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Snowfall brings more tourists to Manali
Manali/Gulmarg: A blanket of snow covered Manali and Gulmarg, as the region received a fresh spell of snowfall attracting tourists.Manali in Himachal Pradesh received over two feet of snow for the past three-four days. Fresh snowfall also brought back hordes of tourists. "It has been snowing for the last two days. Tourists' inflow has increased because of it. We are happy," said Bhagat Ram, local sports organizer. "You always see such things in movies and pictures. But this is like a dream coming true," said Amit, a tourist. Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir, 32 miles from the summer capital of Srinagar, received fresh snowfall, which has proved to be a boon for the tourism industry. The snow in the hills began over the weekend and intermittent spells continued in the higher reaches of the valley. "If there is a heaven, it is here. I have seen many places but there is no place like this," said Ashok Mehra, a tourist. Snowfall augurs well for local traders in Kashmir, where tourism is the mainstay of the economy. "Earlier when there was no snow; there were hardly any tourists. Now they have started coming. While we would earn 300 rupees a day earlier, now we can earn anywhere between 500 and 1000 rupees," said Muhammed Lateef, a trader.
The
tourists, most of whom are first timers, braved cold winds and dipping
temperatures to have snow fights and even try their hand at skiing. "This
is the first time I am coming to this place. There is going to be snow,
there is going to beauty all around and love all around, said Harsha,
another tourist. Gulmarg, with its natural slopes and inclines, is the
country's premier ski resort.
-Feb 15, 2007
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