Winter fest to up to tourists

KALIMPONG, Dec. 22. - After the spectacular success of the Darjeeling Carnival last month, it's the turn of this laid-back town to get ready for an image makeover aimed at tourism promotion.

Like the Darjeeling Carnival, the citizens are the main architect of the eight-day long Kalimpong Winter Fest. A group of businessmen and government employees have come together to plan the `celebration of the culture and heritage of the town.`

Starting from Christmas eve this Wednesday, the fest shall continue till New Year's eve. The police and the DGAHC are also being roped in to ensure that everything goes as planned. Provided the fine weather continues, the event, which is the first of its kind for the town, is expected to leave a positive impact. Organisers of the Fest pointed out that despite having potential, Kalimpong still had a long way to go before it cold emerge as a favourable tourist destination.

Mr Sandip Jain, coordinator of the Fest, said: `It is always and wrongly compared with Darjeeling. ...We were inspired by the Darjeeling Carnival to organise a similar event for the promotion of Kalimpong.` Notably, some of the organising members of the Carnival have been exchanging notes with their Kalimpong counterparts.
`We`re not aiming for something as ambitious as the Darjeeling Carnival. The Kalimpong Winter Fest is at a more modest scale. But if we can make it a success, it will do a lot of good to the fledging tourism industry here,` said Retd Wing Commander Mr Praful Rao, a member of the organising team.

The highlight of the first day is a grand Christmas rally that will encircle the town before it ends at the Mela ground, which is the main venue of the event. The main inauguration ceremony will take place in the Town Hall, where local products will also be showcased.

Plenty of cultural programmes are on the cards. Organisers feel that culture is one of the strong points of Kalimpong, where the different communities still practice their traditions in original forms. Guided tours will also be conducted in and around Kalimpong for visitors from other parts of the state. Also in the offing is a trip to the 17 Century Lepcha Fort at Damsang, near Pedong, whose ruins have been attracting a small number of travellers over the years. Tours through the picturesque terraced slopes of the region have also been arranged for.

Like in the Darjeeling Carnival, music will play an important part in the Fest. This includes a performance by the renowned orchestra of the children of the Gandhi Ashram, who have toured several areas of the country and even Europe. On 30 December, different ethnic communities will take out a colourful march through the town. It is being called the Grand Ethnic March. A bike rally and picnic on the banks of the Relli river, which cuts through a scenic valley, will wind up the Fest.

The organisers are raising money from sponsors, and it has not been easy. `The going has been tough, but we hope that we will meet our targets,` Mr Jain said, adding, that the `budget is very reasonable.` If the Kalimpong Winter Fest is a success, it can be an added attraction for a growing number of tourists.

Courtesy
The Statesman

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