Kurseong News: Kurseong host to end stopover status

Siliguri, Dec. 16: Kurseong is set to change its stopover identity this winter.

The hill town tucked away en route to Darjeeling from Siliguri will be an independent venue for the Darjeeling fest. Paragliding, rockclimbing and short toy train rides top the list of entertainment for Kurseong.

For Kurseong, the fest starting on December 22 will be an opportunity to explore the untapped potential of the town. Tourism-related events had been confined mostly to Darjeeling town so long.

“The main venue of the programme in Kurseong is St Alphonsus School. But we have prepared an itinerary to include a variety of outdoor activities new to the town,” said Ranjan K. Jha, the subdivisional officer of Kurseong and convener of the festival committee for the town.

Adventure sports like paragliding and rockclimbing, which are already popular in Darjeeling, will make their debut in Kurseong. Tourists will get a bird’s eye view of the town as they glide from Naya Busty to Rohini. “As Kurseong is mid-way between Siliguri and Darjeeling, it is the only place that offers views of both the hills and the plains,” said Jeetu Giri, a committee member and travel agent.

For rockclimbing, Khaini Odal near Makaibari Tea Estate has been selected. Instructors from the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling will assist the participants. Both the sports are scheduled for December 23 and 24 but will continue even after the festival.

On December 23, a steam-hauled toy train will carry passengers from Kurseong station to Tung — 7km away — and back. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which runs the toy train, said the initiative was to make short rides popular, with Kurseong as the starting point. “So far these joyrides were confined to the Darjeeling-Ghoom route. Once introduced, the short rides will be a regular feature here,” said Sushil Dikshit, a committee member in charge of DHR activities.

Any festival is incomplete without a flower show in Kurseong, the “land of white orchids” as the name suggests in Lepcha. A flower show will be held at the main venue.

Christmas celebration will formally close the event. “A Christmas tree will be put up at the station on Christmas Eve. Carols will be sung,” said Dikshit.

-The Telegraph