Mandi cultural festival draws tourists' attention in Shimla

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 30 (ANI): The traditional festival of Mandi district managed to captivate a granduer flock of tourists in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla. The five-day festival 'Mesmerizing Mandi' commenced on May 26 and wrapped up on May 30. The festival celebrated the culture of Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district. Myriad of stalls were setup to exhibit distinct cuisines, handloom, art, shawls, architecture, spices and antiques of Mandi at the Ridge. Shawls and other handloom stalls witnessed some real good sales. Shimla's Gaiety Heritage Cultural Complex's open theatre, located at city's heart was portraying the culture of Mandi via the traditional folk dance and songs. Distinct dance moves and beats could be seen and heard. The festival is a source of amusement and is satiating the inquisitiveness of the locals and tourists as well. Handloom products are on sale and attracting buyers in Shimla. Organiser of the event B. K. Sharma told ANI, "The festival was aimed at giving a glimpse of the Mandi culture. We tried to portray rich and plush culture of our town. From attire to cuisine, from language to dance-song, we tried making both the locals and tourists acquainted with the culture of Mandi. The best part of the whole picture is that tourists can know it all about Mandi by sitting in Shimla only. They do not have to walk an extra mile to Mandi." "Apart from the cultural aspect, we zeroed in on the commercial aspect as well. Slew of items have been on sale and cuisine and shawls stalls have seen some real profit," Sharma added. A tourist from Mumbai, Kamlesh Mundra, said "It was a good experience. Folk music and folk dance should be preserved as they help keep the culture and history of the country alive. Apart from this people get connected to their roots and feel emotionally involved." "The program has helped people getting enlightened about the culture of Himachal Pradesh," Mundra added. (ANI)