Folk drums, deity processions and the vivid swirl of Himachal's hill culture — Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced on Tuesday, 27 October 2026 that he would participate in the Kullu Carnival at the Kala Kendra, Dhalpur, Kullu, immediately after the closing ceremony of the International Kullu Dussehra Mela 2026.

Dhalpur's Kala Kendra: where the Mela ends and the Carnival begins

The Dhalpur ground in Kullu town is the beating heart of the Dussehra celebrations — a vast open expanse that transforms each October into a fairground of deity palanquins, artisan stalls and cultural performances. The Kala Kendra (art centre) on its edge hosts the formal stage events, from inauguration to the closing ceremony that winds down the week-long mela. The Kullu Carnival — a procession of folk dance troupes, musicians and local craft displays — then takes over as an informal, celebratory coda to the structured programme.

Kullu Dussehra is distinct from the rest of India's Dussehra in one significant way: it begins precisely when most of the country's celebrations end, on Vijaya Dashami, and runs for seven days. Hundreds of local deities (devtas) are carried in palanquins from their village shrines to Dhalpur, turning the ground into a rare convergence of Himachal's scattered hill communities. The festival draws visitors from across the state and neighbouring regions, making it one of Himachal Pradesh's most prominent tourism anchors each October.

A tradition of chief ministerial presence at the closing

Himachal Pradesh Chief Ministers have long made the Kullu Dussehra closing a fixture in the state's cultural calendar. The gesture carries both symbolic and practical weight: it signals the government's commitment to preserving folk traditions and gives the tourism push a visible political stamp. CM Sukhu's attendance follows that established pattern, underlining the Congress government's positioning on cultural heritage as a pillar of Himachal's identity and its economy.

For local artisans and Kullu's residents, the Carnival represents the final flourish of a week that concentrates the region's craft, music and community life in one place. Chief ministerial participation amplifies the event's reach and signals continued state support for the communities that sustain it year after year.

The state tourism department is expected to release visitor figures and announce follow-up cultural programmes in other districts as the post-Dussehra season wraps up.