Pushkar Mela 2026: Announcement of Cultural Events in November in Rajasthan State

An unexpected weather change awaited in the world-renowned Badrinath Dham in the state of Uttarakhand: just one day before the closing of the temple gates, the entire complex was covered in a blanket of snow by Lord Badri Vishal. Heavy snowfall has been continuing here since early Sunday morning. The snow covers not only the temple grounds but also the surrounding mountains, houses, shops, and hotels, creating the impression that nature itself is preparing for the winter stay of Lord Badri Vishal.

The temple gates of Badrinath Dham will be closed for winter on November 16 at 21:37. Thus, only one day remains until the end of the pilgrimage. Despite the severe cold and incessant snowfall, the enthusiasm of the pilgrims remains high. Devotees continue to move around the temple premises, in the assembly hall, and in the open area.

Pilgrims undertake the pilgrimage while admiring the wonderful views and capturing this beauty on their mobile cameras. Many travelers share these stunning landscapes with their families. Due to the constant snowfall, the temperature has dropped sharply, and a harsh chill has set in across the region. The surrounding hills are completely covered in snow.

According to religious beliefs, during the six months of winter, worship of Lord Badri Vishal is performed by the gods. However, for six months, pilgrims are blessed to see and worship God. Therefore, the first snowfall of the season, which occurred immediately before the gates closed, gave the atmosphere of the Dham a truly divine character.

Usually, people avoid going out of their homes in such severe cold, but the faith of the pilgrims proves stronger than the weather difficulties. Amidst the white snow cover and continuous flakes, the pilgrims demonstrate incredible enthusiasm. Pilgrims who arrived from Merata, Rishikesh, and Dehradun expressed delight at the first snowfall of the season. They reported that they had never seen such magnificent snowfall in Badrinath before. According to them, visiting Lord Badri Vishal amidst the snowfall is an incredible experience.

Pilgrims reported feeling inner peace and great happiness after visiting the temple. They called this beautiful sight a blessing from Lord Badri Vishal and wished prosperity for the country and the state. Furthermore, the pilgrims urged people to maintain cleanliness and dignity in places of worship. They emphasized that faith should not be trifled with. As preparations are made for the gate closure, the enthusiasm of people coming for worship amidst the snowfall shows that even weather difficulties cannot break their faith.

Spain holds a leading position in Europe for non-alcoholic beer consumption, accounting for nearly 25% of total consumption in the European Union. The country is the main market for this beverage within the community, and this trend is expected to continue this year.

On the occasion of World Alcohol-Free Day, observed today by initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO), the agency EFE reported that the volume of non-alcoholic beer sales is expected to grow by 2.7% compared to 2025, contrasting with a 1.5% drop in traditional beer sales.

This growth is part of a trend observed in recent years: non-alcoholic beer sales have increased by 12.8% compared to the previous two years, according to a company analyzing consumer behavior in the country.

According to data from Cervejeiros de Espanha, 44.7% of Spaniards consider themselves consumers of non-alcoholic beer, while 90% of them also consume or have consumed traditional beer.

There is also growth in the non-alcoholic wine market in Spain, although it still lags significantly behind traditional wine sales. Jose Luis Benítez, President of the Spanish Wine Federation (FEV), noted that absolute consumption volumes in Spain are still lower than traditional wine sales, which reach 900 million liters.

Nevertheless, he emphasized that non-alcoholic options show 'very high' annual growth, predicting that consumption will increase by two million liters by 2029, reaching five million.

Despite the conviction that the current younger generation consumes less alcohol, representatives of the nightlife owners' association argue that the decrease in consumption is related to demographic factors and the frequency of evening outings. They point out that in 2000, the share of the population aged 15 to 29 was 23% of Spain's population, whereas in 2025 this figure decreased to 15.9%, and this age group has also reduced the number of monthly outings by 25%.