Hoping for more snowfall |
The snowfall on the very first day of Chillai Kalan came as a relief. As snow finally draped Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg in white, it ended a prolonged and worrying dry spell.
For weeks, the absence of snow had cast a long shadow. Gulmarg, one of India’s sought-after skiing destination, was desperately waiting for snow to shore up its season, threatening livelihoods tied to winter tourism. Hotel owners, ski instructors, guides, pony-men, gondola operators and small traders all watched the skies with mounting concern. Snow’s arrival on last Sunday, at least for now, eased those fears and set the stage for a........