The scenic tourist destination of Doodhpathri in Budgam district, Kashmir, hosted a day long Snow Festival cum Employment Mela here on 2nd February 2023. Both the events were inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner Budgam, S F Hamid, in presence of Director Tourism Kashmir, Fazlul Haseeb.
The festival was attended by hundreds of local and domestic tourists and was filled with exciting snow sports & cultural activities. During the festival, unique sports such as snow kabaddi, tug of war, rallies of all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles and ski runs were played.
The cultural events included performances in folk music and a skit related to Nasha Must J&K Campaign. The purpose of the skit was to spread awareness about staying drug-free among the youth.
The event also saw the launch of a ski-hiring facility which shall provide tourists with ski equipment at a nominal cost. This will enhance the skiing experience at Doodpathri and make it more attractive for adventure sports.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Commissioner Budgam expressed his satisfaction at the huge turnout at the event. He praised the enthusiasm and dedication of locals and acknowledged the efforts of the Tourism Department for making Doodhpathri an all season destination and collaborating with the district administration on such a successful event. He further explained that this event has a unique model wherein tourism, employment and infrastructure sectors are being approached in a convergent manner for the sustainable development of the area. He expressed confidence that such events will eventually see Doodhpathri emerge as best winter destination in J&K and also generate self employment opportunities for the youth.
The Employment Mela was a major highlight of the festival, with hundreds of youth from different areas of Budgam attending the event. They were counseled about various employment opportunities in different sectors by representatives from leading corporates and business houses. Appointment letters were also handed out to some selected employment seekers.
Speaking on the occasion, the Director Tourism, Kashmir, Fazlul Haseeb said the Department is giving boost to Doodhpathri as a winter destination. He said the destination has been kept open this winter to attract more tourists adding the introduction of various snow activities and operationalisation of ski hire shop today would be a game changer for the destination. He announced that the ski drag lift at the destination would be made functional by next summer which would make Doodhpathri as a prominent skiing resort.
Notably, in order to promote tourism in Doodpathri, a calendar of similar events is planned this year.