Uttarkashi, The hill-town of Hursil is getting ready to play the perfect host for the 2nd Edition of the Apple Festival, coming 23rd-24th of October.
The apple seed of Garhwal, a gift by a man called Fredrick E. Wilson aka Pahadi Wilson introduced the apples to the Bhagirathi Valley. Little did he know that two hundred years down the line, he would one day be remembered for bringing prosperity to the region thanks to the bumper apple produce, putting not just Hursil, but the entire District of Uttarkashi on the map of horticulture produce and tourism.
Today, the region boasts of eight varieties of apples including Wilson Apple, Red Delicious and Royal Delicious to name a few, grown in abundance, in the region. Aarakot hills, Sankri-Natwar region including Hursil have been successful with new apple stock brought in from Netherlands, France and Italy as well.
The two-day unique fair is an attempt by the district administration to bring apple buyers and sellers on an interactive platform. “This is a bit different from other District carnivals or fest, in the sense, that we are dedicating an entire day to the farmers from the region. There will be farmer workshops, field-visits, soil testing by experts from the field who will assist and guide apple growers to boost their produce,” DM Uttarkashi Dr. Ashish Kumar, tells us.
On the second day, locals and tourists, invitees to the Apple harvest will be in for a treat. A heritage walk through Bagori Village for those interested to get a peak into history, Nature walk to Lama-Tikri, Local Folk Dance, along with other activities, including food stalls catering mouth-watering, lip-smacking apple delights and other savouries will be the highlight. “There will be something for everyone. We will work on making sure that you return home with a beautiful experience which keeps you coming back to Hursil year after year,” the District Magistrate sums up.
