Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 25 Feb: Tehri is all set to witness a major tourism boost with the organisation of the Tehri Lake Festival from 6 to 9 March. From a serene boat ride across the lake that engulfed the old Tehri town to rafting on the swift currents of the Ganga, from an adventurous trek to the mysterious Khait Parvat to offering prayers at the ancient Raghunath Temple in Devprayag and practising yoga at the sacred confluence, the festival promises a unique opportunity to experience all these activities under one grand event.
The Himalayan O2– Tehri Lake Festival is being jointly organised by the Tehri district administration and the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Council. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is expected to inaugurate the festival on 6 March. Over the course of four days, a series of diverse activities will be conducted at prominent locations across Tehri district. District Magistrate Nitika Khandelwal shared with the media that the primary objective of the festival is to establish Tehri as a leading tourist destination while simultaneously generating employment opportunities at the local level. She informed that along with adventure activities such as trekking, mountain biking, rock climbing and rafting, the event will feature cultural programmes, a Master Chef competition besides a fashion show to promote local traditions and competitions in photography and other creative fields.
During the festival, the participants will also have the opportunity to win attractive prizes amounting to as much as Rs 1 lakh. Various competitions including that of Master Chef, photography, painting, social media reels, group fashion show, Mr and Miss Tehri, rafting and rap singing will be organised at different venues. The first prize winner in select categories may receive up to Rs 1 lakh, while the second and third prize winners will be awarded Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 respectively. In addition, ten consolation prizes of Rs 5,000 each will also be distributed.
The inaugural ceremony on 6 March will be held at Koti Colony, where events such as the food festival, Mr and Miss Tehri contest, Master Chef Competition and a theatrical presentation based on the life of Veer Madhav Singh Bhandari will be staged. The officials claimed that the cultural performances will add vibrancy to the festival, with the Pandavaas band performing on 6 March at Koti Colony, followed by a musical presentation by Amit Trivedi on 7 March.
It has been claimed that the adventure enthusiasts will find the festival equally engaging, as several programmes have been planned in the remote Pratapnagar block of Tehri district, including the Majaf–PD Trek on 7 March and the That–Khait Parvat Trek on 8 March. The Basal Tal Trek will be organised in Ghansali, while in Narendra Nagar block rafting from Brahmpuri to Kharasrot on the Ganga will take place on 8 March. The event will also include a mountain biking ride from Suwakholi to Devalsari in the Dhanaulti region.
Blending spirituality with adventure, the festival seeks to offer participants an opportunity to visit the renowned Raghunath Temple in Devprayag, attend the Ganga Aarti at the sacred confluence and participate in yoga sessions along the banks. A visit to the historic observatory at Devprayag has also been arranged, enabling participants to explore the region’s spiritual and cultural heritage alongside its natural splendour.
