Shimla, Jan 14 (UNI) A large number of Hindu devotees are taking baths in hot or sulphur springs at Manikaran, Sunni, and Poanta Sahib on Tuesday, celebrating the Makara Sakranti festival at the same time as a cold wave plummets mercury below freezing point.
According to the meteorological department, the minimum temperature of Tabo in the Spiti Valley of the Lahaul Spiti district was minus 12.7 degrees, Kukumsri & Keylong minus 10.7 degrees, Kalpa (Kinnaur) minus one degree, and Bhuntar Airport 0.1 degrees.
Shimla 4.4, Una, Palampur in Kangra & Sundernagar in Mandi 2 degrees, Bhuntar 0.1 degrees, Dharamshala five degrees Nahan 6.6 degrees, Manali 1.9 degrees, Kangra 4 degrees, Dalhousie 1.4 degrees, Jubberhatti Airport, six degrees Tourist resort Kufri 2.3 degrees and Narkanda 0.1 degree.
Ground frost dipped the mercury to severe cold wave as Berthin in Bilaspur was two degrees, Una (2.2), Mandi (2.6), and Hamirpur 2, respectively.
In the early morning, visibility was very low in many places of the state due to fog formation, as dense fog reduced the visibility to 100 meters in Bilaspur town and 300 meter in Mandi.
In the day it was mainly sunny, and road conditions are improving in the state as snowbound roads and black ice thaw with sunny and clear weather in the day.
There is enough snow along the roads at Kufri, Narkanda, and the high reaches of Manali. Tourists are enjoying recent snow on the north and south portals of the Rohtang tunnel as it was opened up to Keylong.
According to Kinnaur district, most of the roads are open, and vehicular traffic is open.
A large number of Hindu devotees are rushing to Tatapani, Manikaran, and Poanta Sahib to enjoy the hot springs on the holy occasion of Makarsankranti. People offered prayers last night, burning bonfires in the street and distributing jaggery and sesame seed sweets.
