Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, is expected to be present in Uttarkashi today to open the Winter Festival, which is an event to promote tourism and cultural events in the hill district in the winter season. The festival is under the umbrella plan of the state government to create a year-long tourism program and help sustain the livelihoods of the locals in the mountainous areas.
The Winter Festival is also being arranged in order to demonstrate the rich cultural heritage of Uttarkashi, such as folk music, dance performances, local cuisine and handicrafts. Stalls with the products of local artisans, self-help groups, and women entrepreneurs are established to give them an opportunity to communicate with visitors directly and increase income generation during the off-season.
The authorities claimed that the festival will also bring in tourists when there is a general decrease in footfall following the end of the Char Dham Yatra. The government is trying to generate job opportunities among the young people of the country by ensuring that there is winter tourism in the country that can also stimulate small businesses associated with hospitality, transport and adventure tourism.
CM Dhami will officially open the festival in the course of his visit and will probably deliver a speech in front of a large gathering, emphasizing the willingness of the state government to develop its tourism in a sustainable way and achieve a balanced development of the region. He also has to go through the current development activities in the Uttarkashi district and meet the locals, traders, and tourism stakeholders.
The Chief Minister can also underline the necessity of enhancing road connectivity, basic infrastructure and tourist facilities at the border areas and hill areas to make Uttarakhand an annual round the year destination. The state government has been going around marketing destinations like Uttarkashi, Auli, Munsiyari and Chamoli as winter sports destinations, cultural tourism and eco-tourism destinations.
Our visit has been prepared in terms of administration and security. Arrangements have been made by the district officials and police authorities to manage traffic, control crowds and law and order to facilitate the smooth running of the programme. The cleanliness and beautification at the venue and the route of the Chief Minister have also been attracting the attention of civic agencies.
Uttarkashi Winter Festival is likely to last for some days and involve a number of cultural and recreational events. The incident demonstrates the interest of the Uttarakhand government in the promotion of the local culture, rural economic development, and the state as a four-season tourism destination, and the visit of the Chief Minister gave impetus to the much-anticipated event.
