Most of the people in Himachal depend on agriculture for livelihood. Many people derive their income from sheep, goats, and other cattle. Ninety percent of the people live in villages and small towns. Villages usually have terraced fileds and small two storey houses with sloping roof. The villages are mostly self-contained with a few shops to take care of basic necessities of life.

In many parts of the Himachal the village Gods are carried on palanquins to village fairs. On Dussehra the largest congregation of village Gods takes place at Kullu. The folk songs of Himachal Pradesh are full of charm. They are usually based on a religious or a romantic theme. People gather in a circle in village fairs and dance to the tune of these songs. The dancing is usually spontaneous during a village fair and is symbolic of the peace and joy of the people. In general people of Himachal Pradesh are honest, truthful, gentle, and good humored.

Most of the people in Himachal are Hindus. There is a sizable number of Buddhists who live in Himachal. Hinduism practiced in the areas of Himachal that are closer to the northern plains is very similar to the Hinduism practiced in the plains. Upper hill areas have their own distinct flavor of Hinduism. Their practice of religion combines the local legends and beliefs with the larger Hindu beliefs. The temple architecture has also been influenced by local constraints such as availability or lack of availability of certain construction materials. Most of the upper hill temples are made of wood and more similar to Pagodas in design.

Roerich Gallery (Kullu):

One km past the castle is the Roerich Gallery, a fine old house displaying the artwork of both the eccentric Professor Nicholas Roerich, who died in Naggar in 1947, and his son, Svetostav Roerich, who died in Bangalore in 1993. Its location is delightful and the views over the valley are great. It's open daily from 9am to 1pm, and from 2 to 5pm.

Tibetan Monastry (Manali):

The colourful pleasant Tibetian Monastry has a carpet making operation. One can buy carpets and other Tibetian handicrafts.

Himachal State Museum (Shimla):

A rich display of the states cultural, artistic and archeological heritage.This is a pleasant little museum that has precious little to show in the real sense, but whatever little there is, is rather nice to spend a chilly afternoon ducking the cold outside.Visiting hours: 1000 Hrs. to 1700 Hrs. (Monday Closed).

Bhuri Singh Museum (Chamba):

Named after Raja Bhuri Singh of Chamba, this is a treasure house of Chamba's ruling family . Much of the original craftsmanship can still be seen .

Shimla State Museum (Shimla):

The Museum was opened in 1974. Preserved and displayed here are over 2000 art objects, a rich collection of Pahari paintings, antiques borrowed from the museums in Delhi and other parts of the country, besides bronzes, woodcraft, sculpture, etc.

Kangra Art Museum (Dharamsala):

A gallery of miniature paintings from Kangra, a representative collection of sculptures, pottery and anthropological items and many more such things are there in the Kangra Art museum.

Sujanpur Tira (Dharamsala):

This place is famous for the wall paintings and the temples.