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Art and culture
| India is a land built on the
foundations of diversity and Himachal Pradesh is no exception. Most of the
people in Himachal depend on agriculture for livelihood. Many people
derive their income from sheep, goats, and other cattle. Ninety percent of
the people live in villages and small towns. The dancing is usually
spontaneous during a village fair and is symbolic of the peace and joy of
the people. In general people of Himachal Pradesh are honest, truthful,
gentle, and good humored. |
| 1 km past the castle is the Roerich Gallery, a fine old house displaying
the artwork of both the eccentric professor Nicholas Roerich, who died in
Naggar in 1947, and his son, Svetostav Roerich, who died in Bangalore in
1993. Its location is delightful and the views over the valley are great. |
Tibetan Monastry (Manali)
The colourful pleasant Tibetian Monastry has a carpet making operation.
One can buy carpets and other Tibetian handicrafts.
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Himachal State Museum (Shimla)
A rich display of the states cultural, artistic and archeological
heritage. This is a pleasant little museum that has precious little to
show in the real sense, but whatever little there is, is rather nice to
spend a chilly afternoon ducking the cold outside.
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Bhuri Singh Museum (Chamba)
Named after Raja Bhuri Singh of Chamba, this is a treasure house of
Chamba's ruling family . Much of the original craftsmanship can still be
seen. |
Shimla State Museum (Shimla)
The Museum was opened in 1974. Preserved and displayed here are over 2000
art objects, a rich collection of Pahari paintings, antiques borrowed from
the museums in Delhi and other parts of the country, besides bronzes,
woodcraft, sculpture, etc. |
Kangra Art Museum (Dharamsala)
A gallery of miniature paintings from Kangra, a representative collection
of sculptures, pottery and anthropological items and many more such things
are there in the Kangra Art museum. |
Sujanpur Tira (Dharamsala)
This place is famous for the wall paintings and the temples. |
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Art and Crafts
Indian art and crafts are truly fascinating; it is incredible how
ancient practices and traditions have continued since time immemorial. The
history of India is a story of unbroken traditions that have continued for
over 5000 years. For centuries, Indian handicrafts have been distinguished
for their aesthetic and functional value. Indian art has been influenced
by many factors, mainly religious, political and social. India is a land
of immense diversity. Various traditions, rituals, geographic and climatic
conditions, lifestyles and cultures have given birth to numerous styles
and designs. It has gradually evolved with the evolution of the
civilization.
India is a land abundant in raw materials that have lent themselves to
the creative hands of the Indian craftsmen. From expensive materials like
ivory, gems and marble; to cheaper ones like clay, cane and bamboo and
wood, Indian handicrafts have an amazingly captivating beauty. Another
thrilling factor is the numerous processes that these materials go through
before they take final shape. Processes like the 'chikan' work and 'phulkari
and bagh' work on cloth; certain types of polishing and metal casting or
even the filigree work on metals is unique to Indian art. |
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