GENERAL AWARENESS (HIMACHAL) : BY CHAMAN LAL BANGA

The state of Himachal Pradesh was called 'Deva Bhoomi ' or the Land of the Gods. There are evidences of the existence of the pre-historic humans in this region. It is generally believed that large inhabitants of this region had actually migrated from Central Asia and the Indian plains from time to time. The first race to enter Himachal Pradesh was Proto-Australoid followed by Mongoloid and the Aryan. The Rig Veda mentions about Dasyus and Nishads living in this region and their powerful king Shambra who had 99 forts. From the early period of its history, tribes like the Koilis, Halis, Dagis, Dhaugris, Dasa, Khasas, Kinnars and Kirats inhabited it. In the Vedas they (people of Himachal) have been referred to as Dasas, Dasyus and Nishadas while in later works they have been called Kinnars, Nagas and Yakshas. The Kols or Mundas are believed to be the original migrants to the hills of present day Himachal. The second phase of migrants came in the form of Mongoloid people known as Bhotas and Kiratas. Later on (around 1500 BC) came the third and most important wave of migrants in the form of the Aryans who left their Central Asian home and settled in the fertile plains of Punjab. These people laid the base of history and culture of Himachal Pradesh.

………..Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh was established in 1948 as a Chief Commissioner's Province within the Republic of India. The province comprised the hill districts around Shimla and southern hill areas of the former Punjab region. Himachal became a part C state on 26 January 1950 with the implementation of the Constitution of India. Himachal Pradesh became a Union Territory on 1 November 1956. On 18 December 1970 the State of Himachal Pradesh Act was passed by Parliament and the new state came into being on 25 January 1971. Thus Himachal emerged as the eighteenth state of the Indian Union. Himachal Pradesh is bound between 30°22’ to 33°12’ North Latitude and 75°47’ to 79°04’ East Longitude. To the East, it forms India's border with Tibet, to the North lies state of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh in the South-East, Haryana in South and Punjab in the West. Chamba, Dalhousie, Kangra, Dharamsala, Palampur, Hamirpur, Una, Bilaspur, Solan, Nahan, Shimla, Mandi, Kullu, Manali.

In fact, human settlements in Himachal Pradesh date back to two million years. Evidence suggests that the places of prehistoric settlements are found in the Bangana valley of Kangra, Sirsa valley of Nalagarh, and Markanda valley of Sirmour. In ancient times, the region of Himachal Pradesh was made up of a number of small republic states known as Janapadas. These Janapadas enjoyed independence till the Muslims invaded these parts of India. Mahmud Ghaznavi conquered Kangra valley around the 10th century and Timur and Sikandar Lodi also exercised their imperialistic ambitions in this state.

The state of Himachal Pradesh is mostly hilly and hence the use of any other media except for the print media; that is newspaper dailies and weeklies, was very difficult even two decades earlier. But now-a-days, mass media and the technical development in the field of satellites and transmissions have simply burgeoned, and its rippling effects are amply evident even in the secluded hilly climes of Himachal Pradesh. Now more and more people of Himachal Pradesh are turning to the electronic media to be up-to-date with the global, national and local news and views...........................SEE IN BOOK PUBLISHED BY PASRICHA PUBLICATION JALANDHAR