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For
thousands of years Indians, especially the Hindus, have looked upon the
mighty Himalayas with awe and reverence. For them it is the abode of the
gods. There Shiva, the great god of destruction, sat in deep meditation
until 'Parvati', "the Himalaya-Putri" or daughter of the
mountains, succeeded in winning his love. Temples of Shiva and Parvati
abound in these mountains and thousands of pilgrims from the plains make
their arduous climb to them each year. Himachal is
dotted with quaint Pagoda-like or shikhara styled temples. Most of these
have fascinating legends attached to them. While festivals are special
occasions for celebration, worship is a part of daily life. Hinduism was
brought to these hills by the immigrant Rajput tribes of the 5th to the
15th century. But the Hinduism practiced here is in its more lenient form
- the caste system is less rigid than elsewhere in India. The people have
their own distinct flavour of the Hindu religion, especially in the upper
hills.
People have combined local legends and popular beliefs with the beliefs
of Hinduism. The "Gram Devta" or the village god cult is a case
in example. It is a curious mix of animism, demonism and Hinduism. The
rugged landscape seems to have inspired such awe in the 'paharis' that
they have deified the diverse manifestations of nature.
More than 95% of the population of Himachal is Hindu but Buddhism has
also made inroads in to the state thanks to the nearness to Tibet and
presence of the Dalai Lama at Dharamsala. The ashen valleys of
Lahaul,
Spiti and Kinnaur
are made brilliant by the Buddhist way of life. At times the demarcation
between Hinduism and Buddhism is very faint in these hill regions such as,
the rituals of the Kinnauris are a mix Buddhist and Hindu practices. The
hundreds of gompas and monasteries here serve as a veritable library for
the student of Buddhism. No wonder Himachal Pradesh is
said to be God's Own Country.
There are also several notable churches and Sikh gurudwaras in the state.
Christianity came in with the British, of course, who dashed to these
mountains whenever the heat of the plains got to them. Shimla, Kasauli and
Dalhousie served as the most important British retreats, and so have the
most well known churches of the state. St-John-in-the-Wilderness in
Dharamsala is also quite an attraction.
Sikhism, too, is practiced in a few places in Himachal.
Paonta Sahib in
Sirmaur district is a major pilgrimage for
Sikhs, and so is beautiful Manikaran
in the Kullu Valley
. The Sikhs played an important role in the history of Himachal and Guru
Govind Singh, one of the ten founders of the religion, began his career on
this very land.