Historic buildings proposed as cultural venues; administration focuses on tourism, visitor facilities and livelihood opportunities for local residents.
Mussoorie, October 29: The Dehradun district administration has begun preparations for the Mussoorie Winterline Carnival 2026, with a focus on showcasing the town’s historic landmarks, Uttarakhand’s cultural traditions and local talent while strengthening its tourism appeal.
District Magistrate Dr Ashish Chauhan chaired a review meeting at the NIC conference hall in the Dehradun Collectorate on Thursday, directing departments to coordinate preparations and ensure adequate arrangements for visitors.
With tourist numbers expected to increase during the carnival, Chauhan stressed the need for effective traffic management, security, drinking water supplies, road maintenance, cleanliness and improved tourist facilities.
He directed officials to beautify Mussoorie’s historic monuments and buildings and explore ways to incorporate these sites into the carnival programme. Proposed cultural activities would highlight the history of Mussoorie and Uttarakhand, local traditions, folk art and regional cuisine, offering visitors a closer look at the region’s heritage.
Officials were also instructed to study successful carnivals and tourism festivals at other destinations and identify best practices and innovative ideas that could be adapted to Mussoorie.
Emphasising the wider benefits of the event, the District Magistrate said the carnival should go beyond entertainment to promote tourism and create livelihood opportunities for local residents. Hotel operators, traders, transport service providers and local artists are among those the administration hopes will benefit from increased tourism activity.
He also stressed the importance of local community participation and directed departments to complete preparations on time, with visitor safety, convenience and interdepartmental coordination remaining key priorities.
Officials, Civic Representatives Attend Review Meeting
The meeting was attended by Mussoorie Municipal Council Chairperson Meera Saklani, SDM Rahul Anand, Chief Treasury Officer Neetu Bhandari, Superintendent of Police Jaya Baluni, District Rural Development Agency Project Director Vikram Singh, Deputy Municipal Commissioner Gaurav Kumar, Hotel Association President Sandeep Sahni, association secretary Ajay Bhargava and District Tourism Development Officer Jaspal Chauhan, among other officials and representatives.