SHIMLA:  It was nearly a Housefull in tourist towns of Himachal Pradesh as hordes of Christmas revellers almost paint the town red by merrymaking, defying the big winter chill and the new Corona scare.  

Elsewhere in the Hills of Shimla district, it is time for festivities- Tyohar and Shant- in which lambs are slaughtered with the villagers enjoying meat eating nights with their families and guests to keep the life going. 

Himalayan towns from Leh, Kargil  in Ladakh, where locals celebrated Losar by flagging torch lights to beat the -15 Degree Centigrade temperature  to Keylong in Lahaul and Manali in Himachal, Christmas revellers thronged the towns in the hills to experience a “white Christmas”.    

In Ladakh the locals hurled torch lights in a Me-Phang celebrations as the Losar in Ladakh is celebrated ahead of Christmas and New Year in rest of the Buddhist region and in the country.  

They came calling from the plains and almost painted the towns like Shimla, Manali, Dalhousie, Dharamshala red.

The lighted and decked up Churches thronged with Carol singing and visitors as believers made it a point to celebrate the festival in a traditional manner.  

It was a gridlock in Shimla as thousands of tourist vehicles entered the capital city. The city’s traffic hotspots at Ghora Chowki, Railways, 103 Tunnel, ISBT, HP Tourism Lift, Khalini, New Shimla, Chota Shimla, Sanjauli, Dhalli and Charabara gave commuters a tough time.

Most sufferers of the grid lock were locals who got stuck in the traffic jams mainly between Charabara- Dhalli Chowk, and Dhalli tunnel and Sanjauli.

It took two hours to reach homes in New Shimla from Charabara due to the traffic jams. 

In the evening hours on eve of Christmas, there was one police jawan each at Charabra and Dhalli tunnel- the two major traffic bottle necks that the city administration and the successive state government have failed to solve so far.          

But the hoteliers had all smiles as they harvested a good Christmas season,  even as  Snowfall elude the revellers this time as well.  

The hoteliers say most of hotels were filled to their capacity. The tourists who could not get rooms and parking in the city, headed for home stays in Theog, ski resort of Narkanda, Chaila, Baghi-Ratnari and the like.  

The story is no different in Manali, Atal Tunnel, Keylong, Dharamshala and Dalhousie as well.

Atal tunnel gives glimpse of the snowclad Lahaul valley that gives a feeling of White Christmas to the tourists.   

Local devta in Lahaul is already out on tour to take care of hard life in the landlocked valley, believe the tribals. They walk in snowclad treks as if greeting guest like gods, comments a local.   

Like in previous season, the revellers defied all scare of Corona and the freezing chill.

Christmas  is followed by New Year eve where  more hordes  of revellers from all across the country are expected to flood tourist towns of Shimla, Manali, Kasol, Dharamshala, Dalhousie and Atal Tunnel  with a vengeance.

The Meteorological Department has also expressed the possibility of snowfall in the next one or two days that can add to the attraction and sending the number of visitors soaring.

Himachal Pradesh Police claim they have made all arrangements to maintain law and order, traffic regulations including other necessary security arrangements.

Additional police force has been made available to concerned District Superintendents of Police from the Battalions for the stated purpose, said the DGP.

That they shall arrange Cranes (Recovery Vans) and place them at appropriate locations to remove unauthorized parking to avoid traffic congestion.

If the revellers crossed the Lakshman Rekha defying law and order, HP Police have deployed drones at entry points like Shimla, Parwanoo and Pandoh.

It would estimate number of tourists entering in the State and check all nefarious activities as well.

HP police claim they shall depute adequate police force for traffic management and law and order duties.

The Police shall carry out regular search operations Hotels, Guest houses and other places of stay and shall also convene meetings with the hotel owners/managements in this regard.

Police say special care would be taken that the tourists do not face any inconvenience.

Superintendent of Police Cyber Crime has also been directed to take prompt action against such anti-social elements, who post any objectionable or misleading information on social media.

For any assistance Emergency contact helpline No. is 112.

Himachal Pradesh Police is fully committed and always ready for the safety and security of the tourists and general public as well, says DGP.