Shimla, March 7 -- The 5,000-year-old traditional and cultural festival "Raulane" began in Kalpa in the tribal district of Kinnaur. This mythical celebration-the Raulane festival-marks the end of winter and welcomes the harvest season. Villagers in the tribal areas of Kinnaur valley and surrounding areas come together to dance, sing and indulge in unfettered merrymaking for a few days. Having gained significant traction on social media, the district administration expects a large number of foreign and domestic tourists for the five-day festival, which will showcase Kinnaur's rich culture and unique traditions. "We are expecting a large number of tourists this year after the festival's pictures were shared widely on social media. We have made adequate arrangements for traffic and crowd management for the festival, which will culminate on March 10. Kinnaur has a distinct identity and through this festival, visitors will experience and appreciate it," Kinnaur deputy commissioner Amit Sharma told HT. Raulane is an ancient cultural festival celebrated in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. It marks the departure of the Sauni, the protective mountain spirits believed to watch over villages during winter. The ritual features masked dancers, slow movements and community gatherings. "Raulane is a farewell. For months the Sauni, the mountain spirits believed to descend from alpine meadows, are said to watch over homes, livestock and families during the harsh winter. When the season shifts, villagers come together to honour these unseen guardians and guide them back to the high pastures," shared a senior officer. As tradition dictates, the heart of the festivity involves a pair: the Raula and the Raulane. Two chosen villagers, often young men, are transformed into a symbolic divine couple through masks and attire. The masks, carved from wood with strong features, conceal the human identity beneath and allow the wearer to step into a liminal, sacred space. The clothing is thick and heavy with Kinnauri wool and silver jewellery, grounding the ritual in the everyday life of the valley. Once dressed, the Raula and Raulane do not speak. Their movements are slow and deliberate, almost trance-like, as they walk through lanes, pause before shrines and receive offerings from people who have known this ritual since childhood. To watch them is to feel the valley's pulse slow down. The dancers' silence becomes a reminder of how rituals often express what words cannot. Villagers say that this act completes the journey of the Sauni....