Alpine skier Aanchal Thakur has bagged second medal for India in international skiing event held at European country Montenegro on Thursday. She is the only winter sports athlete from India to have achieved this feat. Aanchal, who is struggling to qualify for Winter Olympics 2022, had two races on Thursday at Kolasin ski resorts during International Ski Federation (FIS) Alpine Ski Jamaican Championship. She bagged bronze medal in the first race in women alpine skiing category. She told over a phone call that she was expecting even better performance in the second race. The medal ceremony will be held in the late evening (Montenegro time). Aanchal Thakur will compete in four more races at Kolasin, Montenegro, from December 27 to 30. The young athlete is hoping for gold or silver in the remaining races. “The season started very late for me and my brother Himanshu this year due to many reasons. We could not participate in some of the FIS events to earn the required FIS points to qualify for the Olympics. Earlier we trained in Austria and then in Sweden. From Sweden, we headed to Montenegro for this event. My first race today was satisfactory and I could finish at third place. I’ve a few more races in my hand. Now I’m eying gold or silver,” Aanchal said. Arif Khan, who has already qualified for Olympics, is also participating in the competitions. Since only one male and one female from each country were allowed to participate in the event, Aanchal’s brother Himanshu could not compete in the official races. Aanchal’s father Roshan Thakur said Aanchal has made him and entire nation feel proud. “She is performing well despite limited resources and weak winter sports infrastructure in the country. The season for both Aanchal and Himanshu started very late this
Alpine skier Aanchal Thakur has bagged second medal for India in international skiing event held at European country Montenegro on Thursday. She is the only winter sports athlete from India to have achieved this feat. Aanchal, who is struggling to qualify for Winter Olympics 2022, had two races on Thursday at Kolasin ski resorts during
After Shimla, Manali, Kasauli and Solan, Kullu will have its own mall road in a few months as nearly one-kilometer stretch of the city will be developed as a happening area to chill out for locals and to attract tourists. Like most of the towns and cities of Himachal, Kullu is becoming congested with growing population. The old markets are already crowded with no space for people to sit or stand. The moving traffic makes it difficult for people to enjoy the shopping. Also, the increasing tourist movement in the city requires authorities to develop new attractions for them. Sources said officials are mulling to develop a mall road in the city on the lines of Manali. The highway between Dhalpur chowk and college chowk has been identified for the purpose under Amrut scheme. Sources said officials are mulling to develop a mall road in the city on the lines of Manali. The highway between Dhalpur chowk and college chowk has been identified for the purpose under Amrut scheme. The administration, with help of Kullu municipal council (MC), PWD and other departments will beautify the identified area which shall be made no traffic zone so that people could enjoy strolling around the road freely. The area will have proper flooring, illumination, LCDs, CCTV cameras and much more. Sources said the officials may think about developing makeshift shopping malls in the future. They had to cut nearly ten large trees – both dry and green for the ongoing development works. The MC members say cutting these huge trees was mandatory for safety reasons as their branches fall on the highway so often after rain and high-speed winds. “We shall beautify the area after growing new saplings here. Many trees had dried up. Frequent collapsing of the branches was posing threat to
After Shimla, Manali, Kasauli and Solan, Kullu will have its own mall road in a few months as nearly one-kilometer stretch of the city will be developed as a happening area to chill out for locals and to attract tourists. Like most of the towns and cities of Himachal, Kullu is becoming congested with growing
As many as 100 top rallyists from across the country will throng Himachal to participate in the first-ever “Rally of Himalayas”, one of the most challenging motorsports events of the world in dangerous terrains of the state from October 7 to 10. Being organised by Himalayan X-Treme Motorsports club, the rally will be flagged off by chief minister Jai Ram Thakur from Kullu on October 7 and the prize distribution ceremony will be held at Solang in presence of union minister of youth affairs and sports Anurag Singh Thakur on October 10. The thrilling motorsport event will cover the challenging terrains of Hamta and Spiti which will test the stamina and skills of the rallyists. Ten-time Raid de Himalaya rally and many other extreme rally winner Suresh Rana, who is president of the Himalayan X-Treme Motorsports club, said, “Record 70 bikers are participating in this rally. This is the record as such a high number of participants has never been recorded before. Besides this, 30 cars including 4X4 vehicles will be vying for the title. We are putting our everything to make this rally successful and popular worldwide.” A group of rallyists and motorsports enthusiasts are the members of the organising club backed by the government. As the rally will cover major portions of Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti districts, the administration from both the districts is also helping in successful conduct of the rally. The general traffic movement will be stopped at many stretches to ensure public safety. The health department will station ambulances at regular stretches. Air Himalayas, Himachal based helicopter service, is also partnering with the rally and will station its helicopter to help air evacuation in case of a medical emergency. “The extreme motorsports lovers were disappointed as no rally event was being organised for a long time.
As many as 100 top rallyists from across the country will throng Himachal to participate in the first-ever “Rally of Himalayas”, one of the most challenging motorsports events of the world in dangerous terrains of the state from October 7 to 10. Being organised by Himalayan X-Treme Motorsports club, the rally will be flagged off
Now e-permit must to visit Spiti’s Chandertal lake Updated on June 21, 2021 People who wish to visit Chandertal lake and nearby areas of Spiti valley of Himachal, which have no mobile network and are prone to natural disasters, will have to apply for e-permit online from next few days. The e-permit, named e-Aagman, will help Lahaul-Spiti district administration in keeping a track of visitors for their safety and will help administration in controlling the number of people visiting this eco-sensitive area according to its carrying capacity. This region is notorious for dangerous roads, landslides, floods and sudden snowfall which leaves tourists stranded. This being a mobile shadow area, tourists sometimes face problems after accidents or other problems as they fail to contact for help. You can apply for Chandratal Lake Permit here: http://www.eaagman.hp.gov.in/ Lahaul-Spiti deputy commissioner Pankaj Rai said, “The vehicles will have to be registered online to get e-permit to be able to use Koksar-Kaza road and to visit Chandertal lake. This arrangement is to ensure safety of the visitors and to keep track of them. We shall allow tourists to Chandertal only according to its carrying capacity. Those without e-permit will not be allowed. Camping at the lake area will not be allowed.” Visitors will have to provide their personal details, vehicle number, travel date, source and destination by filling the form at www.eaagman.hp.gov.in. Chandertal, which is also a wildlife sanctuary and home to many glaciers, is a popular tourist destination. Presently Chandertal is closed for tourists as all wildlife sanctuaries were closed for tourists since April 30 due to possibility of spread of the Covid-19 from humans to animals. The lake is expected to open soon. Lahaul-Spiti administration was considering implementing the e-permit system in the entire district to avoid overcrowding of tourists. Police will check the
Now e-permit must to visit Spiti’s Chandertal lake Updated on June 21, 2021 People who wish to visit Chandertal lake and nearby areas of Spiti valley of Himachal, which have no mobile network and are prone to natural disasters, will have to apply for e-permit online from next few days. The e-permit, named e-Aagman, will
Himachal will have the world’s highest cricket stadium at altitude of 10,000ft above sea level at Sissu in Himachal’s Lahaul valley as formalities regarding land transfer and other paper works are in the final stage. Unlike other cricket grounds, this stadium next to Atal tunnel will be built after raising funds from local tribals. Initially, the ground will have a capacity to accommodate 10 thousand spectators. Location and design of the stadium have been finalised. The Lahaul Spiti Cricket Association (LSCA) is pushing hard to turn the dream into reality since 2013. The 38 bigha land has been demarcated by forest and revenue departments and the file will now be sent for FCA clearance. LSCA president Surender Thakur said association is waiting for letter of intent from the government to proceed with the further formalities. “After the nod from government, forest department will forward the file for FCA clearance and the construction work will begin immediately after clearance. Local administration, panchayat and all the residents of the district are looking forward to host the cricket match at world’s highest stadium,” he said. Thakur added that a few days back a delegation from LSCA including him, general secretary Tenzin Karpa, joint secretary Sanjay Yarpa, members Ashok Bata and Virender Thakur met with cabinet minister Ram Lal Markanda who himself wants to be involved in the project. “Minister said he is doing his level best for early completion of the stadium. All of us are waiting for formalities of FCA.” At present Chail cricket ground is highest in the world at 8,000ft. This ground in Chail in Shimla district was established by Patiala’s Maharaja Bhupinder Singh in 1893. Established n 2003, the Dharamshala cricket ground is at altitude of 4,780ft. Lahaul cricket ground at 10,000ft will be a new attraction at Sissu,
Himachal will have the world’s highest cricket stadium at altitude of 10,000ft above sea level at Sissu in Himachal’s Lahaul valley as formalities regarding land transfer and other paper works are in the final stage. Unlike other cricket grounds, this stadium next to Atal tunnel will be built after raising funds from local tribals. Initially,
Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has started sharing the technology used to build the Atal tunnel, Rohtang with engineering students as Karnataka's Alliance University organised an educational tour to the Atal tunnel. Modi had announced on October 3, 2020 during the inauguration of the Atal tunnel that Border Roads Organisation (BRO) should share the construction technology of Atal tunnel with engineering students of the country to make the country Aatma-Nirbhar in tunnel construction. On Tuesday, students of Alliance College of Engineering and Design from Bangalore-based Alliance University visited the tunnel. This being the first engineering students' group to visit the tunnel for educational purpose, BRO officials gave both students and faculty members a warm welcome. They have also invited engineering students from the country who wish to learn about Atal Tunnel's planning, challenges, difficulties, and execution. “This was an amazing experience. This is no doubt an engineering masterpiece. We came all the way from Bangalore only to see this tunnel and to meet the engineers to listen to their experiences,” one of the students Lakshmi Jotsana said. Dr Vipin Prasad, professor and HoD, basic sciences, said he had started planning an educational tour to Manali ever since he had heard PM Modi inviting engineering students to visit the tunnel. “Be it civil, mechanical, electrical or students from any stream, all should visit here at least once. They will get to learn a lot of things. Students were so excited to meet the engineers and see the various technical aspects of the tunnel,” he said. Professor Prasad added that it was a proud moment for the students and the Alliance University, Karnataka, that they could make it to be the first engineering college to visit the tunnel for educational purposes on the call of
Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has started sharing the technology used to build the Atal tunnel, Rohtang with engineering students as Karnataka’s Alliance University organised an educational tour to the Atal tunnel. Modi had announced on October 3, 2020 during the inauguration of the Atal tunnel that Border Roads
The Indian Army team has won the trophy of 14th National Rafting Championships held at Sunni in Shimla district and another team of the Army won second place while the team of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS) remained third overall winner of the tournament. The event had started on March 23 in Satluj river and a total of 15 national teams participated in the races in different categories including men and women. Five team of Indian Army, four teams of Border Security Force (BSF), teams from Punjab police, Hyderabad, Jammu & Kashmir, Arunachal and Himachal participated in the event. The ABVIMAS team bagged gold in sprint race in senior men category while Army teams won both silver and bronze. In both slalom and marathon races, the gold, silver and bronze were won by the three teams of Army. In senior boys and girls mix category, gold was won by ABVIMAS, silver and bronze were bagged by BSF teams. Gold in marathon race was bagged by BSF, silver by ABVIMAS team and bronze by BSF. Indian Army team was declared the overall winner. Another team of Indian Army was declared first runner up and ABVIMAS team had to satisfy with third place. The event was hosted by ABVIMAS in association with Himachal Tourism. ABVIMAS director Col Neeraj Rana said tourism secretary Devesh Kumar was the chief guest in prize distribution ceremony. “The river rafting events are promoting waters sports in the country. The top-performing teams will be shortlisted for World Rafting Championship to be held at France from June 28,” he said. National Rafting Championships in Satluj river from March 23 March 21, 2021: The 14th National Rafting Championships will be held in Himachal in Satluj river from March 23 to 27 where 18 teams from
The Indian Army team has won the trophy of 14th National Rafting Championships held at Sunni in Shimla district and another team of the Army won second place while the team of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS) remained third overall winner of the tournament. The event had started on March
As skiing season has come to an end in most of the countries, the National Skiing and Snowboarding Championships will start on the slopes of Himachal’s Lahaul valley at altitude of above 11,000ft from March 26 to 28. The athletes are thrilled to participate in the first of its kind competition in the late March during onset of summer season. Over 150 athletes from eight state associations, Indian Army, ITBP and individual athletes from many states will throng cold deserts of Lahaul-Spit district known for its prolonged winter season. Both skiing and snowboarding races will be conducted in different categories. Earlier Himachal Pradesh Winter Games Association (HPWGA), Lahaul-Spiti administration and local clubs of the district were organising the events in first week of April, but now they have decided to conduct the races from March 26 to 28. The tournament is being organised by Himachal government, HPWGA, Lahaul-Spiti administration, many adventure sports clubs of Lahaul valley in association with Ski and Snowboard India. The event in late winter season was the brainchild of tribal development minister Dr Ram Lal Markanda as he believed this will bring Lahaul valley on the international map of winter sports destination. HPWGA president Ludar Thakur said this will be a first of its kind winter sports tournament of the country. “All preparations will be made in the next few days. The dates of the event will also be finalised in a couple of days. I have talked to the associations and other teams across the nation who are thrilled to know about such an event in late March which is otherwise the summer season," he said. "Weather and environment in Lahaul are completely different from other parts of the country and we shall take its full advantage. In the future, too, we can organise national
As skiing season has come to an end in most of the countries, the National Skiing and Snowboarding Championships will start on the slopes of Himachal’s Lahaul valley at altitude of above 11,000ft from March 26 to 28. The athletes are thrilled to participate in the first of its kind competition in the late March
There are hundreds of homestays in Lahaul and Spiti valleys and almost all units offer amazing panoramic views of the snow-clad Himalayan ranges. While some tourists prefer staying in hotels, some in camps and cottages, there are many tourists who want to stay with local families. This provides them an opportunity to understand the local culture, traditions, and their way of life so closely. They also get to eat local cuisines and can learn some of the recipes. They, while sitting with members of the family, can discuss about the local sightseeing places. Homestay is the best platform to exchange two different cultures. Primarily, Lahaul valley had homestays at Keylong and Jispa only. Then some people registered their houses as homestay at Udaipur. In recent times, Sissu, Khangsar, Gondla, Tandi, Biling, Darcha and almost all the villages of Lahaul have homestay units. Homestays in Lahaul valley are going to be major source of income for the residents as the valley has a limited number of hotels. In Spiti valley, Kaza, Kibber and Tabo had the major homestays which later extended to Pin valley (Mudh), Kee, Dhankar, Langza, Hikkim, Lossar and other areas of the valley. Homestays in Spiti valley have been a major attraction for tourists for years. The number of homestays in Spiti is increasing every year. 435 homestays registered in Lahaul in four days Updated on February 26, 2021 As many as 435 tribals in Lahaul valley registered their houses as homestay units in just four days as district administration is asking maximum residents to take advantage of the special drive with a single-window registration facility. As hotels and homestays in Lahaul valley have the capacity to accommodate maximum of 3,000 tourists, the administration is working hard on increasing the capacity to 10 thousand as soon as
There are hundreds of homestays in Lahaul and Spiti valleys and almost all units offer amazing panoramic views of the snow-clad Himalayan ranges. While some tourists prefer staying in hotels, some in camps and cottages, there are many tourists who want to stay with local families. This provides them an opportunity to understand the local
Concerned for the safety and procreation process of snow leopard and other endangered wildlife species which descend down to lower areas after winter snowfall, the Spiti administration on Monday imposed a complete ban on car rallies in major sanctuary areas. Additional district magistrate (ADM) at Spiti Gian Sagar Negi said it has been seen that various travel agencies organise car rallies especially during winter season in Spiti valley which passes through snow leopard landscapes of Kibber wildlife sanctuary. “Animals like snow leopard, blue sheep, Himalayan serow and ibex descend down to lower elevation after snowfall in higher regions. February and March is the mating season of snow leopards. Passage of heavy vehicular traffic is not only disturbing the natural habitats of the animals but it will also adversely affect the procreation of snow leopards which are highly endangered species,” he said. The ADM imposed a ban on car rallies in Kibber wildlife sanctuary through Lidang, Demul, Komic, Hikkim and Langcha village areas and from Rangrik bridge to Chicham via Kee and Kibber villages with immediate effect. “Any violation of this order will attract legal action under Wildlife Protection Act and Section 188 of CrPC. He added that both state and Centre are making efforts for conservation of these wild animals through different projects and programmes. “The heavy rush of the vehicles and their loud sounds are disturbing the wild animals. Kibber sanctuary is home to snow leopard and many other rare species. Snow leopard sighting tours in winter season are one of the major sources of income for local residents. The car rallies are posing threat to the wild animals and will also indirectly hit the snow leopard sighting tours. This important issue was brought to my notice and imposing ban on car rallies was very important,” Negi added. A
Concerned for the safety and procreation process of snow leopard and other endangered wildlife species which descend down to lower areas after winter snowfall, the Spiti administration on Monday imposed a complete ban on car rallies in major sanctuary areas. Additional district magistrate (ADM) at Spiti Gian Sagar Negi said it has been seen that
