Our Story

Coming Together For What We Believe In.

The idea of the "Friends Of Himachal" originated when a few friends of Himachal started a social WhatsApp group in 2017 to exchange information related to Himachali Culture. 

The group became purposeful when a few folk singers from Rajasthan requested Dr. Arun Bhardwaj to help them during COVID-19 as they were not getting any help and their livelihood depended on performances.  We organized the very first Virtual Folk Concert on May 2, 2020 (Watch Here) to raise funds for the Magniyar Community of Rajasthan. Understanding their plight, we also realized that Himachali Folk Singers must be going through the same struggle.

The friends of Himachal once again came together and on June 9, 2020 "Friends of Himachal" WhatsApp Community was formally launched with the intent of conducting a Virtual Himachali Folk Concert to raise funds for a family of Folk Singers from Bharmour - Chamba (June 14, 2020 Virtual Himachali Folk Concert - On top of a hill and Chamba in the background). We then conducted another Virtual Himachali Folk Concert to support Folk Artiest of Chaupal (Shimla Distt.) and raised funds for them on Oct 30, 2020 (Watch Here From The Meadows of Chaupal).  We soon became recognized as an empowered collection of community leaders—engaging with more and more people, adding more and more supporters, and amplifying more and more voices. 

We now have Friends of Himachal communities in Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Chandigarh, and Hyderabad; in addition to the Global Chapter.  

Friends Of Himachal intends to lead campaigns that will promote real solutions to some of the biggest challenges faced by Himachal society. We challenge the notion that the way things are is the way things should always be, and are proud to be a force for positive transformation.