Darjeeling Mail editor David Charlesworth and documentary maker Amit Mukhopadhyay visited Siliguri Town station along with DHR India Support Group Secretary General Raj Basu.
The visit was planned unexpectedly while discussing a new book Darjeeling’s Wonderful Railway, A Visitor’s Guide that will be published by the DHR Society in England.
Basu apprised the two visitors on several personalities who visited the Siliguri Town station during the British rule in India. He informed them several great personalities as well as Swami Vivekananda, Sister Nivedita, Jagdish Chandra Bose, Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi and Baghajatin had visited the station.
Following the visit to Siliguri Town station, Charlesworth, Mukhopadhyay and Basu visited the famous sweet shops Mungaram Sweets and Srishtidhar Sweets. They even visited the area to see the ‘Gadis’ of shop owners before ending their trip to Siliguri Town Station.
Steam locomotives hold a special place in the hearts of people from across the globe. With UNESCO declaring the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) a World Heritage Site in 1999, the toy train from the Darjeeling hills has become even more popular across the world. Although the toy train station is still functioning and is maintained regularly, the once historic Siliguri Town Station is currently in deplorable condition. (EOIC)
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