Skating session has started in the ice skating rink built during the British era in Lakkar Bazaar, Shimla, Himachal. The first session of skating took place here on Wednesday from 8 to 9.30 am. Ice Skating Rink Club Secretary Rajat Malohatra said that the skating session took place last Sunday.
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Shimla’s ice skating rink is the first big rink in Asia, where ice is frozen using natural methods. Water is poured into the rink in the evening. In the morning it freezes and skating is done on it.
If the weather remains cool, local people and tourists will be able to enjoy skating here for the next three months. For this a fee of Rs 300 will have to be paid. For skating, skates will be provided by the Ice Skating Club.
The history of skating is 104 years old Skating has been happening every year in the ice skating rink of Shimla since 1920. Till a decade ago, skating used to start here from 15th November. But, due to changes in the weather in the last 8-10 years, skating is able to start only in the second and third week of December. Till a decade or two ago, there used to be good snowfall in the mountains in December. Due to this the temperature would fall below the freezing point.
But for the last few years, there is more snowfall in February-March instead of December and the weather in December is getting warmer. Because of this there is a delay in starting skating here.