Himachal eyes UNESCO heritage tag for historic Kullu Dasehra

Anshita Mehra

The Tribune Service

New Delhi, October 10

The Himachal Pradesh government is eyeing the UNESCO heritage tag for the International Kullu Dasehra, which will be held this year between October 24 and 30.

The countdown for the eagerly awaited festival officially began in the capital on Tuesday with a curtain-raising event at Himachal Sadan where the state government and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) dwelt on his significance.

Sunder Singh Thakur, Chief Parliamentary Secretary and chairman of the Kullu Dussehra Festival Committee, unveiled a teaser for the festival and a brochure offering glimpses of the festival’s highlights.

The events that will take place at the festival include the cultural parade where national and international troupes will showcase their culture, artisan showcase with award winning artists showcasing their craftsmanship and a feast of culinary delights.

Thakur said the International Kullu Dasehra Festival, steeped in history, dates back to the 17th century.

Anju Ranjan, Deputy Director General, Culture, ICCR, provided insights into the participation of international troupes in the festival.

The Dasehra Festival will feature cultural troupes from approximately 20 countries, including Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Iran, Romania, Croatia, Vietnam, Russia, Taiwan, and Israel, among others.

She said the finest cultural troupes from this festival would perform and experience the cultural richness at the Kullu Dasehra festival.

Thakur said the state government was working to make the festival a success in order to revive tourism which has taken a huge hit due to the recent extreme weather events in Himachal. He said the travel time from Chandigarh to Kullu had reduced from six to four hours and 13 out of 15 tunnels had been opened for travel.

Amidst the fear of landslides, Thakur said that the members of the organising team would travel via road to reassure the tourists and boost their confidence. Operational flights from Amritsar, Chandigarh and Delhi to Kullu are facilitating tourist arrivals, he said.

Thakur said the state was hoping to register the International Kullu Dussehra Festival with UNESCO.

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