Cultural History of Western Himalayas

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Of late many a book on various facets of the Western Himalayas which encompasses a large number of erstwhile native states has been written. An extensive territorial area extending from Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir, covering Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Kullu, Bilaspur down to Shimla and beyond including Garhwal and Kumaon in present Uttaranchal and touching the frontier of Kingdom of Nepal were grouped as composite Western Himalayas possessing several common social, cultural and historical linkages. Out of this vast tract of land our study is confined to a present state of India known as Himachal Pradesh. Two strategies are apparent which previously authors had adopted to high light the cultural canvas of their treatises and dissertations. The first group draws their contents from the published materials available in archives, documentation centres; and libraries prepared and composed by various writers, from time to time. It speaks high of reading habits of the scholars which is fast declining but their efforts and attempts hint heavily pertaining to their armchair-attitude. The second group derives requisite strength from the field studies, touring up and down in the dales and hills in the length and breadth of the area. Such narrations and descriptions are of superior nature, more informative and educative. While undertaking the preparation of this work, my endeavor was to make use of both parameters and dimensions Reading has been my pleasure since childhood and while dabbling in writing the touring took the contours of past time like activity.