Nov. 6 The exctitement in the town is palpable on the
eve of the Darjeeling Carnival , the 10 day cultural festival that
kicks off tomorrow. Although the organisers had little time to publicise
the carnival this time, the number of tourists coming into the town
has risen sharply.
There are a lot of domestic tourists,
especially from western India, and foreign travelers, all eager
to witness the dramatic metamorphosis of Darjeeling.
The carnival is being organised by residents of Darjeeling, Darjeeling
Autonomous Gorkha Hill Council, Darjeeling Municipality and Darjeeling
Police. Community participation is also going strong, with almost
all ethnic groups of Darjeeling volunteering to showcase their respective
cultural wealth. Numerous schools and other organisations, including
commercial establishments, are joining the carnival. Tomorrow morning
at nine, communities will assemble at the Chowrasta before rallying
down to the Happy Valley tea estate, which adjoins the western part
of the town. The estate celebrates its centenary. Besides cultural
programmes and traditional cuisine, there will also be an organised
walk for visitors around the tea estate and the factory, offering
an opportunity to vividly experience the tea history of the Darjeeling
Hills.Visitors from outside the region will also get a chance to
interact with tea workers, who have instrumental in making Darjeeling
tea world-renowned. A demonstration of traditional archery skills
and a kite festival is also on the cards at the tea estate. At 4.30
p.m., a torch rally led by a police band shall begin from the tea
estate and wind its way back to Chowrasta — the main venue of the
carnival. After the lighting of the inaugural lamp, a three-hour
musical programme will be staged at the venue. Today, three truckloads
of sound equipment were driven into Chowrasta, all the way from
Kolkata. Lights are already being installed in and around the venue.
The Brabourne Park, adjacent to Chowrasta, is also set up and ready
to house the flower, art, photography and poetry shows. Volunteers
and organisers are working round-the-clock to tie up all loose ends.
Shops fronts in the heart of the town are all lit up and decorated
with carnival banners. Many shop-owners were seen hurriedly polishing
their establishment facades today. Restaurants have been distributing
brochures of the carnival freely to travelers who are showing a
keen interest in the carnival.
Courtesy
The Statesman |
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