Kullu, March 13 : People from across Himachal Pradesh converge every year in Kullu District's Chachogi village to participate in a unique festival in which both the Gods and demons are worshipped.

The weeklong festival is known as "Kotlu". It is held to celebrate the compromise reached between the Gods and demons.

Chansari Village (Kullu), Mar 13 : The living conditions of rural people in Himachal Pradesh''s Kullu District has improved drastically, thanks to the application of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).

Several development works are being executed to improve the standard of living in these rural areas.

Take for example, Chansari Village in Kullu District. This village has experienced positive changes in the employment sector since the introduction of NREGA.

Kullu, Jan 4 : Power crisis loomed over Himachal Pradesh as the water level in reservoirs had fallen steeply with water flows in rivers and rivulets getting drastically reduced due to plummeting temperatures.

Due to the non-melting of the snow following very low temperatures, the reservoirs are not receiving enough water to maintain the minimum required levels at which the hydel-power projects are operated.

T. Swaminathan, the General Manager of Malana Hydro-Electric power project of said that hydro-power generation is water dependent and during winter season the temperature is very low in the upper reaches and the snow doesn''t melt. Due to this the rivers do not get the requisite amount of water to generate electricity.

Naggar (Kullu), Jan. 2 : A number of villagers in Himachal Pradesh's Naggar Village participate in a unique procession in which the participants give choicest of expletives as part of an age-old ritual to keep any probable evil spirit at bay from the vicinity of the area.

About two thousand villagers took part in this annual procession earlier this week, which went around the village following the age-old practice here.

"We take out a procession hurling obscenities, to ward off the evil spirits," said Joginder Acharya, the priest.

Kullu, Aug. 29 : Large number of local residents and visitors from different parts of the country and abroad enjoyed attending a special three-day apple festival held here this week.

Organised by Himachal Tourism, the apple festival was intended to promote tourism and spread awareness about various varieties of apples and apple products produced in Himachal, described to be the apple bowl of India.

One of the prime attractions at the festival was the facility to visit the apple orchards where the visitors could savour the fruit of their choice directly from the trees.

Kullu (Himachal Pradesh), July 21 : With a growing number of people going on pilgrimage to Shrikhand Mahadev shrine in Himachal Pradesh during mid-July, people of the area are concerned about the preservation of natural environs here.

Many environmentalists and holy men here opine that such a surge in the number of pilgrims here has started affecting the beauty of the place.

Most of these pilgrims who take up the 70-km Yatra, usually forget that they also need to prevent themselves and fellows from polluting the trek.

Pilgrims’ carry polythene bags and discard food leftovers which affect the place.

Environmentalists and the holy men now want people to be conscious of preserving the cleanliness of the environment.