11-Day Long Apricot Blossom Festival Begins In Ladakh

The 11-day-long Apricot blossom festival commenced at the Garkone village in Kargil on Saturday. 
    
The festival is being held across Kargil from April 8-18 at various locations during which visitors can witness the mesmerizing blossom of Apricot trees and their products.
    
Locally known as the Chuli Menndoq festival, hundreds of visitors including a large number of national and international tourists and vloggers turned up at Garkone to witness it, an official said.
    
Officials of the Ladakh tourism department hoped to make Kargil an all-weather tourist destination in the coming years.
    
Assistant Director, of Tourism, Aga Syed Taha said the festival is aimed to promote tourism in the region and make Kargil an all-weather tourist destination. 
    
Highlighting the potential of the Aryan belt in attracting tourists, he said the festival will send out a positive message to the rest of the world and expressed hope that tourism will increase and push the economy further.
    
Along with the unique landscapes of Ladakh, tourists also get an opportunity to have a glimpse of local tradition, culture, and food, he said.