Ice Hockey in Spiti Valley of Himachal City/town: Kaza (Spiti valley, Himachal) Size of the rink: 50 M X 35 M Altitude of ice hockey rink: 12,000 ft from MSL Temperature: Minus 15 to Minus 25 degrees C Operation period: December to March Owner: Spiti administration & Ice Hockey Association Spiti Road connectivity: Yes Accommodation facility: Yes (Hotels/guesthouses and homestay at Kaza) How to reach: Delhi/Chandigarh > Shimla > Rampur > Reckong Peo/Kalpa > Nako > Tabo > Kaza Nearest airport: Shimla, Kullu, Chandigarh An introductory video: Ice Hockey Cup 2024 begins in Himachal's Spiti February 12, 2024 The Spiti Ice Hockey Cup 2024 and Ice Speed Skates competition started at Kaza in Spiti on Monday under the joint aegis of Ice Hockey Association Lahaul Spiti and the Royal Enfield. This tournament is being organized in Spiti in a temperature of minus 20 degrees Celsius. ADC Rahul Jain honored the chief guest of the program by giving him a thangka painting. The chief guest was also honored by the Ice Hockey Association of Lahaul Spiti and Royal Enfield. On this occasion, Vice President of Himachal Pradesh Forest Development Corporation, Kehar Singh Khachi, participated as the chief guest. Addressing the program, he said that the Chief Minister of the state Thakur Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu was to come on the occasion of the inauguration of this tournament. But due to the assembly session, he ordered him to join the event. He said that the geographical conditions of Spiti attract tourists round the year. He said government will develop Spiti under eco-tourism so that the people of the valley can get self-employment at their doorstep. The culture of Spiti is unique and centuries old. The people here have preserved their culture. Today, whenever ice hockey discussion starts in the state, everyone's attention goes
Ice Hockey in Spiti Valley of Himachal City/town: Kaza (Spiti valley, Himachal) Size of the rink: 50 M X 35 M Altitude of ice hockey rink: 12,000 ft from MSL Temperature: Minus 15 to Minus 25 degrees C Operation period: December to March Owner: Spiti administration & Ice Hockey Association Spiti Road connectivity: Yes Accommodation
Lahaul Valley of Himachal Pradesh in the northern part of the country has become the most popular tourist destination of Himachal due to its easy approach after the opening of the Atal Tunnel, Rohtang. Thousands of tourists are visiting Lahaul Valley every day to enjoy its breathtaking beauty. In 2022, as many as 6,22,988 vehicles carrying about 20 lakh tourists entered Lahaul valley via tunnel from Manali besides some tourists reaching here via Leh-Keylong and Kaza-Koksar road. Lahaul Valley, which further has many small valleys, is home to the beautiful landscapes, towering peaks, deep valleys, hanging glaciers, rivers, monasteries, temples, a mix of Hindu-Buddhist cultures and winding roads. Lahaul and Spiti are two sub-divisions of Lahaul-Spiti district. Lahaul and Spiti are divided by the mighty Kunzum pass. However, jurisdiction of Spiti valley begins from Koksar, beyond Gramphu, but its first village is Losar, on the other side of the Kunzum pass. Keylong in Lahaul is the administrative headquarters of the district. Lahaul-Spiti is the largest district of Himachal in terms of geographical area. Lahaul-Spiti is popularly known as mini-Ladakh for its Ladakh-like landscapes. Lahaul-Spiti is also known as the cold deserts of Himachal due to its high altitude barren lands and extremely cold temperature. The district is the coldest in Himachal, with temperature at many places plunging below minus 25 degrees Celsius in winter season. Spiti is colder than Lahaul but many places of Lahaul also record below minus 20 degrees C of temperature. How to reach Lahaul Valley Lahaul valley is just 33 km from Manali along the Manali-Leh highway. The valley starts from the northern end of the Atal tunnel. Atal tunnel is the bridge between Manali and Lahaul. Before tunnel, Lahaul was reachable via Rohtang pass. Rohtang top, 51 km from Manali, is the boundary of Manali
Lahaul Valley of Himachal Pradesh in the northern part of the country has become the most popular tourist destination of Himachal due to its easy approach after the opening of the Atal Tunnel, Rohtang. Thousands of tourists are visiting Lahaul Valley every day to enjoy its breathtaking beauty. In 2022, as many as 6,22,988 vehicles
First tribal festival “Margul Utsav” concludes in Lahaul Updated on May 20, 2022 A first-ever colourful tribal festival “Margul Utsav” was held at Udaipur in Himachal’s Lahaul-Spiti district with participation of cultural troops and other artists from across the state. Margul Utsav was organised by the Lahaul-Spiti administration in association with the department of tourism with the aim to promote cultural tourism in the valley. The festival, with participation from all the tribal regions of the state including Lahaul, Spiti, Pangi, Bharmaur and Kinnaur, was organised from May 18 to 20. The cultural troops presented folk dances, folk music, dresses, ornaments and other folk arts. Local cuisines were served while competitions of traditional games like chooh gumza, thippu, chholo, bangtahar and langten were also held. Participation of both men and women was ensured. A large number of tourists visited Udaipur to witness the unique culture of Himachal. The festival was inaugurated and concluded by tribal development minister Ram Lal Markanda. Lahaul-Spiti deputy commissioner Neeraj Kumar said Margul festival will now be made an annual state-level event in Lahaul valley to promote tribal culture, arts, games, local products, dresses, cuisines and fairs. "A large number of tourists are visiting Lahaul but they mostly visit the areas close to Atal tunnel or along Manali-Leh highway. Very few tourists visit Udaipur, Pattan and Miyar valley which are extremely beautiful and full of rich culture. Margul festival is expected to promote this part of the state also," he said. Tug-of-war, knitting competition,s and many such unique events for women were centre of attraction besides cultural tableaus, craft exhibitions, and traditional dress competitions. Lajawab Lahaul, a media campaign to promote tourism in the valley was also launched. In an effort to woo the tourists to visit Lahaul in all seasons, short movies filmed in Lahaul in
First tribal festival “Margul Utsav” concludes in Lahaul Updated on May 20, 2022 A first-ever colourful tribal festival “Margul Utsav” was held at Udaipur in Himachal’s Lahaul-Spiti district with participation of cultural troops and other artists from across the state. Margul Utsav was organised by the Lahaul-Spiti administration in association with the department of tourism
People from across the country will get access to the snow-bound tribal Lahaul valley in the winter season for the first time as the government has decided to keep the valley open for tourists even after snowfall. Tribal development minister Ram Lal Markanda, after holding a meeting with the officials of Lahaul, said there will be no restriction on tourist inflow to Lahaul valley in clear weather. He said outsiders, for the first time, will get to experience the winters of this tribal belt which used to be cut off from the rest parts of the world after the snowfall. He said the road to the valley via Atal tunnel will be kept clear of snow. He said tourism infrastructure in the valley will be developed on a war footing so that tourists get all basic facilities. “Tourist footfall in the valley has increased suddenly after the opening of the Atal tunnel. There will be no restriction on the movement of tourists if the weather is clear. We shall organise skiing, a winter carnival, and other winter events to attract more tourists this season. Meanwhile, we need to develop our infrastructure to meet the demand of the growing tourism,” Markanda said. He said a Yatri Niwas at Sissu, adequate parking at Keylong, a large bus stand, parking, and cafeteria at Trilokinath will be built very soon. He said parking spaces, dustbins, waste management facilities, viewpoints, parks, tourism activities, exploration of new destinations, and organising cultural events for tourists are proposed. Lahaul-Spiti, popularly known as the cold deserts of Himachal, gets very heavy snowfall from November to March. The area is coldest in the state with minimum temperature at some places plunges below minus 25. Visiting Lahaul valley in the winter season was impossible until recently when the Atal tunnel connected
People from across the country will get access to the snow-bound tribal Lahaul valley in the winter season for the first time as the government has decided to keep the valley open for tourists even after snowfall. Tribal development minister Ram Lal Markanda, after holding a meeting with the officials of Lahaul, said there will
MANALI: Covered with thick blanket of snow, the Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal is reeling under intense cold wave conditions with temperature plunging below minus 20 degrees C at some places. With frozen water sources, some places including Kaza and Keylong are facing water shortage. Temperature in Kibber, Komic, Hikkim, Demul and some higher villages in Spiti and Koksar in Lahaul has plunged below minus 20 degrees C. Spiti, where even hand pumps have frozen, residents are lighting fire around the pumps and taps in effort to get water from it. Keylong, where temperature is expected to dip below minus 15 degrees C in next few days recorded lowest temperature of minus 9 degrees C on Friday. Both minimum and maximum temperatures in state have increased by 3 to 4 degrees C in last few days but the temperature is expected by dip drastically by the end of the month. An official working with Rohtang tunnel project said mercury in Lahaul at north portal of the tunnel is dipping up to minus 25 degrees C in nighttime. “Many villages have no drinking water available. They are bringing water from the river. Thankfully, Keylong has some running taps,” a resident from Keylong Suneel Bodh said. He added that the district is getting less snow but has more cold this season. “We are spending time in skiing and indoor games. Lahaul is celebrating Halda, a local festival, which is observed in different valleys on different time. We dance, eat and have fun. We have nothing much to do.” Gyaltsen Norbu, a resident of Spiti said, “Spiti is situated at high altitude but receives less snow compared to lower regions. But we face coldest winters of Himachal. Freezing of taps and all drinking water sources is the main problem. Even the fuel in vehicles
MANALI: Covered with thick blanket of snow, the Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal is reeling under intense cold wave conditions with temperature plunging below minus 20 degrees C at some places. With frozen water sources, some places including Kaza and Keylong are facing water shortage. Temperature in Kibber, Komic, Hikkim, Demul and some higher villages in
Abducting girls for marriage on the occasion of August 15 celebrations in tribal Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal was once a tradition which more or less was influenced by the poverty. There are hundreds of tribals who liked girls at first sight on August 15 festivity, abducted them and made ‘Kuji Vivah’ (abducted marriage) with them. Three day-long state level August 15 festivity, which is known as tribal fair, is the largest festivity of Lahaul-Spiti. The whole district gathers at Keylong to celebrate the day. For years, this is the best chance for young hearts from far flung areas to meet and sometime take quick decision of eloping in their first meeting. The tribal fair begun after the Independence of India and so started the tradition of eloping with girl. Girl’s consent was not necessary for this custom but sometime if she or her family resists the marriage, she was brought back home. But in most of the cases, marriage was approved. Now very few such cases happen during the occasion since last five years. “I touched my girl first and then my friends helped us elope. Those days were really of our independence,” resident of Yangrang village Padam Singh said who had abducted his dream girl from the August 15 festivity and now they are happy family with two daughters. He said, “I was following her all the day. As per the tradition, I had to touch her first. I did so and my three friends helped me abduct her in the evening. Later somehow we managed to convince the girl’s family.” Sher Singh Bodh, resident of Keylong believes that poverty was the main reason of this kind of marriages among tribals as people were saving marriage expenses but money being crisis no more, marriages are celebrated with pomp. “Parents
Abducting girls for marriage on the occasion of August 15 celebrations in tribal Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal was once a tradition which more or less was influenced by the poverty. There are hundreds of tribals who liked girls at first sight on August 15 festivity, abducted them and made ‘Kuji Vivah’ (abducted marriage) with them.
Adorned with piles of snows, the mystic Rohtang pass is now a subject of political debate not only in Himachal but in the entire country. Not only extreme climatic conditions, but Rohtang has witnessed the extent of injustice. Human handedness, pollution, noise, roars of military vehicles, trade of its precious amenity – snow and now political movements, this serene crown of Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti valley has suffered everything without any complaint. In ancient time when no roads were dug on the chest of Rohtang, the Manali-Rohtang-Ladakh was a famous trade route for transportation of goods with the help of mules and sheep. Regretting the current condition of Rohtang, a historian Tashi Rawal said, “Earlier Manali was widely known as Dana-Bazaar as mules and sheep used to stay here for Dana (feed) before resuming their uphill journey to Rohtang. My grandfather used to tell us stories that one of the hard stretches between Manali and Rohtang was the 10km-long glacier which was originating from Rohtang. Where is that glacier now? Is this a result of human intervention?” Having proved its strategic importance during Kargil war, the Rohtang pass is earning livelihood of thousands of families of the state. It is the only hill station of the country where tourists can find white snow round the year. No doubt, Rohtang is the pride of country. Then why this legendary mountain is crying for a heed from a special saviour? Government, people, administration and even media are selling its pious snow to earn fame and money. But nobody is trying to save this lifeless but beaming mountain from the vagaries of increasing population, pollution and politicians. When Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had a chance to have glance of Rohtang pass in 1960, even he could not resist and asked Manali folks, “What a beautiful
Adorned with piles of snows, the mystic Rohtang pass is now a subject of political debate not only in Himachal but in the entire country. Not only extreme climatic conditions, but Rohtang has witnessed the extent of injustice. Human handedness, pollution, noise, roars of military vehicles, trade of its precious amenity – snow and now
