Manali Winter Carnival 2016 - 2nd to 6th January 2016. Manali Winter Carnival 2014 - 2nd to 6th January 2014
The winter carnival of Manali began its journey way back in 1977. Parmar the then Chief Minister of Himachal. The show, infact, was brainchild of Shri Harnam Singh, the founder of WHMI (that is how the present Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports was known as
then) This Mountaineering Institute was then in its infancy and looking for areas of growth. Water sports and snow sports were its natural offshoots as both these resources are abundant in the State. In order to popularize skiing Shri Harnam Singh started open ski competitions at the upcoming Solang Slopes. Skiing then was dominated by skiers of HAWS, ITBP and Gulmarg Ski School - all professionals; participations of locals and non-professionals was only notional. These competitions were successful in drawing young blood and attracting a lot of local enthusiasts to the sport. One look at the breed of the skiers at the highest level shows that the initiative was highly productive. To further boost the sport and exhibit it to the lay public and the tourists the Director of WHMI started hosting cultural events simultaneously with the skiing competitions. This was the beginning of the Manali Winter Carnival. The cultural events were organized at the Manu Rang Shala and attracted teams of students and non-students from all over India, particularly Mumbai. Unfortunately this arrangement couldn’t continue beyond 1984. However, the skiing activities in Solang Nala kept going on uninterrupted and various State and National level competitions have been organized from time to time in addition to the regular courses. From 1985 to 1992 this was conducted by a club of Manali Youth named Manu Kala Kendra.In the year 1993 members of Manu Kala Kendra joined hands with Trios Mumbai and continued the Winter Carnival Manali by organizing Cultural Competitions on the earlier lines. These events were no longer tied up with the winter sports at Solang. Nonetheless the festival became highly popular but earned for itself the status of State Level Function. This happened in the year 1999, Prof. P K Dhumal, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh made this announcement as he inaugurated the Carnival that year. Since then the Carnival has become an important event in the cultural calendar of Himachal and it has been celebrated with much fanfare each year. The Carnival 2008 once again marked a turning point in the history of Carnival, infact, it will be right to say that the events have actually come a full circle. Once again the Cultural and Skiing events are being organized side by side. First it was skiing that occasioned the display of culture and now it is culture that is being used to highlight the sport of skiing. This reciprocity surely will grant strength to each other and make them prosper mutually. Hopefully in coming years it will lead to the hosting of some international skiing event very soon. The 12th State Level Winter Carnival 2010 organised from 7th February to 11th February 2010 in a befitting and attractive manner. Several new attractions have been added in the form of Skiing Championship, Himachali Food Festival, Craft Bazaar, Local Band Competition, Folk Dances, Street Plays, Adventure Sports etc,. It was planned to make the event a big tourist attraction and a showcase for the rich Himachali culture & traditions. For the first time, efforts are being made to make the tourists directly participate in the Carnival by converting the entire 250 metre stretch of the Manali Mall from the Ram Bagh Chowk to the Ibex Chowk into an area of Carnival activities. It is planned to organize different activities on the Mall and the adjoining available area. In the 13th Carnival once again Manu Kala Kendra was invited to join hands to upgrade the level of Carnival. After joining hand with Manu Kala Kendra, 30 teams arrived to participate from various states of india and Sh. Prem Kumar Dhumal the Chief Minister once again impressed with its performance declared the carnival a national festival. To promote tourism, Carnival committee has decided to motivate travel agencies of different states in India to promote package during the carnival and many travel agents agreed to do so. It is proposed to organize this Carnival on the basis of the Carnivals organized in other parts of the Country and abroad, so that the Manali Winter Carnival occupies an important place in the tourism calendar of events and offers a new tourist attraction in the off-season too. The local office of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation and the private Hoteliers have also been advised to offer special packages on the basis of the Christmas & New Year packages so that a greater number of tourists are attracted. The event is being publicized in a big way and promises to be a big tourist attraction. For more detail\ visit Official website of this festival:
★ www.manaliwintercarnival.com ★
✔ Manali Winter Festival 2014
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