Ladakh's Apricot Blossom Festival

🌸 Apricot Blossom Festival (Chuli Mendok), Ladakh 2025

• Also Known As: Chuli Mendok Festival
• When: Ongoing till May 4, 2025
• Where: Apricot-growing villages of Ladakh – Garkone, Darchiks, Yulgar, Alchi, Domkhar, Sumoor, Wanla, and Tar along the Indus Valley.
• Started: 2023 (expanding to more villages every year).

🌟 Significance

• Marks the arrival of spring in Ladakh.
• Showcases blooming apricot orchards (soft pink hues, compared to cherry blossoms).
• Promotes eco-friendly tourism and community participation.
• Enhances rural economy through handicrafts, local produce, and homestays.
• Inspired by Meghalaya’s Cherry Blossom Festival.

🎭 Highlights of the Festival

1. Cultural Programmes
   • Traditional Ladakhi music, dance, and artistic exhibitions.
2. Local Crafts & Cuisine
   • Handcrafted textiles, jewellery, souvenirs.
   • Apricot-based delicacies: dried apricots, jams, juices, wines, and traditional dishes.
3. Eco-Tourism Activities
   • Guided orchard walks.
   • Insights into apricot cultivation practices.
   • Interaction with Ladakhi hospitality & rural lifestyle.
     
     Updated - 17 Apr 2025, 5:17 pm | https://www.outlooktraveller.com/News/apricot-blossom-festival-in-ladakh