Shimla : Hundreds of new year revellers thronged Shimla’s ice skating rink to watch the exciting ice-skating festival in this Himachal Pradesh capital.
On display at South Asia’s oldest natural ice skating were events like , ice hockey , ice racing , figure skating , fancy dress and the torch race .
“Over 350 people participated in the ice skating carnival including school children ,†said Bhuvnesh Banga , Secreatry of the Shimla Ice Skating Club said.
Speaking about the long tradition of skating here Banga said , “The annual winter carnival is over 50 years old and is very popular with both locals and tourists.â€
“Skating began here during the British colonial era in the 1920s . Famous people like Nehru , Marshal Tito , Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and some of the biggest film stars of the hindi film industry have skated here ,†Banga said.
A tourist from Chennai told the Hill Post , “In the absence of snow this year for new year’s eve in Shimla I really enjoyed watching the unique sport ice skating here .â€
Video: Nagender Ranta
” Where are my dancing ( skating ) shoes ?! “