Situated in North India Himachal Pradesh (Abode of Snow) is surrounded by Jammu & Kashmir on the north Punjab Haryana Uttar Pradesh to the south Uttaranchal to the south east and the Chinese territory of Tibet to the east. The state is mostly covered by the low Shivalik hill range towards the south and the dramatically high trans-Himalayan ranges as you go north. Thus you can proceed from hill-town Dharamsala in the south at 1700m to Lahaul-and-Spiti the northernmost district at 6500m. This geography and the resultant cool-to-snowy climate define Himachal's tourist attractions as well in fact tourism and apple-growing run the economy of the state. Sutlej Beas Ravi and Parbati are the main rivers.Given its mountainous nature Himachal can best be understood in terms of its valleys.In western Himachal lies Chamba Valley with Dalhousie a British-time hill station. Towards the east all the way to Tibet lies the Kinnaur region which was off limits for tourists till 1992 and contains villages and lifestyles that are still untouched by modernity.In the centre the Kullu valley is famous for its apples producing about 9000 truckloads of them every year. Here Manali town is a good base for adventure sports such as paragliding skiing river rafting and trekking. December-March are good months for winter sports or to see the snow. The northernmost Lahaul-Spiti district is isolated snow-bound terrain accessible only between July-October with some well-preserved 1000-year old Buddhist monasteries and culture.Popularly known as the Devbhumi'Land of the Gods'​ Himachal Pradesh is a beautiful India nestles in north-west region of western Himalayas. The state is landlocked with the Tibetan plateau to the east Jammu and Kashmir to the north and the Punjab to the west. However the state stands apart from its neighbours in terms of is sheer toppgraphic diversity and breathtaking pristine natural beauty.