Festivals of Manali, Himachal Pradesh, India
Though almost all the festivals are celebrated with zest and devotion, Dussehra gets special attention all over the valley. The festival is celebrated in the month of October during the autumn season when the rest of the country celebrates Durga Puja and Vijaya Dashami. The celebration goes on for a few days when all the people of the Kullu valley take part enthusiastically.
Hadimba Devi fair
The Hadimba Devi fair is another important event in this place and a rather big fair is organized in the Hadimba Devi temple complex. People from in and around the countryside come to visit this fair, which is held during the spring season when the valley is at its spectacular and colourful best.
Doongri Forest festival
The Doongri Forest festival, which is basically organized by the women folks of this place, is another major event of this place. Moreover, the winter sport carnival held in the mid-February draws a good number of tourists from all over the country and abroad.
Winter Carnival
Snow continues to play a major part in February's festivals and Himachal's Winter Carnival is also held this month. Ski slopes of Kufri, Manali and Narkanda come to life with adventure seekers competing their way downhill. For daredevils, Manali, as a base camp, offers best opportunity for Heli-Skiing.
Spring Festival
Spring festival is also called Basantotsava or Pipal jatra and takes place at Dhalpur ground Kullu from 28th April to 30th April. This fair has been declared a state festival by the Himachal Pradesh government. As it marks the beginning of the spring season (and also the tourist season) in the valley, it is also known as Spring Festival. |
