Upper reaches of the Kashmir valley including the famous tourist resort of Gulmarg received season's first heavy snowfall on Friday. Mukhtar Ahmad reports.

The snowfall spread a white blanket on the mountain tops and slopes, dipping the temperatures across the valley.

All photographs: Umar Ganie

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The heavy snowfall at Gulmarg is an invitation to the winter tourism enthusiasts to visit this famous ski resort which plays host to the skiers and winter sport lovers.

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The traffic of winter tourists to Gulmarg, 45 kms from capital Srinagar has been registering a steady increase over the last few years with the states tourism department adding to the winter sports related activities at the resort.

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Apart from the famous Gondola which takes tourists on a panoramic ride through the pine trees to Kangdori, 2.5 km above Gulmarg, the winter resort now boasts of facilities like skating rink, snow bike rides, snow boarding, Gulmarg Global derby and skiing.

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Infrastructure wise, Gulmarg has undergone a big transformation over the last few years with better road connectivity, power and other tourist related facilities.

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The snowfall at Gulmarg was received with cheers both by the tourists and the locals for whom the early snowfall would mean more tourists and more business.

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"The snowfall in Gulmarg was a fairytale scene for me and my family which we will never forget," said Rohit Sharma, a tourist from Delhi.

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Pahalgam in south Kashmir and Sonamarg in north which experience zero tourist activity during the winter are also receiving attention from the tourists with the flow of tourists seeing an upward trend this winter.