The beautiful snow-covered mountains played a perfect backdrop as the sound of music wafted across the chilly air at the first ever Gulmarg Winter Festival being held in this Jammu and Kashmir resort.

Popular contemporary folk band Raghu Dixit Project opened the festival by singing some of their popular numbers like "Hey bhagwan", "Masti ki basti and "No man will ever love you than I do".

"Gulmarg is beautiful it is nothing less than heaven. I don't know how a place like this can have trouble," Raghu told IANS after his gig.

"I think a single event like this won't help. There has to be a movement and this movement should come from the people and not from the government or event organizers like this. People should come together, flock and say we want to have a fun time.

"And as long as they come together and have fun time peacefully without creating any nuisance the government will also won't mind organizing such events. I remember that a festival like Glastonbury started in a backyard and every year people started getting friends and it turned out to be a big thing," he said.

Raghu's performance was followed by Map & Manta Sidhu who also entertained the audience with some of her interesting compositions representing pop/alternative pop styles.

As many as 15 other musical bands would be performing in the festival over the next two days. The names include Traveling Blues, Hundred Octane, Nyu'n'Tum Records, Hashback Hashish, Space, Rishi Inc., Bombay Bassment, Half Step Down, Avi & the Uprising, Chill Om Records - DJ TaTvA K, Drift!! The Trio, HIGHWAY 61, Lagori, Tritha, TechnoholiK | DJ Abhishek Dixit and Audiograme.

The March 9-11 festival will also promote Kashmiri folk music with various folk artists performing on the stage.