The Bijli Mahadev Ropeway in Kullu is facing heavy opposition from residents of Kharal and Kashawari valleys. They demanded that the project should be shunned altogether. Villagers said that the deity Bijli Mahadev had orated through his oracle that any tampering with the barren mountain in the territory, from where the ropeway is proposed, will not be tolerated. A 7-km-long ropeway at a cost of Rs 240 crore is proposed from Pirdi near Kullu to Bijli Mahadev on top of the Kharal hill opposite Kulluk town. Eight companies participated in the tenders invited by the National Highways Logistics Management Limited....Read More

The Chanshal Pass, or Chanshal Valley links Dodra Kwar and Rohru in the Shimla district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The pass sits atop Chanshal Peak, which at 4,520 metres (14,830 ft) is the highest peak in the Shimla district. The pass remains open from May to november and is covered with snow for the rest of the year. Chanshal is a mountain range that cuts the Dodra Kawar Valley from the Rohru area. Its peaks reach 17,000 feet (5,200 m) and can be accessed from Chanshal Pass.Read More

With the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) simplifying the process for grant of heliport licence, the Himachal Pradesh Government is planning to set up one in Chandigarh connecting all heliports in the hill state. The Chandigarh heliport, said sources, would serve as a base for all heliports in Himachal. The move is expected to boost tourism, the mainstay of the state’s economy. The government would also set up heliports in all 12 districts and upgrade facilities in the districts that already had one, said an official. Currently the state has only three airports at Bhuntar (Kullu), Gaggal (Kangra) and....Read More

The three-day district-level Piplu fair in Kutlehar Assembly of Una was inaugurated. The fair is organised on the occasion of Nirjala Ekadashi. Devotees from Una, Hamirpur, Kangra and Bilaspur district pay reverence to Nar Singh deity at the temple located in Piplu village. They also offer a part of their agriculture produce to the deity, seeking blessings for good health and prosperity.Read More

Justice Mamidanna Satya Ratna Sri Ramachandra Rao was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla administered him the oath of office at the Raj Bhawan here in the presence of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. The Chief Secretary conducted the proceedings of the oath-taking ceremony and read out the Warrant of Appointment issued by the President of India.Read More

An Interpretation Centre has been developed in the Sainj valley of the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) at Sainj Ropa. It gives information about the flora and fauna found in the GHNP. It will focus on orchids and medicinal plants, along with birds and beautiful locations. All four state symbols — the state bird, Western tragopan; state animal, snow leopard; state flower, pink rhododendron; and state tree, deodar — have been showcased with their descriptions. All four state symbols are found in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.Read More

The empowered committee of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest has cleared the transfer of 57.10 hectares of forestland in Jadrangal area of the Dharamsala Assembly constituency for the construction of the north campus of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP).Read More

An inter-state dispute is imminent between HP and Punjab Government regarding Punjab Government’s Shanan project in Mandi. HP govt. says that the 99-year-old lease of the project and its assets given to Punjab by the then ruler of Mandi, Raja Joginder Singh Bahadur, was to come to an end on March 2, 2024. Punjab government on the other hand says that hydro project was given to Punjab as per Section 48, sub-clause 1 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act. The ending of 99-year-old lease that HP Government is referring to, becomes null and void after Independence. The lease was made in....Read More

Mountaineers of the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) in Dirang in Arunachal Pradesh are on a unique expedition named Har Shikhar Tiranga. The mission is to hoist the national flag on the highest point of every state of India for the first time. It is a campaign under the aegis of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to take the tricolour to all the states of the country and hoist it on the summits to mark the 75th year of independence and to commemorate India's G20 presidentship. The team summited Mt Purgyal or Reo Purgyal (6,816 m) in....Read More

The heritage structure of Bantony Castle is all set to become a major tourist attraction as the Department of Language, Art and Culture today started a light-and-sound show, detailing the historical importance of the state capital, Shimla. The 125-year-old Bantony Castle complex, located on the road connecting The Mall to the Kalibari temple, was the summer palace of the erstwhile Maharaja of Sirmaur.Read More