Himachal Pradesh is famously known as ‘the land of Gods and a thousand deities’. There is no wonder why locals call it ‘Devbhoomi’. Winters is a time of festivities back in Himachal and as any Himachali would put it- “We work in Summers while Winter is a time to relax back and dance and cheer while feeding on the storage.” Kullu- Manali is one place back at Himachal, known for its festivities- be it the grand Dussehra celebrations or the much indie Sharadotsav.
Sharadotsav is a yearly winter celebration of the people of hills. While it takes place mainly in the snow-clad town of Manali, people from not only the state but from the whole country flock back to be a witness to something this indie and this locale. It’s a week long affair, more like a color-studded carnival, which begins on January 2 and ends on January 6 every year.
It is this time of the year that winter is at its peak having tightened its grip all over the place. Celebrations include musical evenings, dance to the local songs famously known as ‘Naati’, worshiping Goddesses which involves grand processions and outdoor sports such as ice skiing. Fairs are set up where local traders come trading dry fruits, woolens and local produce. Children take ride on swings and sing merry songs.
This time, it has already snowed in Manali during the last 24 hours. The town has been seeing rain and snowfall since the last two days. We expect the same to continue between January 4 and 6 as well.
And not just this, Manali is witnessing sub-zero temperatures for about a month now. The lowest temperature recorded in this season was at -5.6°C on December 15. Today, minimum settled at -4.2 °C.
These severe weather conditions for sure have hampered some activities taking place in Sharadotsav 2019 but not the spirit of the locals. And, if anyone wants to go see Manali it’s just the time when the place reveals its true side - winters with snow all around, people relaxing and making merry along with everything at its best.
Image Credits – tourmyindia.com
Any information taken from here should be credited to Skymet Weather
