The International Kullu Dussehra Festival dating back to the 17th century will be organized from October 24 to 30 at Kullu in Himachal Pradesh, Chief Parliamentary Secretary (Tourism) Sunder Singh Thakur said on Tuesday.

Thakur, who is also the chairman of the International Kullu Dussehra Festival Organizing Committee, said that the celebrations will commence with the famous Raghunathji’s Rath Yatra and more than 300 local deities will participate in the mega event. He further said that major highlights of the festival will be holding of International Carnival on October 25 and Kullu Carnival on October 30.

Thakur also launched the teaser and released a booklet on the occasion to provide a sneak peak into the grand celebration at a curtain raiser event dedicated to the 9th Edition of ‘India International Dance and Music Festival’ and International Kullu Dussehra Festival-2023 jointly organized by Himachal Pradesh Government and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

He said that International Cultural Festival is a major attraction of the International Kullu Dussehra Festival and added that cultural troupes from about 20 countries, including Russia, Israel, Romania, Kazakhistan, Croatia, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Panama, Iran, Maldives, Malaysia, Kenya, South Sudan, Zambia, Ghana and Ethiopia are participating this year.

The Himachal government is making efforts to make the festival a global event and has undertaken restoration works on a war footing after the natural calamity struck the state.

Thakur said that travel time from Chandigarh to Kullu has been reduced from six hours to four hours and added that 13 out of 15 tunnels had been opened. He added that flights from Amritsar, Chandigarh and Delhi to Kullu were operating to facilitate tourists.