No raft is floating on the rivers, skies have no paragliders, the rugged terrains are missing the ATVs, challenging Himalayan trails have no hikers and nobody is skiing down the backcountry slopes in Himachal. With tourism around the world coming to a standstill, the adventure tourism industry of the state has also been hit hard, leaving thousands jobless. Not just the hoteliers, thousands of people operating adventure tourism have been left jobless by the Covid-19. Himachal has emerged as a top adventure tourism hub of the world where adventure enthusiasts from around the world come for all kind of activities. Paragliding, rafting, mountaineering, skiing, heli-skiing, ATV rides and almost every adventure activity is available in the state. As tourism is expected to take many more months to come back on the track, thousands of adventure activity operators are worrying for their future. “All the industries have been hit by the Covid-19 but tourism industry has suffered the most. The agriculture, horticulture, construction, trades and all industries are returning to normalcy one by one. But the tourism will take a long time to resume. All the adventure activities too have come to a grinding halt. Thousands have lost their jobs. Now everybody is looking at government for relief,” Adventure Tour Operators Association president Roshan Lal said. Adventure tourism in Himachal has become a multi-crore industry that runs almost round the year except for monsoon season. It has become one of the largest employers in the state. May and June are the peak season when lakhs of tourists try hand at various activities in the state especially in Kullu, Shimla, Kangra and Chamba districts. The state has all the activities except for bungee jumping. The government was to start setting up world’s highest bungee jumping near Marhi at altitude of about 11,000ft
No raft is floating on the rivers, skies have no paragliders, the rugged terrains are missing the ATVs, challenging Himalayan trails have no hikers and nobody is skiing down the backcountry slopes in Himachal. With tourism around the world coming to a standstill, the adventure tourism industry of the state has also been hit hard,
Kullu-Manali attracts over 35 lakh domestic and foreigner tourists annually and not all are fascinated by the mountains, glaciers and rivers of the valley – some of them visit the Himalayan valley in search of “Malana Cream”, the world’s best charas. Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal once said: “When I was giving my introduction to a representative of Israeli senate in an international conclave, he left me stunned with words that he has listened about Kasol in India where high class marijuana is available. He shared his thought that a large number of people in Israel after completing mandatory military services rush to Kasol in Kullu to relieve themselves by puffing marijuana.” Over 98% of the tourists visit the valley to enjoy nature and adventure sports. Still, some tourists are reported to have visited the valley only for charas. Such tourists prefer staying in remote villages for a long time period. Police, who don’t want to put a negative impact on tourism, frequently lay nakas in such areas to search for the vehicles and pedestrians. As many as 161 foreigners have been booked under NDPS Act in last 15 years. The number of domestic tourists is even more. This doesn’t mean that all tourists visit Kullu-Manali for charas. Majority of tourists, both Indian and Foreigners, do not know that charas is produced in Kullu and is available here. Some people here say though charas put negative impact on youth but it is helping in rise in tourist footfall. A large number of local residents and politicians have been demanding to legalize cannabis cultivation, but fearing its misuse to make charas has forced lawmakers to make strict rules under NDPS Act. High on charas, foreigners bring notoriety to land of gods What attracts lakhs of backpackers from abroad to Kullu valley every year?
Kullu-Manali attracts over 35 lakh domestic and foreigner tourists annually and not all are fascinated by the mountains, glaciers and rivers of the valley – some of them visit the Himalayan valley in search of “Malana Cream”, the world’s best charas. Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal once said: “When I was giving my introduction
With Rohtang pass officially opened for vehicular traffic on Tuesday after a gap of five months, 52 vehicles carrying 293 people crossed over to Lahaul valley from Kullu. All the passengers were farmers who wanted to reach home for farming activities. With the first batch of vehicles entering the valley, Lahaul, which was cut off from rest of the country since mid-November, has reconnected by road. Hundreds of farmers who have stuck in Kullu and other parts of the state have been permitted to enter Lahaul-Spiti district where sowing season has started. Before this, 98 farmers had entered the valley on Saturday after walking for 3km across the Rohtang as snow clearing work on this stretch was continuing. The people are undergoing medical check-up before and after traversing Rohtang pass. Five farmers, who were found medically unfit, were sent back to Kullu on Saturday. The labourers and non-residents are not being allowed to enter the valley. The vehicles from Kullu were allowed to go till Rohtang pass from where passengers were shifted to other vehicles that came from Lahaul. The Young Drukpa Association (YDA) of Lahaul is sanitizing all the vehicles at Koksar that are bringing passengers from Rohtang pass. The association president Sonam Jangpo said they don’t want to take any risk. “Kullu is safe zone with no Covid-19 case so far. Still, we can’t take it lightly. All the vehicles entering the valley with passengers from Kullu are being sanitized at Koksar, the first village of the valley.” According to officials, an incident of the avalanche was reported between Rahni nullah and Marhi on Tuesday and it took over one hour to clear the debris. The freshly opened road with high walls of snow on both sides is still dangerous for vehicular movement. The Border Roads Organization (BRO) has stationed its machinery at Rohtang to deal with any situation. BRO has to keep clearing
With Rohtang pass officially opened for vehicular traffic on Tuesday after a gap of five months, 52 vehicles carrying 293 people crossed over to Lahaul valley from Kullu. All the passengers were farmers who wanted to reach home for farming activities. With the first batch of vehicles entering the valley, Lahaul, which was cut off from rest of the
The country will celebrate Holi festival on March 9 but a unique 40-day-long Holi festivity started in Kullu after pulling the chariot of Lord Raghunath and people throwing gulal on each other on Thursday. The Holi celebrations in Kullu begin 40 days in advance on the occasion of Basant Panchami every year. Thousands of people thronged the Rath Maidan of Kullu to celebrate the occasion. The puja started from Raghunath temple and the idol of the deity was brought to the Rath Maidan in its palanquin. Throwing gulal at each other and chanting “Raghunath Ji Ki Jai”, the crowd then pulled the chariot to the Dussehra ground to perform the rituals. The puja started from Raghunath temple and the idol of the deity was brought to the Rath Maidan in its palanquin. Throwing gulal at each other and chanting “Raghunath Ji Ki Jai”, the crowd then pulled the chariot to the Dussehra ground to perform the rituals. Holi will be played at Raghunath temple for 40 days till March 10. The reunion of Lord Rama and Bharat remains the main attraction of the event while a person impersonating Lord Hanuman with Hanuman Sindoor applied to his entire body remains present at the occasion. People try to touch the Hanuman and also the rope to pull the chariot as it is considered auspicious. Rath yatra of Lord Raghunath during Basant Panchami at Kullu on January 30 Maheshwar Singh, chhadivardar (prime servant) of Lord Raghunath and scion of erstwhile Kullu state, said Holi and Basant Panchami are being celebrated in Kullu for decades now.“The festivity is now celebrated in a large scale. The ritual of rath-yatra on Basant Panchami was stopped for nearly 50 years due to unknown reasons. The ritual was restarted in 2009. The occasion is marked by applying colours
The country will celebrate Holi festival on March 9 but a unique 40-day-long Holi festivity started in Kullu after pulling the chariot of Lord Raghunath and people throwing gulal on each other on Thursday. The Holi celebrations in Kullu begin 40 days in advance on the occasion of Basant Panchami every year. Thousands of people
All the buildings of the mall road, the main shopping area of the Manali town, will get the traditional look with kath-kuni architectural style under the proposed beautification plan. As part of the beautification of the town, the municipal council (MC) has planned to adopt the kath-kuni style which is being adopted by the local villages for centuries. Kath-kuni being the local identification and a mark of Kullu culture, in the first phase the local civic body wants to give the buildings of the major shopping area of the town a unique new look. “All expenses will be borne by the tourism department with the help of Asian Development Bank (ADB). We are waiting for NOC from the owners of all the buildings. Either Kullu or Manali is to be selected for this project. Hopefully, we shall get NOC from all the properties very soon and the project will be sanctioned in a few months. This way all buildings will look similar and beautiful,” Manali MC president Neena Thakur said. The officials from MC and the administration held a meeting with local stakeholders on Monday and discussed in detail about this project. The mall road area is about 300m in length and all the buildings on both sides of the area will get kath-kuni makeover in the front portions. This is the main shopping area of the town which remains abuzz with tourists round the year. Kath-kuni is the architectural style in which timber is used after a certain gap while building a wall with the cutstones. The long parallel timber not just gives the structure extra stability and strength but also gives it a beautiful look. The kath-kuni structures are earthquake-proof. At present, all the buildings in the Manali including hotels, residential houses, and other commercial buildings do not
All the buildings of the mall road, the main shopping area of the Manali town, will get the traditional look with kath-kuni architectural style under the proposed beautification plan. As part of the beautification of the town, the municipal council (MC) has planned to adopt the kath-kuni style which is being adopted by the local
The slopes of Solang valley near Manali, which are covered with three feet of snow, have come alive with nearly 200 athletes of the state who have thronged here for Himachal Skiing and Snowboarding Championships. The two-day-long men and women competitions in different categories started on Saturday amid snowfall. The event was inaugurated by BJP leader Dhaneshwari Thakur in the presence of many other officials. A large number of people thronged Solang to enjoy the races. The championships are being hosted by Himachal Pradesh Winter Games Association (HPWGA) under guidance of Ski and Snowboard India. The top athletes will qualify for national level championships that will be held at Auli from February 7 to 11. “Races in cross-country, cross-country sprint, slalom, and giant slalom are being conducted in both male and female categories. Athletes in both junior and senior categories are performing well. As not all athletes can represent state in national cup, we are choosing the best. Next time we are looking to host the national cup. As the skiing infrastructure is weak here, Himachal always misses in hosting Asian winter games,” HPWGA president Ludar Chand Thakur said. The officials said the state government has promised to develop the skiing infrastructure in the state which in present is in dilapidated condition. Without ski bar lifts, snow beating machines, snow-making machines and without leveling, the slopes of Narkanda and Kufri in Shimla and Solang in Manali disappoint the athletes. Although Solang slopes have hosted many national competitions, the bumpy slope with no facility makes skiing and snowboarding very challenging. Roopu Negi, secretary general of Ski and Snowboard India, the apex body for skiing and snowboarding in India, said the athletes are full of enthusiasm and are performing well. “Most of the athletes are complaining about basic amenities. Climbing up
The slopes of Solang valley near Manali, which are covered with three feet of snow, have come alive with nearly 200 athletes of the state who have thronged here for Himachal Skiing and Snowboarding Championships. The two-day-long men and women competitions in different categories started on Saturday amid snowfall. The event was inaugurated by BJP
Himachal is hosting a Pre-World Cup Paragliding Championship at Bir Billing in Himachal Pradesh from March 30 to April 5 with participation of over 100 top pilots from over 25 nations. Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS) is organizing the event. So far 84 pilots from 24 countries have nominated themselves while the organizers have decided to keep a cap of 100 pilots. Besides the main competitions, Indian National Open Championship will also be organized. The registration process will be held on March 30 and competitions will start from March 31. The closing ceremony will be held on April 5. ABVIMAS Manali director Colonel Neeraj Rana, who is also the convener of the meet, said ace paraglider Brett Janaway, who holds several records in paragliding, will be the main judge of the championship. “Devu Chaudhary from Himachal will be the safety director while Miss Megdalana has agreed to take responsibility of the scorer,” he said. The overall winners will get the first, second and third prize for 2,000, 1,500 and 1,000 euros respectively. The overall winners in women category completing at first, second and third place will get a cash prize of 1,500, 1,300 and 1,100 euros respectively. The first, second and third winners in Indian National Open Championship will get cash prizes of Rs one lakh, Rs 75 thousand and Rs 50 thousand respectively. In sports class mix category, the top three winners will get cash prizes of 1,000, 700 and 500 euros respectively. Col Neeraj Rana said the preparations to host the championship are underway on a war footing. “The logo and the mascot for the event have been finalized and would be inaugurated by the chief minister. Himachal has established its unique identity as an adventure sports destination. We have mesmerizing paragliding sites.
Himachal is hosting a Pre-World Cup Paragliding Championship at Bir Billing in Himachal Pradesh from March 30 to April 5 with participation of over 100 top pilots from over 25 nations. Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS) is organizing the event. So far 84 pilots from 24 countries have nominated themselves
Over 200 athletes from 23 skiing and snowboarding clubs of Himachal will throng slopes of Solang valley near Manali on January 25 to compete in different winter sports competitions. The slopes of Solang which are crying for government attention have not seen a single event this season. A national championship was held here last year, but as national competitions will be held at Auli in February, Himachal Pradesh Winter Games Association (HPWGA) is organizing a state level event only. “All the clubs of Himachal have agreed to participate in the competitions in both men and women category. The top athletes in senior and junior categories will be shortlisted for national event at Auli. The slopes are covered with thick blanket of snow. We are expecting more snowfall before the event,” HPWGA president Ludar Thakur said. Ludar, who is also former coach of Indian skiing team, said, the association is working hard to provide a platform for winter sports athletes so that they could win medals for the country in international events. “We are giving equal opportunities to all the athletes but only deserving ones will represent the state and the country. We have a large number of athletes who have represented India at the world championships and Olympics. The only problem that our athletes face is lack of skiing infrastructure. We are also working hard on strengthening skiing infrastructure,” Thakur added. This is surprising that Manali has produced a large number of winter sports athletes who have represented India in Olympics and other world championships but the sole skiing slope of Manali at Solang is in dilapidated condition. The unmaintained, natural slope has no working ski lift and skiing is done on snow without grooming snow in absence of snow beating machine. The slope has no snow making machine leaving
Over 200 athletes from 23 skiing and snowboarding clubs of Himachal will throng slopes of Solang valley near Manali on January 25 to compete in different winter sports competitions. The slopes of Solang which are crying for government attention have not seen a single event this season. A national championship was held here last year,
With an aim to encourage children towards snow sports and conserve environment to preserve the snow, the 9th World Snow Day (WSD) was organized at slopes of Solang valley near Manali on Sunday. A large number of children and youth congregated at Solang slopes and enjoyed skiing and snowboarding for the whole day. The children were given free lessons on skiing. The tourists were also given chance to try hand at the sport. On the call of the International Ski Federation (FIS), the night edition of World Snow Day saw 363 events and actions take place in 45 countries on Sunday. Ski and Snowboard India secretary general Roopu Negi said FIS WSD was celebrated at Solang in presence of a large number of children and youth under thfe aegis of Indian Olympic Association secretary general Rajeev Mehta. “We are encouraging children and their families to come to the snow. India is performing well in winter sports. The world has now recognized our potential. Although we have not achieved much in international events but we are confident that we shall get recognition among top athletes of the world soon in future. As children are the future of winter sports, the purpose of celebrating snow day is to encourage them to show interest in winter sports,” he said. Most of the ski resorts and clubs allowed free entry to skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts on occasion of World Snow Day. Besides encouraging children to experience fun of snow, they were told about the health benefits of winter sports. They were also told that how important is to conserve the environment to preserve the snow. Himachal Pradesh Winter Games Association (HPWGA) president Ludar Thakur said that FIS president Gian Franco Kasper had sent a message that all the skiing clubs, federations and state associations
With an aim to encourage children towards snow sports and conserve environment to preserve the snow, the 9th World Snow Day (WSD) was organized at slopes of Solang valley near Manali on Sunday. A large number of children and youth congregated at Solang slopes and enjoyed skiing and snowboarding for the whole day. The children
The parts of Himachal have received another spell of snow while the entire Lahaul valley has received heavy snowfall and the administration has ordered to close the schools for two days. With some areas receiving heavy snow and blankets of snow forming several layers, the Himachal disaster management authority has warned about avalanches in districts of Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti. Both the district administrations have asked people to stay alert. While higher regions are receiving fresh snow, the lower areas are lashed by rain. Lahaul-Spiti district headquarter Keylong has received 60cm snow since Sunday evening. Koksar has received over 75cm snow. Solang, which was covered with nearly 75cm snow, has received 15cm more snow on Monday. Kalpa in Kinnaur also received 15cm more snow. Manali town received some traces of snow in the evening but snowfall had restarted in the late evening. The residents of Shimla city received some relief from slippery roads and pathways due to the rain but upper parts of the district received some snow. The conditions are worst in Lahaul valley where all roads are blocked and electricity and phone networks have been crippled by snow. The residents are hearing the roaring sound of the movement of snow avalanches but nobody can see them in almost no visibility. Keylong sub-divisional magistrate Amar Negi said the valley has experienced heavy snowfall since Sunday and schools have been closed for the next two days. “All roads are blocked and power supply is affected partially. The accumulation of blanket of snow on old hard snow has increased the chances of avalanches. We have alerted residents to take extra precaution,” he said. Many roads in the state were still closed due to recent snowfall and the fresh snowfall has again blocked more roads in the state. The electricity supply was crippled
The parts of Himachal have received another spell of snow while the entire Lahaul valley has received heavy snowfall and the administration has ordered to close the schools for two days. With some areas receiving heavy snow and blankets of snow forming several layers, the Himachal disaster management authority has warned about avalanches in districts
