Does Kangra tea have a GI tag?

Yes, two of them. Kangra tea received an Indian Geographical Indication in 2005 and was registered as a protected Geographical Indication in the European Union in 2023. Darjeeling was entered in the European register in October 2011, under Commission Implementing Regulation 1050 of 2011.

Which Himachal products have GI tags?

Kangra tea from 2005, the Kullu shawl from 12 December 2005, the Kinnauri shawl from October 2010, and Chamba chappal and Lahaul socks and gloves, both certified on 14 September 2021. The registrations are public and the application numbers can be looked up.

What is the difference between a Kullu shawl and a Kinnauri shawl?

A Kullu shawl carries bands of geometric pattern at the ends of a plain body. A Kinnauri shawl is denser and more heavily worked, with Central Asian geometry, and it is woven in two half-length pieces stitched together down the centre. One takes around 45 days.

What should I buy in Shimla and Manali?

Kangra tea and Himachali honey from the state outlets, and shawls from the weaver co-operatives rather than the market stalls. Shimla also holds the state handicraft emporia, which carry Chamba and Lahaul work. Apples and dried fruit are better bought in the growing valleys.

What food can you bring back from Himachal Pradesh?

Kangra tea, apples and dried apricots, apricot kernel oil, kala zeera, hill rajma and honey. The corporation outlets and the weekly valley markets sell most of it by weight. Kangra tea travels best and is the only item on the list with European protection.

Places to Visit in Himachal Pradesh: Hill Towns, Railways and Valleys

The places to visit in Himachal Pradesh split four ways, and two narrow gauge mountain railways run through them. The Kalka to Shimla line was inscribed by UNESCO on 8 July 2008, and the Kangra valley line, which is longer, has only been on the tentative list since 2014. Choose between the Shimla hills, the Kullu and Manali valleys with the Great Himalayan National Park, the Kangra belt at Dharamshala, and Chamba with Khajjiar.

Both lines were built to the same 762 mm gauge and both still run. The one that carries the World Heritage listing is the shorter of the two. The guide to preparing for travelling in India takes the practical questions, and this takes the places.

Places to visit in Himachal Pradesh

Shimla. The state capital, the summer capital of British India from 1864, and the top of the listed railway.
Chail. A short drive from Shimla, with the cricket ground at 2,444 metres.
Kullu and Manali. The valley towns, and the road north through the Atal Tunnel to Lahaul.
Great Himalayan National Park. A World Heritage Site across four valleys in Kullu district.
Dharamshala and McLeod Ganj. The state's second capital, in the Kangra valley.
Bir and Billing. The paragliding site that held India's first World Cup.
Chamba and Dalhousie. The western hills, with Khajjiar on the plateau between them.

The two mountain railways, and which one UNESCO listed

The Kalka to Shimla line was added to the Mountain Railways of India World Heritage Site on 8 July 2008. The Kangra valley line was submitted to UNESCO's tentative list on 15 April 2014, as part of a proposed extension, and it has not been inscribed.

Kalka to Shimla. 96.60 km on 762 mm gauge, built between 1898 and 1903 and opened on 9 November 1903.
The climb. From 656 metres at Kalka to 2,075 metres at Shimla.
The tunnels. 103 were built and 102 are in use. The longest is tunnel 33 at Barog, at 1,143.61 metres.
Pathankot to Joginder Nagar. About 164 km on the same 762 mm gauge, carrying freight from December 1928 and passengers from April 1929.
What it claims. The longest narrow gauge line in India. Its highest station, Ahju, sits at about 1,290 metres.
The proposed extension. It pairs the Kangra line with the Matheran Light Railway in Maharashtra.
What this means for a route. The listed line gets you into the state at Shimla. The unlisted one runs the length of the Kangra valley.

Shimla, Chail and the hills around them

Shimla was made the summer capital of British India in 1864, after the Viceroy, John Lawrence, decided on the move the previous year. It has been the capital of Himachal Pradesh since the state was formed on 25 January 1971.

The Viceregal Lodge. Now the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, a residential research centre.
What was signed here. The Simla Agreement was signed at 00:40 on 3 July 1972, although the documents carry the date of 2 July.
Chail cricket ground. At 2,444 metres, established by Rajinder Singh, Maharaja of Patiala, who kept a summer retreat at Chail.
What it is now. The playground of Chail Military School, used for polo during school holidays.
Kasauli and Solan. Lower, warmer and on the road up from Kalka.
How to arrive. On the narrow gauge line from Kalka, which is the listed one.

Kullu, Manali and the Great Himalayan National Park

The Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area was inscribed by UNESCO in 2014 under criterion ten, which covers biodiversity. 90,540 hectares, from about 1,500 metres to 6,000.

The four valleys. Jiwa Nal, Sainj, Tirthan and Parvati, all in Kullu district.
What lives there. 31 mammal species and 209 bird species, including the snow leopard, the Himalayan tahr, the Himalayan musk deer and the western tragopan.
How you see it. On foot. The Tirthan and Sainj valleys are the usual entry points.
Manali. The valley base, and the start of the road north.
The Atal Tunnel. 9.02 km, opened on 3 October 2020, which carries traffic to Lahaul through the winter.
Rohtang Pass. 3,978 metres, on the eastern end of the Pir Panjal, open roughly May to October and capped at 1,200 vehicle permits a day.

Dharamshala, Palampur and Bir in the Kangra valley

Dharamshala was declared the second capital of Himachal Pradesh on 19 January 2017. The state assembly had already been holding winter sessions there, the first full one outside Shimla having run in December 2005.

McLeod Ganj. Above Dharamshala, and the seat of the Tibetan administration in exile.
Palampur. The tea belt, and where the Kangra gardens and co-operative factories are.
Bir and Billing. India's first Paragliding World Cup ran here from 24 to 31 October 2015, with a pre-World Cup in 2013.
The flying site. Billing is the takeoff above and Bir is the landing field below, at around 2,290 metres.
The railway. The Kangra valley line runs the length of this belt from Pathankot.
The airport. Gaggal, about 12 km from Dharamshala, is the busiest in the state.

Chamba, Dalhousie and Khajjiar

Khajjiar's name came from one visit by one diplomat, and the marker he left is still the reason the place is on itineraries.

Khajjiar. Named the Mini Switzerland of India on 7 July 1992 by the Swiss envoy Willy P. Blazer.
The signpost. He put up a marker giving the distance to Bern as 6,194 km, with the yellow Swiss hiking footpath symbol on it.
The stone. He took a stone from Khajjiar for the collage around the Swiss Parliament building in Bern.
Where it is. A plateau at about 1,920 metres, roughly 24 km from Dalhousie.
Dalhousie. A hill town on five hills, and the base for Khajjiar and Chamba.
Chamba town. The old seat of the Chamba state, and where the rumal and the embroidered chappal are made.

The state is large enough that two of these four belts in one trip is the practical limit, and the drives between them are long. Our eight day Himachal journey runs the rivers and the mountain roads rather than a hill station a day. Customised tours is where the belts, the railways and the driving days get arranged around one another.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which UNESCO World Heritage Sites are in Himachal Pradesh?

Two. The Kalka to Shimla railway, added to the Mountain Railways of India site on 8 July 2008, and the Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area, inscribed in 2014 under criterion ten. The Kangra valley railway is on the tentative list from 2014 and has not been inscribed.

Is Khajjiar really called the mini Switzerland of India?

The name came from a single visit. On 7 July 1992 the Swiss envoy Willy P. Blazer gave Khajjiar the title, put up a marker giving the distance to Bern as 6,194 km, and took a stone from the site for the collage around the Swiss Parliament building.

What is the highest cricket ground in the world?

The ground at Chail in Himachal Pradesh, at 2,444 metres, is described as the highest. It was established by Rajinder Singh, Maharaja of Patiala, who kept a summer retreat there. It is now the playground of Chail Military School and is used for polo in the school holidays.

Which part of Himachal Pradesh should I visit first?

Shimla and the hills around it, because the listed narrow gauge railway from Kalka delivers you into them and the drives are shorter. The Kangra valley at Dharamshala, Palampur and Bir is the next belt. Kullu, Manali and Lahaul need more driving days than either.

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