The State is organising Uttarakhand Adventure Car Rally and the Mussoorie Winterline Carnival 2013 in order to revitalise tourism in Uttarakhand.
State Tourism Minister Amrita Rawat said that the Uttarakhand Adventure Car Rally will run from December 21 to 24 with 35 teams covering a distance of about 1,000 kms.
It will touch some of the popular tourism hotspots of the State and spread the message nationally and internationally that the State is once again the ‘eco-adventure tourism destination’ for skiing, white-water rafting, wildlife photography, and now also motorsport.
Rawat further stated that from December 27 to 30, the state will host the first Mussoorie Winterline Carnival to celebrate the beauty of the ‘Queen of Hills’.
The two events are being organised to showcase to the world that Uttarakhand has risen from the disaster it experienced in June and is back on rails as one of the premier tourism destinations in
the country.Rawat said that the Uttarakhand Adventure Car Rally is authorised by the Federation of Motorsport Clubs of India (FMSCI).
On the morning of December 21, all the rally vehicles will be scrutinised as per strict international motorsport regulations. Tourism secretary UK Panwar said that 35 teams of champion rallyists will cover about 1,000 kilometers in the state, going across mountains and plains, and touching the outer boundaries of wildlife parks. “We have deliberately chosen routes that will touch the tourism hotspots of the state,” said Panwar.
While rallyists from across India are competing in the rally, there is sizable participation of the youth of Uttarakhand in the rally too. Four teams of Team Uttarakhand Tigers are competing in the event. In addition, five other teams of motorsport lovers of Uttarakhand are also competing in the car rally.
The Uttarakhand Adventure Car Rally is being organised by Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board with Himalayan Motorsport, the Shimla-based motorsport club which organises the Raid De Himalaya.
The Mussoorie Winter Carnival will feature day-long fun activities and a cultural bonanza every evening. The winter carnival will begin on December 27 with the inauguration of the festival at Survey Field, landour.
A play by famous actor Tom Alter and performances by A Sivamani, Ravi Chary, Stephen Devassy, Narendra Singh Negi, Pritam Bhartwan, Shibani Kashyap, Bickram Ghosh, Bobby Cash, Mussoorie Heritage Walk Circuit, the Run for Mussoorie, mountain biking, cycling, a fashion show by the Ministry of Textiles to showcase Indian handlooms and other events will be held during the carnival.