Fortunately in Kullu, I got the opportunity to live with Jung Bahadur, a Himachal citizen, he is the guy who exports Himachal apples to me. The culture of Himachal was quite different from what I have in US. Mr Bahadur's wife, Leela, told me that the people of Himachal is segregated into caste system. There are Rajputs, Lahaulis, Mahajan and Soods.

The people of Himachal had special problem in conversation. They mostly spoke Pahari language like Mandali, Kulavi, Sirmauri. Another significant fact that I noticed was that people in Himachal Pradesh mostly practised agriculture.

As I visited Himachal Pradesh in the month of October, I participated in the famous Dusshera festival. The Dhalpur Maidan of Kullu was decorated with flowers and colorful bands . “Hey! What's that?” I asked Leela, who escorted me in the festival. “Oh! that is rathyatra, the chief deity, Raghunathji is carried on the wooden chariot” answered Leela. She also told me that this festival signifies the march of Rama, Indian god to conquer Ravana.

While Leela and I, conversated many other facts came out. She told me about all the festivals in Himachal Pradesh like the famous Minjar, a seasonal fair of Chamba, In this festival the people celebrate the rains and flowering of the maize during the month of August. Another festival that Leela told me was the Vrajeswari fair, a religious fair of Kangra, twice a year during Navratri.

Since my trip extended till November, I also participated in Ravi, the oldest trade fair at Rampur. Unbelievably! the raw wool, woolen garments, patties, pattus, namdas, pashminas, chilgozas (nuts), colts, horses, mule and yaks etc were available at competitive price. Here I spent most of my money shopping one thing or the other.Continuing from the past over 200 and odd years, people had retained the tradition of bonfires at night as a symbol of arrival of shepherds and graziers from the high pasture.

Incidentally, Jung Bahadur celebrated her daughter's birthday. As I was in their house, it enabled me to know more about Himachal people. In the evening, the birthday was rejoiced with song and dance. Since himachali people are quite fond of music, the men and women danced in groups. Mr Bahadur told me this one way they express their happiness.

As the day passed by, I explored some of the near by villages. As I crossed many houses I found that these people in the villages were quite good at handicraft. They were involved in making of shawls, carpets, leather craft and paintings.