Manali, Dec. 20 -- With winter in Himachal Pradesh in full bloom, tourists are flocking in large numbers to the state's famous destinations, including Kullu and Manali.

The smog and poor air quality in Delhi and several other cities in north India is also making people move to hilly areas to take in some fresh air.

Tourists said they felt relief from respiratory heaviness, coughs, and eye irritation caused by high air pollution.

Pankaj, a tourist from Faridabad, said that the air in the city is bad at the moment, which is why he planned a trip to Manali with his friends.

"This is my first day in Manali, we visited the Hadimba Devi Temple and then went to Mall Road. Tomorrow we plan to visit Club House, Atal Tunnel, Sissu, Rohtang Pass...