SHIMLA/KEYLONG: Tourists Throng Hill Towns to catch glimpse of snow in higher reaches Himachal. Lahaul valley on the northern side of the Rohtang Pass  remains shut for the vehicles due to snowfall. 

As many as 16200 vehicles entered the capital city today.

Snowfall has come as a big hope for the apple farmers as most of apple belt of Shimla and Kullu and parts of Mandi and Kinnaur and Lahaul Spiti experienced light to moderate snowfall for the last 24 hours.

The snowfall is major attraction for tourists in Hill towns and white manure for the apple orchards  in Himachal, said Nakul Khullar, a progressive and award winning orchardist and Hotel Magnate of Baragarh Resort and Spa. 

The latest among the stars entering the resort was none other than Comedy King  Kapil Sharma, who was there for shoot of the show in landlocked Lahaul valley.  

The snow picture capturing a 'Human image' in  Riuni Forest  from Oakhtadhar on the Chopal-Riuni-Oakhta road has gone viral on social media on Makkar Sankranti, with believers likening the image to that of Lord Shiva. 

Shimla Police has advised commuters not travel on the slippery road till tomorrow as the PWD is on the job restoring the roads for smooth flow of traffic.

Snowfall  not only fulfil the chilling and moisture requirement for the apple industry, it also recharges the shrinking Glaciers, which are lifeblood for the rivers and hydropower projects located in the basins.  

The Atal Tunnel remained inaccessible from Manali and Keylong side  due to the fresh spell of snowfall, even as the snow- loving tourists continue  to throng the tourist towns of Manali, Shimla and Dalhousie and Dharamshala.

 Choordhar, the seat of the Shilgur Devta, Chharki and Khirki, Chanshal, Narkanda, Moral Danda, Baghi and Khadrala, Kharapathar and Kupparh and Kufri and Fagu  also wore thick white coat  of snow, disrupting traffic movement on the high spots  at Sungri, Baghi, Narakanda, Kharapathar. 

But the roads have been restored for traffic. But the Chopal road between Chambi and Khirki remained slippery due to the two feet of snow.

The Manali-Keylong-Leh national highway from North portal of the Atal Rohtang Tunnel is being restored by the BRO. The road has turned slippery due to snowing.

The roads from North portal to Koksar and Rohtang Pass and Gramphu-Kaza and from Darcha to Serchu remained closed for vehicles.