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The high-altitude Himalayan resort town of Manali, which has a reputation as a backpacking centre and winter destination, was blanketed in a thick layer of snowfall on Monday.
The city adorned in white drapes looked ethereal with tree branches that wore frost ornaments against the pale backdrop. Meanwhile, Rohtang La Mountain pass in Himachal Pradesh also received a fresh bout of snow in the region. Visuals show the snow covering the powerlines, making them invisible to bare eyes and also susceptible to causing power outages in the area. Following a fresh spell of snowfall in parts of Himachal Pradesh, tourists from northern India also to the famous summer capital, Shimla. Thousands of tourists are visiting Kufri and also the highest Mahasu Peak, which is situated at an altitude of 9500 feet above sea level. Earlier a week ago, a sudden bout of snowfall in the region resumed business in the area, which was on hold due to a dry spell. Tourists, locals and adventure enthusiasts expressed joy. A tourist from Mumbai said, "We are enjoying it and feeling very good. I am skiing for the first time. The weather is very good. We are skiing, tube sliding, and ice skating. It is fun. Everyone should come and enjoy skiing here. As per the data from the state tourism department, nearly 17,20,000 tourists thronged the state in 2019, including 4,00,000 foreign tourists, a jump of nearly 5 per cent in comparison to the year 2018. An economy of over Rs 11,000 crore is generated in the state of Himachal Pradesh in the tourism sector and it is considered a backbone for the economy in the state, which contributes to 7.3 per cent of the state GDP. (ANI)
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