The Shimla Winter Carnival is an awe-inspiring festival being a harmonious blend of a lively and vibrant celebration of culture, art, tradition, cuisine and tourism in the heart of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Shimla's marvellous annual winter carnival will be held from 24th December to 2nd January, acting as a major source of attraction not only for tourists but for locals as well. This year's carnival will be a 10 days event highlighting various local and international food stalls, traditional costumes, traditional dance forms, live music performances, street play and parades etc set to exhilarate festive spirits within the audience. This carnival will have both Christmas Day and New Year Celebrations, thereby giving a unique opportunity to experience the region's rich culture, heritage and thrilling winter activities in midst of beautiful mountains and trees covered fluffy white blanket of snow.
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Beautiful preparations for Shimla winter carnival in The Ridge |
Key highlights of Shimla's Winter Carnival:
1. Grand Opening Ceremony: The Chief Minister Shri Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated the Carnival followed by Nati performance featuring women from 500 self help groups on the Ridge ground and cultural parade which will feature artists from various districts of Himachal Pradesh showcasing their talents and culture.
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Pahari Nati, Shimla Winter Carnival |
The Ridge and The Mall road was decorated with beautiful lights, students of fine arts have made paintings showcasing their talents, various cuisine stalls showcasing local and international delicacies have been put and additionally various small local businesses have put their stalls.
2. Foods and Street markets: The food and street markets will be kept open throughout the festival. Several local, traditional dishes like jalebi, rabri, madra, siddu, babru etc. will be served to set their taste buds tingling. People can enjoy having these delicious food and also explore the local markets which sell traditional Himachali clothes.
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Famous Himachali dishes |
3. Cultural performance: Cultural dance like Nati will be performed showing the heritage of Shimla, various local singers will be giving live performaces, famous singers like shabab Sabri and Rajeev Sharma will charm the audience, Arun Jasta (famous pahari singer) will take you through the traditional journey of Himachal Pradesh.
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Cultural performances in Shimla Winter Carnival |
4. Ice Skating Carnival: Located in the famous "Shimla Ice Skating Rink", people can enjoy thrilling activities like Ice hockey, figure skating and open skating sessions. Being the oldest ice skating rink in Asia adds to it special charm.
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Locals welcoming New Year 2025 In Shimla Ice Skating rink |
5. Himachal Fashion Week: Considered as one of the main highlights of Shimla's Winter Carnival featuring many aspiring models who want to show their talents. Not only traditional attire but fusion of traditional with latest trendy modern fashion is one of the theme of Fashion week. It displayed flawless mix of style, talent, culture and multi cultural diversity of Himachal Pradesh.
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Contenstants and winners of Himachal Fashion week |
6. Art and craft exhibitions: People can purchase traditional Himachali items like Pashmina Shawls, wooden crafts, delicate embroidery work and other items like pottery, handcrafted jewellery, beautiful souvenirs, paintings made by local artists that present the timeless beauty of the region.
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Pashmina Shawl |
7. Adventure Sports: Apart from skiing, adventure sports like paragliding, trekking, sledding, snowboarding are also available.
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Skiing in Kufri |
Ticket prices:
- For General entry the ticket prices range from INR 200 - INR 500, it will give you access to general events.
- For VIP ticket the prices range from INR 1000 - INR 1500, it will give you option to reserve seats in advance and have exclusive access to shows and performances.
- For Adventure activities like Skiing, ice skating, ice hockey the prices of tickets range from INR 300 - INR 1000 per activity.
Accommodation
Tourists are advised to do booking in advance as there is huge influx of tourists who are flocking to Himachal to see Winter Carnival celebration. 70 % of hotels are already booked in advance as Himachal received fresh snowfall before Christmas. Some of the popular places to stay in Shimla are-
- Treebo Maharaja, near Mall Road
- The Hosteler's homestay, near I.S.B.T., bypass, Advance Study and HPU shimla
- B&B Aston Shimla hills
- The hosteller Shimla
- Hotel Willowbanks
Conclusion
The winter carnival of Shimla hill promises to be unforgettable experience showcasing beautiful blend of region's culture, tradition, heritage, art and snowy mountains adding to its charm. Tourists are sure in for a thrilling experience with Ice skating and other adventure sports, having taste of most palatable Himachali delicacies, exquisite exhibitions, art and craft followed by lively and exciting performances given by talented locals and famous singers. Don't miss your chance to be part of this incredible Winter Carnival in Shimla. Don't forget to comment and share with your friends if you like the post!!
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