Anticipating all-time high tourist rush in Manali during New Year celebrations, Kullu police have imposed many strict traffic rules in the district, especially on Manali-Atal tunnel highway as over 8,000 vehicles are expected to enter the tunnel. Record 5,450 vehicles had entered Atal tunnel from both ends on Sunday. Now police said number of vehicles entering the 9.02km long tunnel, which has become the major tourist spot of Himachal, can go beyond 8,000 in next few days. Police have made no-overtaking zones, tow-away zones and marked special parking places. A heavy fine is being slapped on traffic rule violators. Kullu superintendent of police Gaurav Singh said 130 cops have been deployed between Manali and Atal tunnel to check traffic and Covid-19 violations besides ensuring tourist safety. He said 40 such cops have been deployed in Manikaran and units having 15 cops each have been deployed at Tirthan, Jibhi and Jalori pass. “Manali is a small town with limited carrying capacity. We shall allow tourist vehicles as per available carrying capacity. The vehicles shall be staggered before reaching Manal and will be allowed in batches of 500 and 1,000. Tourists will observe slow-moving traffic during this time. Once the first batch reaches Palchan, Solang valley and beyond, another batch will be allowed. Road between Palchan to tunnel will be no overtaking zone. The vehicles will again be allowed batch-wise through the tunnel,” the SP said. He added that tourists generally stop anywhere after watching snow or scenic place but vehicles cannot be parked anywhere. “If there is space by roadside, vehicles can be parked. Otherwise, such vehicles will be towed. Once the vehicle leaves Solang for Atal tunnel, it cannot take u-turn from midway and vehicle needs to go till south portal of the tunnel. At portal of the tunnel, tourists
Anticipating all-time high tourist rush in Manali during New Year celebrations, Kullu police have imposed many strict traffic rules in the district, especially on Manali-Atal tunnel highway as over 8,000 vehicles are expected to enter the tunnel. Record 5,450 vehicles had entered Atal tunnel from both ends on Sunday. Now police said number of vehicles
Eight tourists from Delhi dancing inside Atal tunnel after stopping their car have been arrested by Kullu police on Thursday evening. Tourists have continued to flout traffic rules in the tunnel having strategic significance. The 9.02km long tunnel has become the main tourist attraction since its inauguration on October 3 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The tourist rush has increased ahead of Christmas and New Year. So has increased the number of miscreants. Kullu superintendent of police Gaurav Singh told the media, “Tourists have been booked under relevant sections of the law and have been arrested. The vehicle of the tourist that they had stopped in tunnel has also been impounded. Some other tourists, who were present on the spot after stopping their vehicles, are also being questioned. They will also face legal action.” While the vehicle was wearing a registration number from Delhi, names and addresses of the accused were not disclosed by the police as the matter was under investigation. Police said addresses and names are being verified. However, the SP said more tourists are likely to be arrested. Police were taking the matter seriously as it belonged to national security for the tunnel being a major link between Manali and Ladakh. Himachal government has imposed a strict ban on stopping vehicles and stepping out of the vehicles inside the tunnel for security reasons. Some tourists had reportedly created traffic chaos inside the tunnel on Thursday. They started dancing to the loud music. Many other tourists gathered there and some also joined them. The traffic inside the tunnel is being managed by Kullu police while traffic in its north portal is managed by Lahaul-Spiti police. Cops were collecting more evidence through videos made by local drivers and security cameras installed inside the tunnel. Similar incidents had come to
Eight tourists from Delhi dancing inside Atal tunnel after stopping their car have been arrested by Kullu police on Thursday evening. Tourists have continued to flout traffic rules in the tunnel having strategic significance. The 9.02km long tunnel has become the main tourist attraction since its inauguration on October 3 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Ice climbing is a new tourist-puller at Manali and Lahaul-Spiti in India's Himachal Pradesh state. The temperature dipping many notches below the freezing point is creating perfect conditions for ice climbing in the area where waterfalls and water streams are freezing completely. Gulaba and Marhi area of Manali and entire Lahaul-Spiti district has become winter destination for ice climbers -- both professionals and novice. The sub-zero temperature between December and mid-March is perfect for the adventure activity. Easy approach, trained guides and easy availability of all facilities have helped in popularising this activity in the Himalayas. Earlier Spiti and Manali were preferred destinations for ice climbing in winter seasons. As Atal tunnel has provided winter access to Lahaul valley for the first time this year (2020), Lahaul has emerged as the best destination for ice climbing. Over a hundred waterfalls and water streams have frozen in Lahaul-Spiti district alone. While there are small frozen falls for newbies, there are a few frozen falls for professional climbers that are as high as 250m. The temperature in Lahaul valley and upper Gulaba and Marhi areas of Manali falls as low as minus 15 to minus 20 degrees Celsius in winters while it plunges below minus 20 degrees Celsius in Spiti valley. Ice climbing aspirants head to Himachal to learn ice climbing techniques from the trained guides. Most guides are trained from Manali based Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS). Many professional climbers from India and abroad also visit Himachal to prove their mettle. Ice climbing can be practiced independently or as part of a mountaineering expedition. Glaciers and frozen waterfalls are by far the most popular ice climbing venues in Himachal. Many versatile ice climbers also practice mixed climbing– a variation of ice climbing that involves climbing on ice,
Ice climbing is a new tourist-puller at Manali and Lahaul-Spiti in India’s Himachal Pradesh state. The temperature dipping many notches below the freezing point is creating perfect conditions for ice climbing in the area where waterfalls and water streams are freezing completely. Gulaba and Marhi area of Manali and entire Lahaul-Spiti district has become winter
With hundreds of tourist vehicles parked everywhere on the road choking Atal tunnel – Keylong highway and the littering becoming serious issue, the growing tourist footfall in Lahaul valley has become a major headache for district administration. The problem expected to be increasing till New Year Eve, the Lahaul-Spiti administration has come up with a strict traffic plan for the valley, especially the tunnel area. Now parking along the highway will invite legal action. Tourists, after crossing the tunnel, will have to park their vehicles at Sissu helipad, 5km from the tunnel. The administration is also planning a permanent traffic plan for the entire valley keeping in view the expected rise in footfall. Tourists have made a beeline for Atal tunnel and Lahaul valley to see snow. Hundreds of tourists are reaching north portal of the tunnel. The area along the roadsides and close to Chandra river is covered with a thick blanket of snow. Tourists are leaving their vehicles parked on the highway and are going to enjoy the snow. This is resulting in serious traffic chaos. Lahaul-Spiti deputy commissioner Pankaj Rai has formed a committee to keep a check on tourism and cleanliness in the district. The SP, SDMs, BDO, CMO, divisional forest officer, executive engineers of PWD and Jal Shakti department and head of all departments have been made its members. DC and members of the committee on Wednesday visited the area between Sissu and the tunnel to check the situation. “Given the possibility of increase in tourist inflow during Christmas and New Year, the area from Atal tunnel to Sissu has been made a no parking zone starting from December 25. If tourists want to stop at any place between tunnel and Sissu, they will have to send their vehicle to Sissu helipad where we have
With hundreds of tourist vehicles parked everywhere on the road choking Atal tunnel – Keylong highway and the littering becoming serious issue, the growing tourist footfall in Lahaul valley has become a major headache for district administration. The problem expected to be increasing till New Year Eve, the Lahaul-Spiti administration has come up with a
Booking an igloo for overnight stay is a new tourism concept in Manali which has gained so much popularity in a short time period. Tourists from across the India visit Manali in winter season to have their unique experience with igloo in Manali. Staying in an igloo, domestically or commercially, was possible only in the countries like Switzerland, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Canada. With successful four seasons since 2016, and the fifth season already started in Manali, now India is alsoin the list of countries providing igloo stay to the tourists. Tourists want to experience an Eskimo life by staying in the igloo for one night. The Manali Igloo Stay is providing tourists with warm clothing, warm bedding, tasty cuisines and many snow activities near Sethan village in Hamta, Manali. Vikas and Tashi, who first introduced igloo to the country in 2016, believe that things and innovative ideas like igloo should be developed to promote winter tourism in Himachal. How to reach Manali igloo stay site Manali Igloo Stay is available near Sethan village on Manali-Hamta road, about 16km from Manali. Best time to visit Manali Igloo Stay Igloos can be built in winter season only when there is availability of snow and temperature is too low. Mid-December to mid-March is the best time for your first igloo stay. How are the igloos made in Manali There are different techniques used to make an igloo. In Manali, Vikas and Tashi used technique of building blocks of snow and then joining them together to give shape to igloo. They learned it from youtube videos. They used snow blocks to build the structure similar to brick. How stable and durable are igloos If built using good technique, the structure is very hard, stable and durable. Vikas, Tashi and there friends occasionally
Booking an igloo for overnight stay is a new tourism concept in Manali which has gained so much popularity in a short time period. Tourists from across the India visit Manali in winter season to have their unique experience with igloo in Manali. Staying in an igloo, domestically or commercially, was possible only in the
As the world is observing International Mountain Day 2020 on Friday with the theme Mountain Biodiversity, the Himalayan mountains in Himachal are breathing freely, at least this year, due to Coviv-19 pandemic. According to the UN, environmental changes have posed great challenges to the mountain people around the world who are dependent on the mountains for livelihood. While precious flora and fauna in the mountains witnessed least human disturbance this year, scientists claimed that Covid-19 imposed lockdown helped unprecedented growth of the flora at many Himalayan regions.Meanwhile, with almost no commercial mountaineering activities this year, the livelihood of thousands of people is at stake. Meanwhile, with almost no commercial mountaineering activities this year, the livelihood of thousands of people is at stake. The mountaineering industry of Himachal, which includes climbing expeditions to peaks, long and short treks, rock climbing and day hiking, is paused since March when nationwide lockdown was imposed. The peak mountaineering activities begin in May and last till November.A large number of foreigners also visit the state for these eco-friendly activities. This year mountains had a pin-drop silence. There was no one to climb the peaks, no new attempts were made to climb virgin peaks, and there were no trekking or rock climbing activities. A large number of foreigners also visit the state for these eco-friendly activities. This year mountains had a pin-drop silence. There was no one to climb the peaks, no new attempts were made to climb virgin peaks, and there were no trekking or rock climbing activities. According to Adventure Tour Operators Association president Roshan Thakur, thousands of people including operators, guides, porters, cooks and helpers are associated with this industry only from Himachal.“Most of them could not earn a single rupee this year. Some of us restarted work in October but it was
As the world is observing International Mountain Day 2020 on Friday with the theme Mountain Biodiversity, the Himalayan mountains in Himachal are breathing freely, at least this year, due to Coviv-19 pandemic. According to the UN, environmental changes have posed great challenges to the mountain people around the world who are dependent on the mountains
If you are looking for a mobile shop in Manali town to buy a new mobile, used mobile, earphones, speakers, phone screen guard, phone cover, power bank, memory card, pen drive or new mobile connection or any kind of mobile accessory, M Store is a one-stop solution to all your needs. Lakhs of tourists visit Manali every year. Phone theft, missing, mishandling, or requirement of a new mobile connection (SIM) are the common problems of a large number of tourists who look for a reliable mobile shop in Manali town of Himachal Pradesh. Tourists, who are unfamiliar with the Manali town, either comb the market or generally search online for a good mobile shop in Manali. We always recommend visiting The M-Store, owned by a local person, where you will get all mobile accessories and related electronics gadgets for a reasonable price. The shop also deals in repairing mobile phones. Although we recommend getting your mobile phone fixed from the authorized dealer (Samsung, Mi, Nokia, Apple, Oppo etc), M-Store can also help you get in touch with the authorised dealer so that your warranty is not voided, or the shop will send it to the authorised dealer on your behalf, or if nothing works for you or you are ok with repairing your phone anywhere else, they will fix it themselves. Mobile Shop in Manali to buy new mobile phone If you want to buy a new mobile phone from a mobile shop in Manali, M-Store deals in many brands including Samsung, Mi, Oppo, etc. The phones are available at a reasonable price along with the original bill to ensure its warrantee. Online mobile phone delivery service in Manali The M Store shop also delivers new phones to hotels around the town area (T&C). For more details, contact the shop
If you are looking for a mobile shop in Manali town to buy a new mobile, used mobile, earphones, speakers, phone screen guard, phone cover, power bank, memory card, pen drive or new mobile connection or any kind of mobile accessory, M Store is a one-stop solution to all your needs. Lakhs of tourists visit
Now prior permission has been made mandatory for everyone -- both tourists and local residents -- to drive through the Atal tunnel at night time when driving conditions are very dangerous. And tourists need to leave Lahaul valley for Manali before 5pm. Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has opened Atal tunnel for night travel as well. But owing to slippery road conditions due to the deposit of layer of ice on the road surface under extreme cold conditions, the driving has become very risky after 5 pm. Given the safety of the travellers, Lahaul-Spiti administration and police have issued some guidelines to the visitors. According to district police, no vehicle will be allowed until it obtains permission in an emergency situation to drive in night time. Secondly, the administration on Monday issued clear direction that all vehicles need to leave Sissu (a Lahaul village close to the tunnel) before 5 pm. Otherwise, vehicles will need to take permission from the administration or district disaster management authority. As work of laying of the power transmission cables from Manali to Lahaul has completed, the 9.02km-long Atal tunnel has opened for vehicular movement in the night time also. A BRO spokesperson said BRO completed the task of laying of 33KVA electricity cable free of cost after demand from Himachal government and people of Lahaul valley. “We did this work in night time from 9 pm to 6 am so that traffic movement is not hampered in the day time. Now that work is complete, the tunnel is open for traffic day and night, except 2 pm to 3 pm daily when traffic will be stopped for maintenance works,” he said. Before this, electricity cables to Lahaul valley were laid across Rohtang pass. The cables used to snap after a heavy snowfall, leaving the valley
Now prior permission has been made mandatory for everyone — both tourists and local residents — to drive through the Atal tunnel at night time when driving conditions are very dangerous. And tourists need to leave Lahaul valley for Manali before 5pm. Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has opened Atal tunnel for night travel as well.
Jain food is considered the purest form of vegetarianism which is practiced by the followers of the Jain religion. Although Jain food is easily available almost everywhere in the country, but sometimes it becomes a tedious task if you visit a hill station. Fortunately, Manali has some hotels and restaurants that cook pure Jain food. Jain food hotel means a hotel where you stay and also get Jain cuisines without the need to search it anywhere else. While some hotels cook only Jain food, some cook veg food and have the option to cook pure Jain food. There are some hotels which cook both non-veg and Jain meal but we shall not discuss here them. A pure Jain food is a vegetarian food which excludes underground vegetables like potato, onion, garlic, ginger etc. Here is a list of Jain food hotels in Manali: Hotel Thomas Villa, Manali Hotel Thomas Villa is a pure Jain Food hotel that has a restaurant that cooks Jain food for its customers. The hotel is being run by a follower of Jainism. So, the guests at the hotel can trust its meal as well. The boutique hotel has a small restaurant where you can enjoy your meal or you can take advantage of the room service and can have your meal in your room. However, in peak season, when hotel is fully occupied, the hotel management can request you to have your meal at the restaurant only. The hotel has a small but beautiful garden area offering a view of the mountain range. You can have your breakfast in the garden area while enjoying the sun and snow. Why book Hotel Thomas Villa: Thomas Villa is a deluxe hotel with neat, clean and well-maintained rooms. Hotel has a restaurant, lobby and cottage section with drawing-room.
Jain food is considered the purest form of vegetarianism which is practiced by the followers of the Jain religion. Although Jain food is easily available almost everywhere in the country, but sometimes it becomes a tedious task if you visit a hill station. Fortunately, Manali has some hotels and restaurants that cook pure Jain food.
The farmers’ protests at Delhi borders have now started badly impacting the tourism in Himachal Pradesh where hotel booking cancellations have continued and tourists are clueless about whether they should plan their holiday trip or they should wait for few more days. Tourism in Himachal is already struggling to come back on track. According to hoteliers, the recent order of imposing night curfew in Shimla, Kangra, Mandi and Kullu-Manali has played spoilsport for the industry. Now tourists have started to cancel their bookings following farmers’ protests that are leading to blockade of major roads from Delhi. “Nothing is good with tourism in Himachal. After Covid-19, imposing ban on plying of AC tourist buses and imposing night curfew, the protests by farmers is all set to destroy the tourism,” Himachal Travel Agents Association president Budhi Parkash said. “Neither we oppose nor do we support these protests but we are worried for our business which is worse impacted since March this year. Tourists look for a pleasant and worry-free environment to enjoy their holiday trip. Most tourists are not able to decide if they should plan their trip or not,” he added. The average hotel occupancy in Manali, Shimla, Dalhousie and Dharamshala is 15 to 20 per cent. The hotels have reported a large number of cancellations due to night curfew and farmers’ protests. The festive season, which used to attract thousands of tourists to Himachal in October and November, has been worst in terms of business. Hoteliers are now hoping for good business in Christmas and New Year Eve. However, many hoteliers and tour planners have left expecting anymore from this pandemic year. Hotelier Ritesh Sood said the word “night curfew” has spread panic among tourists who think this is not the right time to visit Himachal. “Nobody in Himachal remains outside
The farmers’ protests at Delhi borders have now started badly impacting the tourism in Himachal Pradesh where hotel booking cancellations have continued and tourists are clueless about whether they should plan their holiday trip or they should wait for few more days. Tourism in Himachal is already struggling to come back on track. According to
