Monuments of Himachal Pradesh represent the glorious period of the Maharajahs and the colonial British rule to the beautiful province. The monuments include several forts and palaces of their previous rulers, colonial buildings of British Raj and lots of Buddhist monasteries. One of the major monuments of Himachal Pradesh is the Viceroy Lodge or the Rashtrapati Niwas in Shimla, constructed in a wonderful European architectural style. Apart from these the other popular monuments of Himachal Pradesh are Gurkha forts, Lord Elgin's Memorial, Rang Mahal of Chamba, Maharaja Palace of Chail, Dhankar monastery, Guru Ghantal monastery and many others.
Himachal Pradesh is popularly known as the land of Gods and famous for its heritage monumental tours. Millions of tourist from all over the world visit here for its natural beauty and for the famous monumental attractions that dots the wonderful landscape. Each and every corner of the state reflects the rich heritage diversity of the monuments ranges from historical, sacred monasteries, religious, and colonial period.
The architectural styles of the monuments of Himachal Pradesh vary from region to region. The religious monuments in the state symbolize the presence of different cultures through its variety of architecture and art which can be identified as Pent roof, Pagoda style, Tower style, Pyramidal style, Nagara style, Gomphas and Flat roofed temples. The Pent roofs of the religious monuments are the square or rectangular wood and stone temples. These are the most ancient forms of monuments found all over the hills of Himachal Pradesh. The Nagara style monuments are the Indo-Aryan temples, influenced from the Chinese or Tibetan architectural style. Similarly the Flat roofed, Tower style, Goompha style all vary from each other and represent a typical style of architectural development.
The colonial style of monuments of Himachal Pradesh represents the European architectural style developed during the British Raj. During the colonial rule, Himachal Pradesh was a favorite destination among the Britishers. They constructed several bungalows, cottages, castles, mansions, administrative buildings with the magnificent interior with priceless artifacts. These wooden architectures were designed beautifully with Belgian chandeliers, brass beds, and tiled fireplaces. Sometimes they used Burma teak for paneling the interior. These amazing colonial monuments add a major tourist attraction to the nature lovers.
The Buddhist monuments of Himachal Pradesh represent a significant role by the people of all religion. These sacred monasteries preserve the ancient rich cultural heritage of Buddhist religion of this state. Their architecture, design and heritage have gained fame on national and international level and attract millions of tourists.
