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River rafting: Kullu plays host to adventure tourists

          Kullu (Himachal Pradesh): Kullu, a hill station in Himachal Pradesh, is an ideal location for the adventure sport of river rafting in the River Beas. "This is the second day of mine in Kullu-Manali and I enjoyed it very much and things like rafting and all, we have seen it for the first time and we enjoyed it, it was very good," said Javed, a tourist. Yasmeen, another tourists said the experience offered a thrill different from that of other adventure sports. I enjoyed myself. I have never done anything like this before...I enjoyed it very much and it offers a different kind of experience. I have done other adventure sports but this was a whole new experience," she said. The river, which flows through mountain valleys, offers visitors a choice of gradients ranging from those gentle enough for beginners to ferocious rapids for professionals. "The people who come for rafting are firstly told about the safety measures of rafting. After that they are told about the life jackets, which are used in case of emergency. Then they are told about pedals which are used for river rafting and after that they are given boats and they are also given rescue and safety kayaks for their safety," said Sushil Kumar, a local rafter. With a slowdown in tourist activities in the strife-torn Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir , the neighbouring Himachal Pradesh is increasingly becoming popular as the alternate destination for tourists. With more than three million domestic and foreign tourists visiting the state annually, tourism is an important contributor to the state's economic development.
-April 30,  2007