The Indian Himalayan State Of Himachal Pradesh

THE INDIAN HIMALAYAN STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH

By: Ashish Kaul

If you and I were next door neighbors of Clint Eastwood, nobody would call us handsome. We may be, but only in our own eyes. We may be even otherwise, but only if good old Clint wasn't our next-door neighbor. Or if he wasn't famous. But even though you and I are handsome (I insist!), we are not known to be.

If Clint Eastwood is Kashmir, then you and I are Himachal Pradesh. Handsome and Unknown. If you don't agree, I'll rephrase it. Unknown and Handsome.

Which is the largest glacier in the world? Siachen. Where is it? Jammu and Kashmir. Which is the second largest? Don't know? I'll tell you. Bara Shigri. Where is it? In Himachal Pradesh. Which is the most beautiful lake in India? Divided opinions. One that says Dal in Srinagar, Kashmir. Another that says Wular in Jammu and Kashmir. Have you seen Chandratal ( Lake of the moon) in Himachal? No you haven't. Why? Two reasons. The first which is obvious, that it is in Himachal and the second that it is at quite a height. Perhaps a third reason as well. You've got to trek up there. Where are the most beautiful saffron farms in the world? Pampore in Kashmir. Have you heard of Chitkul in the Sangla Valley of Himachal? No you haven't. Two reasons. Or three? One, the obvious one; it's in Himachal. Two, that it just became accessible about two years ago. A sensitive border area, it required an 'Inner Line Permit' (euphemism for 'Not Allowed') to go there. Where do the finest Indian apples grow? Let's cut this short. Supposedly in Kashmir. Actually in Sangla, Himachal Pradesh.

And then they tell me I'm a Kashmiri ! Just one reason. Cause I am ! Then why do I promote Himachal instead of Kashmir? Two reasons. One that I don't do it at the cost of Kashmir. And two, for god's sake I didn't erect the border between the two states. Who did? It doesn't matter who did. I visit both.

To cut a pretty long story sadly short, if you love the mountains and realize that the top end of other mountains is where the Himalayas begin, then you can't help but visit Himachal. Reminds me of a line on my soft board in my advertising days: " Hell is unpopular because it is badly advertised." Himachal is different. It isn't badly advertised. It is hardly advertised.

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