Darjeeling Carnival begins tomorrow

Darjeeling, Dec 7 (UNI) A 10-day Darjeeling Carnival aimed at to promote travelling in this "Queen of Hills" in the post Gorkhaland movment, begins tomorrow.

The carnival is being organised by a group of youths, will have local taste and colours including poetry-reading, painting competion, photo exhibitions of famed mountaineers, tea-drinking ceremonies, Land Rover rally, music concerts and ethnic food festivals.

Hoteliers and transporters have decided to offer 10 to 20 per cent cut in rates and best service facilities to the visitors.

Every year about 4.5 to 5 lakh domestic vacationers and some 1,500 to 20,000 foreign holiday makers come to this eastern himalayan hilly resort, perched on between 5000 to 7500 feet above sea level in West Bengal.

But inflow of tourist traffic substantially came down from mid-eighties following violent Gorkhaland movement. The travelling in the hills continued suffered till end of last century.

Major chunk of travellers have found a new destination -Sikkim, a neighbour, also in the eastern himalaya, after the state was thrown open to domestic tourists.

However, the flow took upwards in Darjeeling since early of this century and the trend was going up satisfactorily, Carnival organisers say.

Carnival official said this year the festival is being organised in mid-December to promote travelling in winter when the World's third tallest mountain and Sikkim's guardian deity -Kanchenjunga- a prime attraction for travellers, can be seen distincly because of cloudless sky in the terrains. The wintry months here also often experience snowfall even on 5000 feet elevation on coniferous forest in and around Darjheelng town.

The hills already had a couple snowfall in the upper region and the temperature in the lower areas dipped to 3 to 4 degrees celsius indicating a terrible winter in coming weeks.

UNI XC PC RN/DB1808