Snow and Navratri spark tourism surge in Himachal
Tourist influx surged in Himachal Pradesh after the snow, with Manali being thronged and devotees making a beeline for shaktipeeths and other shrines on the first day of Navratri on Thursday.
While snow-enthusiasts headed towards Manali and the Atal Tunnel, devotees turned up in hordes at Devi temples wishing for a prosperous year.
People linked to Manali’s tourism and allied industries welcomed the sudden spike in hotel occupancy.
In the Manali valley and parts of Lahaul and Spiti, an intermittent snowfall has been on for the past three days. Since Wednesday evening, Gondla in Lahaul and Spiti district has received 13 cm of snow, followed by Keylong, Kukumseri, Hansa, and Kalpa in Kinnaur, which received 12 mm, 11.4 cm, 10 cm, and 0.4 cm of snow.
Vehicles were barred from going beyond the Solang Valley due to snow accumulation. “The snowfall in mid-March is a boon for the tourism industry as it would last till summer in high altitude areas, attracting tourists,” said Roshan Thakur, president of Manali Hoteliers Association.
Gajender Thakur, president of the Federation of Himachal Hotels and Restaurant Association, said he expects hotel occupancy to double to 70 per cent on the weekend.
Chaman Kapoor, another leading stakeholder in the tourism industry, said, “Snowfall and a drop in mercury have proved to be a blessing boon for tourism. Snowfall has also brought cheers to orchardists, who were worried due to inadequate moisture and cooling in the winter.”
Manali resident Fateh Chand said the rain will help crops by replenishing the soil’s moisture levels.
The doors of such famous shrines as Brajeshwari Devi and Chamunda Mata in Kangra district, Chintpurni in Una district, Sri Naina Devi in Bilaspur, Baba Balaknath temple in Hamirpur, Maa Bala Sundri Temple in Sirmaur district, opened before dawn.
As they did, they all resonated with the echoes of hymns and chants.
Hundreds of devotees visited Kali Bari, Tara Devi, Bhimakali, Hatkoti and Sankat Mochan in Shimla.
Sadan Sharma, the priest at the Brajeshwari Temple, said pilgrims throng the temple throughout the entire nine-day festival from across the north.
Raghavendra Yadav, a devotee from Uttar Pradesh, said that Brajeshwari is his family deity and he considers himself fortunate to seek her blessing on the very first day of Navratri.
