Mandi's Arju crowned Winter Queen 2023

Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, January 7

Arju Rana, a resident of Janjehli in Mandi district, won the coveted crown of Winter Queen 2023 at the concluding ceremony of the five-day Winter Carnival at Manali yesterday. Chief guest Bhuvneshwar Gaur, MLA from Manali, crowned the winner, who defeated 26 other contestants and also won Rs 1 lakh award.

Nitika Thakur, a resident of Shimla, was declared the first runner-up while Smriti, a resident of Banjar in Kullu district, was adjudged the second runner-up. The first and second runners-up were awarded Rs 50,000 and Rs 30,000, respectively.

Dushyant Thakur from Sainj in Kullu district won the ‘Voice of Carnival–2023’ competition while Arpita Thakur from Kullu stood second and Shailesh Bodh from Lahaul stood third.

Mahila Mandals from the right bank areas of the Beas won the ‘Maha Natti’ contest and were awarded Rs 2 lakh while the runners-up, Mahila Mandals from the left bank areas, were awarded Rs 1 lakh. Awards were also presented to the winners of other events like a fashion show in traditional dresses, folk dance, classical dance, folk instruments, talent show, etc.

Singer Thakur Dass Rathi was the star performer of the event. The artistes of the Shangal musical group from Gohar, Mandi, enthralled the audience with a folk dance. The cast of Rudra, The Ultimate Crew, Kullu, fascinated the audience with a dance performance. The fashion show by the artistes of Starred Production, Jammu, was also a centre of attraction. The Black Spider Crow group from Nabha (Punjab) gave the message of patriotism through a fashion show.

The chief guest congratulated all the participants. Winter Carnival Committee vice-chairman and Manali SDM Surender Thakur thanked everyone for their cooperation in making the carnival a success. He said such cultural events promoted the tourism industry and showcased the traditional heritage of the region.

There was an atmosphere of enthusiasm among the people of the valley as well as tourists. The tourist influx and the occupancy rate in hotels had increased due to the carnival, he claimed.