National Winter Carnival, Manali

National Winter Carnival, Manali Manali is one of the most popular destinations of the country. It turns into a ski resort for the winter. To celebrate the season and have the tourists participate, the tourist town does hold the National Level Winter Carnival at Manali from 2nd to 6th January every year. Started as a local event in the late 1970s but by the turn of the century the Manali Winter Carnival had become a popular event that brought together the natives and tourists as a harmonious community. It has grown in stature and now is celebrated as a national level festival of the State. Many tourists, honeymoon couples, beauty pageant aspirants, dance and cultural troupes, and winter sport enthusiasts do participate in the carnival. The objective of Manali Winter Carnival is to showcase the rich cultural-heritage of Himachal Pradesh. Colorful and fun filled programs like Carnival Parade, Winter Queen contests, cultural programmes, sports activities etc. are the major attraction of the Carnival. Manali can be reached by road and air, the airport being at Bhuntar, 50 kms away. Manali is 40 km from Kullu, 575 kms from Delhi, 320 km from Chandigarh and 260 kms from Shimla. Joginder Nagar, the nearest narrow gauge railhead, is 160 km from Manali. The Atal Tunnel, Rohtang is near to Manali. In the surroundings of Manali one can visit Naggar, Vashishth, Solang Valley, Rohtang Pass and Lahaul valley via Atal Tunnel. Places to stay: Himachal Tourism operates ‘Hotel Kunzum’, a deluxe hotel in the heart of the city, ‘Hotel Beas’ and ‘Tourist Lodge’ as budget accommodation, and ‘Hotel Manalsu’, ‘Hamta Cottages’, ‘Hadimba Cottages’ and ‘Log Huts’ as premium stay options in Manali. The resort has plenty of private hotel and guest house accommodation available. Home stay accommodation is also available in the area.