies of water. Also, hiking sticks help increase momentum on uphill climbs and can be pretty useful for when you are treading along large boulders. As a defense when you are walking, use your hiking stick to beat a few nearby bushes and check for snakes. This can also be helpful when scaring off aggressive dogs that come along your way.

The noise of Cicada

The cicada is a large-bodied, dark-colored, flying insect with four long, transparent wings and large eyes. When at rest, the cicada holds the wings peaked over the body like a tent. Cicadas are not locusts (locusts are a type of grasshopper). Cicadas can damage twigs when eggs are laid in the twig (unlike locusts and grasshoppers who damage plants by defoliation - leaf eating).

Anatomy

Like all insects, the cicada has three body parts (the head, thorax and abdomen), two large, compound eyes, clear wings, and six jointed legs. They breathe through spiracles - small holes in the abdomen. The antennae are short and bristly. Adult cicadas range in size from 1 to 2 inches (2.5 - 5 cm) long.


Classification

Kingdom Animalia (animals), Class Insecta (insects), Order Homoptera (aphids, cicadas), Family Cicadidae (all cicadas), many Genera, including Genus Magicicada (long period, red-eyed cicadas - with a 13 or 17 year life cycle) and Genus Tibicen (dog-day cicada -- with a 2 to 5 year year life cycle). Some cicadas produce sounds louder than 100 dB! They modulate their noise by wiggling their abdomens toward and away from the tree that they are on.


Diet

Cicadas eat plant sap while in their long juvenile (nymph) stage.

Noise

Males make a shrill, buzzing call by vibrating two drum-like membranes (called tymbals) covering hollow chambers on the abdomen using muscles (females do not make this noise) - they usually do this while perching high up in trees. (This is unlike grasshoppers, who make noise by rubbing their back legs together.) Male cicadas call to attract females. The loudest insect in the world is the African cicada (Brevisana brevis); it regularly produces sounds at 106.7 dB at a distance of 50 cm (this is about as loud as a power saw).

Life cycle

The cicada has the longest life cycle of any insect, ranging from 2 to 17 years. A rice-shaped egg is laid in tender twigs and plant stems. The egg hatches into a nymph (the larval stage) and drops to the ground. The nymph burrows into the soil and crawls to a tree root (using its claw-like front legs). The nymph will eat the tree's sap. The nymph stage lasts up to 17 years in periodical cicadas; dog day cicadas have a shorter life cycle. There is no pupal stage. When the nymph is fully grown and the temperature is optimal, the nymph tunnels to the surface and goes through its final molt (shedding its hard outer skin) and emerges as a winged adult. When the wings dry and harden, the cicada flies in search of a mate. Unlike many other insects, all of the periodical cicadas in an area emerge at once.


Cicada Nymph

Almost all of life time Cicadas spend underground as nymphs. They borrow into the ground at depths of about 1 feet and up to 9 feet. The young Cicadas feed on roots of trees and grass. They usually suck juices and eat younger roots. Because they live underground and need to dig through it they developed strong front legs. When Cicadas are developed you can still see that front-legs are over developed in comparison with other legs. See picture on the top. When time comes for Cicadas to go from their underground tunnels to the surface they construct an exit tunnel and emerge for their skin shedding. Before Cicada become an adult and sheds its skin, it tries to find a plant where it attaches itself with its claws. Many times their shell will remain attached to a plant long after Cicadas hatched.

Cicada Skin

Cicada Nymph has skin has yellowish color and is very tough on the surface. This skin toughness is necessary for Cicada while its being developed underground. Since it has to borrow tunnels, it’s natural to have panzer like skin. Yellowish color may be attributed to dark conditions under the ground and as a result there is no need for skin mutation that matches surroundings like we’ll find it later when Cicada hatch and becomes an adult. When Cicada hatch, its Nymph skin splits in the middle allowing adult Cicada freely mutate into flying insect. Because of its toughness Cicada skin may be seen, long after its occupant left, attached to a tree branch of a grass.