Himachal became India's 18th state on this day
Himachal Pradesh was established as the 18th state of India on January 25, 1971. Himachal, a part of Punjab province during British rule, was declared a Union Territory in 1950. Sanskrit scholar Acharya Diwakar Datt Sharma named the place Himachal which means 'in the lap of Himalayas'. Its capital, Shimla, was earlier British India's summer capital.