J&K: Tourists flock to Guldanda in Doda as bright sun follows season's first snowfall

Bhaderwah/Jammu, Jan 3 (PTI) The season’s first snowfall, followed by bright sunshine, has transformed Guldanda in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district into a picturesque winter hotspot, attracting a large number of tourists and locals with its scenic beauty.

The snowfall on New Year’s Day has offered much-needed relief to the tourism stakeholders hit hard by the Pahalgam terror attack last April that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.

The locals and the tourism players said the snowfall, the first of the season after a prolonged dry spell of two-and-a-half months, drew more than 200 tourist vehicles to Guldanda, located at a height of 9,555 ft above sea level on the Bhadarwah-Pathankot highway in Jammu province.

The sudden rush of visitors has brought cheers to the faces of tour operators and hoteliers, as all hotels and homestays are packed to capacity, which is considered a good omen for winter tourism.

“The tourism industry was literally on a ventilator after the Pahalgam attack, and the war-like situation between India and Pakistan that followed Operation Sindoor.

“But the snowfall on the first day of 2026 acted as a catalyst to break the ice. Since the last two days, all the hotels and guesthouses are packed with tourists from across the country,” Manish Kotwal, a hotelier from Nalthi-Bhaderwah, said.

He expressed hope that the positive trend will continue in the coming months.

Not only the hoteliers, but the small vendors putting up makeshift shops in Guldanda are also overjoyed with the sudden spurt in tourist footfall.

“The tourists are very happy, and so are we. The arrival of visitors means a source of livelihood for the local youth. We hope this phase continues for a longer period,” Yasir Wani, a local vendor, said.

Tourists from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan were seen enjoying the snow-clad slopes in Guldanda and Chattargalla, describing the experience as “fairytale-like” as they admired the beauty of the adjoining alpine meadows.

“We are regular visitors to the Vaishno Devi shrine, but this is our first visit to Bhaderwah, and the experience is unbelievable. The beauty of this valley is beyond words, and the vibe is so wonderful that we feel like staying here forever," Aadiya Vajpayee, 21, from Kanpur said.

She said they reached here on New Year's Eve and were blessed to witness the snowfall.

“We were extremely excited to see snow for the first time. It felt like a fairytale,” Monica from Churu in Rajasthan said. PTI COR TAS TAS ARI ARI