Winter Festival at Mount Abu

The twin of the famous Summer Festival of Mount Abu, is the Winter Festival. Unlike the Hindu calendar specific auspicious day to celebrate the Summer Festival, the Winter Festival is held on the last week of December every year. The tourism department of Rajasthan started organizing this festival as an extension of the Summer Festival, expecting to celebrate the friendliness and cheerfulness of the local population. Those who are unable to attend the unique experience of the Summer Festival, still get the chance of attending the same in the winter and bask in the everlasting impression of the experience of the location, culture and warmth of the populace.

The first day of the festival is inaugurated with a traditional procession, starting from the RTDC (Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation’s) Hotel Shikhar. This procession concludes the Nakki Lake Chowk. The entire event is marked by folk acts, dances, recitals and other performances, exhibiting the culture of Rajasthan and neighboring state of Gujarat. Similar to the Summer Festival, Winter Festival also runs through three days. RTDC, Mount Abu’s Municipal Board and the District Administration are the joint organizers of this event.

The second and the third day escalated the its pinnacle of excitement, where various competitions are organized. Skaters’ Show, Skate Race, Horse Race, Panihari Matka Race, Tug of War, Deepdan and various other competitions keep the people engaged throughout the day. The Boat Race on the exotic Nakki Lake acts as the icing on the cake, as people watch the nail biting finish of this race with baited breath.  The live band performance by the CRPF (India’s Central Reserve Police Force) mesmerizes the crowd of revelers with its grand orchestra. Shaam-e-Qawwali musical performance, soothes the excited nerve of the people in the evening. On the third and final day of the event, huge display of fireworks in done in the evening to mark the end of the ceremony.