Lahaul- A Tribal Habitat In Himachal Pradesh

Lahaul, the fertile and richer part of the Lahul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh lies ensconced in the folds of Greater and Mid-Himalayas. The enchanting land is home to Bhot, Lahaula and Swangla tribes interspersed with negligible sprinkling of Khampas, Jad and Lamba, yet another scheduled tribe. Its population presents a pleasing blend of autochthonous people and immigrants from different regions and climes. Various cultural streams which poured into the region from different directions have created a delightful whirlpool of social life. Fortunately, the region was only partially Sanskritised with the likeable result that till date the folk culture remains its dominant theme. The physical settings have also played a significant role in the moulding of its composite cultural mosaic.

V. Verma born (31" Jan., 1928) at Behrampur, a small town in the district of Gurdaspur of the British Indian province of Punjab, received his school education at Sundernagar, the principal town of the erstwhile princely state of Suket, presently one of the sub-divisions of Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh. Graduation he cleared from the Panjab University, then at Solan (Simla Hills), and LLB from the Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla.

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