International Kullu Dussehra curtain raiser ceremony held at New Delhi

SHIMLA 14 October, 2026

MLA and Chairman of International Kullu Dussehra Organizing Committee Sundar Singh Thakur presided over a curtain raiser ceremony today in New Delhi and said that the renowned International Kullu Dussehra will be organised from 21st to 27th October, 2026 at Kullu. He said that Governor Kavinder Gupta will inaugurate the event on 21st October, whereas Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will preside over the closing ceremony.

He said that a global dance event, which will be an amalgamation of local and international dance, will be a major attraction besides drone and laser show.

While speaking about the International Dance Festival, he said that this will be the main highlight of the Kullu Dussehra as it showcases cultures of various participating countries along with the colorful folk dances of Himachal Pradesh.

He said that 12 countries, including Thailand, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Russia, Kazakhistan and the USA have confirmed participation and added that 24 countries were expected to participate. He said that ICCR is the cultural partner whereas NZCC and SZCC were also contributing to the cultural programme.

He gave a glimpse of the historical tradition of Kullu Dussehra which dates back to 17th Century and added that Kullu was the abode of local deities and the land was known as Dev Bhoomi because of their presence. He added that invitations have been sent to 346 local deities so far for this year’s event.

He said that the Chief Minister has directed to celebrate the event on a grand scale hence efforts were not only being made to improve the quality of events but also focus was being laid on expansion. The seven days long event will be celebrated as per the custom of previous years and stalls will be put up by the various departments and organisations. He said that local sports competitions and nasha mukti abhiyan will be significant events of the seven day long programme.

He informed that the curtain raiser ceremony is being held at New Delhi to generate awareness among people on a broader platform about the event which showcases rich cultural heritage of the state and also is a huge tourist attraction where they can witness colorful cultural programmes of many countries and can also purchase exquisite items like handicrafts, woollen clothes etc.