India, Feb. 12 -- Tourists and skiers are upbeat with the return of night skiing on the icy slopes of Gulmarg, the iconic bowl-shaped valley in Baramulla district of Kashmir, owing to early snowfall in the upper reaches of the western Himalayas this winter.

"The slopes of Gulmarg are active this winter with enthusiasts coming for skiing. This year, we have started night skiing as people like to dive down the slopes in the vast expanse on serene nights," says Tahir Mohi ud Din, the assistant director, tourism, at Gulmarg.

Unlike the unprecedented drought last year, this time the upper reaches near the Line of Control, 50km from Srinagar, have received early snowfall though the intensity has been mild. Kashmir has seen three bouts of snow...