Apricots charm tourists in Kargil

Srinagar: From India’s top filmmakers to vloggers and tourists, thousands of people have thronged Kargil to attend the mega apricot festival.

Organized by the tourism department, the festival is aimed to promote tourism in the cold desert.

 `Chuli Menndoq 2023′ offers visitors the chance to stock up on locally made goods, including apricot jellies, dried fruit, juices, and even wine.

Traditional music and dance, local food, craft exhibitions, and guided tours are lined up for the visitors.

 The festival, which started on April 8, has attracted tourists from worldwide with the department planning to hold more such events to bring Kargil on the tourism map.

 “We have been to China to witness apricot blossom earlier in 2016. Kargil is a paradise. There are different varieties of apricots. We heard about this festival and booked our flight to Leh to witness this festival,” said Rahul Mehta, a tourist, and vlogger.

 Officials said this year Kargil is witnessing a heavy rush of tourists in the spring season.

“We are witnessing a good rush of tourists, mostly foreigners. This year the tourist footfall has been more compared to the last year. The festival is aimed to promote tourism in the region and make Kargil an all-weather tourist destination,” Aga Syed Taha, Assistant Director, Tourism, told The Kashmir Monitor.

Taha said the festival has increased the popularity of Kargil with enquiries coming from worldwide for upcoming events in the Himalayan region.

“We are getting a good number of enquiries from tourists about the destination in the region to visit. More events will be held in coming months to make Kargil a potential tourist destination of Ladakh,” he said.

Apricots are believed to have been brought to the dry area by Chinese traders traveling along the Silk Road. It is now an essential component of Ladakh’s culture, heritage, and economy.

In Ladakh, apricots are usually served as desserts, particularly during traditional festivals.

According to a research paper published by the Korean Society for Horticultural Science, Ladakh apricots can be classified into two categories based on kernel taste. Fruits with a bitter kernel are called Khante while those with a sweet kernel are called Ngarmo.