Tourists flock to Kashmir valley for New Year celebration
A large number of tourists have started flocking to the Kashmir Valley, including the famous resorts of Gulmarg, Sonamarg, and Pahalgam, to celebrate the New Year amid the magical backdrop of fresh snowfall.
According to weathermen, “Moderate snowfall is expected in the higher reaches of North and Central Kashmir around the New Year. Partlycloudy skies will end the week of sunshine, bringing light rain or snow at scattered places from December 30 onwards.”
Recent snowfall, ending a prolonged dry spell, has revitalised winter tourism in the Valley, with hotels in Gulmarg and Pahalgam reporting near-full occupancy for New Year celebrations. The capital city of Srinagar is also bracing for New Year celebrations, as it witnessed a heavy presence of tourists from different parts of the country. More than 50 flights have landed in the valley in the last 48 hours.
The upper reaches, including Gulmarg, Sadhna Top, and Tulail Valley, received light to moderate snowfall on Tuesday, attracting tourists eager to experience the snow-covered landscape during New Year celebrations.
Authorities have reported a heavy influx of vehicles toward these tourist hubs, with roads from Srinagar, Baramulla, and Anantnag experiencing increased traffic.
In the Jammu region, the sacred Mata Vaishno Devi cave shrine, nestled in the Trikuta hills, is experiencing an overwhelming surge of devotees on the eve of New Year festivities. Thousands of pilgrims are expected to undertake the serpentine trek to seek divine blessings amid the spiritual fervour.
Authorities have rolled out stringent measures, including RFID-based yatra regulation, enhanced surveillance with over 550 CCTV cameras, special trains, and multi-agency coordination to manage the expected peak on December 31 and January 1.
To guarantee safe and peaceful New Year celebrations across the region, security forces have placed the entire grid on high alert.
The security forces have set up security checkposts at the entry and exit routes of famous tourist places. Local authorities have been entrusted with the responsibility to carry out regular area domination patrols and ensure additional deployments across tourist hotspots and crowded places to ensure incident-free celebrations.
