Mussoorie celebrates winters, the winter-line Carnival

Pritpal Kaur

Those in search of a different kind of Christmas this year will have another place to choose from. The summertime respite situated just above Dehradun, our very own Mussoorie will celebrate the Winter-line carnival for the consecutive third year. The carnival will be organized by the local administration from 25th to 30th December '15.

During this five-day festival, traditional Uttrakhand artists and folk singers will perform. Jagar performer Basanti Bisht, Uttarakhand folk singer Narendra Singh Negi, and Gharhwali folk artist Pritam Barthwan will be the major attractions. Bollywood star Mohit Chauhan too will mark his presence. Not to leave behind the Qawwali performance by Nizami Bandhu.

Those who frequent Dehradun and Mussoorie on the road and have been facing problems due to difficult and poor road conditions may look forward to a better experience from the beginning of 2016. According to the District Magistrate of Dehradun Ravinath Raman, the road leading to Dehradun which has been undergoing construction and repair work will be completed by February 2016. It will be a four-lane high way that will save time and add comfort to the travellers who take the road to reach Dehradun and Mussoorie.

When asked about the poor condition and garbage lying at the sight of Sahstradhara, the famous sulphur springs situated on the outskirts of Dehradun, he informed me that it was being maintained by the panchayat. He assured me that he will look into the matter to make things better so that the tourists do not return disappointed after visiting such historical and important places in the state. He also added that the arrangement of a few other tourist attractions had been handed over to the local administration to make them feel important and inclusive.

Meanwhile the 'Ganga safayi abhiyaan' too is taking place in phases in the state of Uttrakhand where many dignitaries are participating enthusiastically. During the last few months, local people with the help of administration and celebrities had been cleaning Ganga right from it's source i.e. Gangotri and downwards and clearing the garbage left behind by those who still have to learn about the connection between cleanliness and Godliness.

Pritpal Kaur. Masters in Physics and Education, Pritpal Kaur started her journey into the world or words sometime around 1992-93. While working as casual announcer at AIR her short stories were published in Delhi press magazines and Hans. As she graduated to television, she reported for the newsmagazine 'Parakh' telecast on Doordarshan. Later she joined NDTV as a full-time correspondent, where she worked in the newsroom for close to six years before she left in 2002 for personal reasons. Her novel 'half moon' was published in the year 2012.