Sangla ‘Ukhyang’ festival celebrated in Kinnaur :

1. To promote tourism and local culture, Kinnaur administration organised three days Sangla Valley ‘Ukhyang’ (Festival of Flowers) festival.

2. Festival started in October, where rich culture of Kinnaur was successfully showcased. It is also known as Ookayand Festival and Ukyam Festival. The term 'Oo' means 'flowers' while 'Kayang' means 'festival'. Thus, Phulaich is a 'festival of flowers'. On 16th day of the Hindu month of 'Bhadrapada', the flowering season of the wild flowers of the upper regions of Kinnaur district, ten Rajputs (belonging to warrior clan) of the village go to the high hills to pick up some of the choicest flowers. They spend that day as well as the next day on the hills only.

3. Kinnaur food festival were also organised at the event where traditional Kinnauri food were offered to the visitors. Besides promoting tourism in this region, festival also gave adept opportunity to sell the local produce directly to the buyers.

4. The village deity is taken out in a big procession. Villagers sacrifice buck (male goat) and a fair is held throughout the day. Shuloo flowers are woven into garlands and offered to the deity. Flowers of Shuloo which have been brought from the peaks for this purpose are woven into garlands. At the close of the fair these garlands are offered to the deity. Immediately after which the people accompany the Goddess to the village adorned with flowers. The people celebrate their joy by singing and dancing on their journey back.

5. The Kinnaur valley, ideally known as cold desert, is a land of natural beauty, fairy tales, legends and fantasies. The peculiar heritage, culture and lifestyle of the people is unique and well preserved arts, crafts, metalwork, jewelry making techniques, exquisite decorative designs and many other things invites visitors to peep into real Kinnaur.

6. The Kinnaur has so much to offer for visitors and such festivals open gates for the tourist to explore this mystic and unexplored land.

7. It offers beautiful but treacherous trekking routes like the pilgrimage to mount Kinner Kailash and many more besides natural wonders like the mystic Nako Lake, the Sangla and Hangrang valleys, wild life sanctuaries, picturesque hamlets and various other opportunities of adventures sports.

8. Many politicians take part in the closing ceremony of the festival. Credit should be given to the local people for under taking initiative for starting the fair which besides giving boost to tourism activities would also help in keeping the culture intact.