Himachal Pradesh

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Himachal Pradesh bordering Jammu and Kashmir to the North and NorthWest, Punjab to the SouthWest, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to the South and Uttaranchal to the Southeast is spread in the area of 55,653 sq km. Shimla is the state capital and other major towns are Dharamshala, Kangra, Mandi, Kullu, Chamba, Hamirpur, Dalhousie and Manali.

The state boasts of numerous picturesque tourist destinations, which are responsible for generating much of the revenue for the state. Agriculture, textile and burgeoning hydroelectric power export industry are the other sources of income for the state.

A state in North India, Himachal Pradesh literally means a 'region of snowy mountains'. It is also sometimes referred as 'Dev Bhumi' meaning Abode of Gods. In the year 1950 Himachal Pradesh was declared as one of the Union Territories of India. Later on however, with the passing of Himachal Pradesh Act of 1971, it emerged as the eighteenth state of India. The word 'Hima' actually means snow in Sanskrit terminology. Acharya Diwakar Datt Sharma, an eminent Sanskrit Scholar from Himachal Pradesh named the state.

Himachal Pradesh is among those states in India, which has a very per capita income. The state sells hydro electricity power to Punjab, Delhi and Rajasthan. The economy of Himachal Pradesh depends greatly on tourism, hydroelectric power and agriculture. Shimla serves as the state capital that was earlier the summer capital of the British.

The head of each of the Districts in Himachal Pradesh is a Deputy Commissioner also known as Deputy Magistrate. For administrative purposes, the districts are further divided into sub-divisions, which are controlled by the sub-divisional magistrates. The sub-divisions are further divided into blocks. Blocks comprise panchayats that is the village councils and town municipalities. The law and order in the district is maintained by the Superintendent of Police.

The twelve Districts of Himachal Pradesh are listed as below

Bilaspur Chamba Hamirpur Kangra Kinnaur Kullu

Lahul and Spiti Mandi Shimla Sirmaur Solan Una

A number of pilgrimage centers and Hindu temples are situated in Himachal Pradesh. There are more than two thousand Temples in Himachal Pradesh. These Himachal Pradesh Temples are also magnificent works of architecture. The temples are the centers of attraction for the visitors and tourists. Many of them are also associated with ancient legends.

Naina Devi Jawalmukhi Mata Chintpurni & Chamunda Devi Baijnath & Laxmi Narayan Temple

Baba Balak Nath Bijli Mahadev Hadimba Temple Renukaji Temple

Last Updated on : 16 August 2011

Himachal Pradesh at a Glance

Area	55673 km2	Population	6,077,900
Females	2,989,960	Males	3,087,940
Urban Population	595,581	Rural Population	5,482,319
Population Density	109	Sex Ratio	968
Literacy Rate	77.13%	Female Literacy	68.08%
Male Literacy	86.02%	Districts	12
Sub Division	52	Tehsils	75
Sub Tehsils	34	Towns	57
Developmental Block	75	Panchayats	3,243
Panchayat Smities	75	Zila Parishad	12
Nagar Nigam	1	Nagar Parishad	20
Nagar Panchayats	32	Urban Local Bodies	53
Census Villages	20,118	Inhabited Villages	17,495
Educational Institutions	17,000	Health Institutions	3,835
Motorable Roads	30,000 km	National Highways	8