Weather plays Santa, snow cheer in hills... WHITE BLANKET OVER SANDAKPHU

 Vivek Chhetri, TT, 19 Dec 2018, Darjeeling: Sandakphu radiated the romance of winter on Tuesday after heavy snowfall at the highest point in Bengal left it swathed in a blanket of white.

More than three inches of snow fell within a 3km radius of Sandakphu, located at 12,000ft, bringing cheer to tourists and residents waiting for the chill thrill 70km away in Darjeeling.

In Darjeeling, few were interested in the numbers -- Celsius or Fahrenheit. Just the feeling was good enough. For those interested in numbers, the day temperature in Darjeeling hovered around the 4 degree Celsius mark.

"It is really cold and this is the winter feel. It is really cold," said Sanvi Sharma, a resident of Darjeeling. It had snowed in Sandakphu last week but a drizzle washed it all away and denied Darjeeling the much-expected winter.

Neighbourhood covered in snow in Sandakphu.The Telegraph picture

Meteorologist trace the origin of the current weather system that has developed because of cyclone Phethai, which developed thousands of kilometres away in the Bay of Bengal.

Avijit Sinha, a tourist from Howrah who witnessed the snowfall in Sandakphu and returned to Maneybhanjyang, about 30km from Darjeeling, was not aware of the cyclonic system when he had set out for Sandakphu on Sunday.

"The sight was wonderful. We are speechless," Sinha, who along with a group of 60tourists, arrived in Sandakphu last night and experienced the snowfall.

 Dutta, another tourist, said: "We trekked to Beekay Bhanjyang (3km downhill from Sandakphu) and then we travelled in Land Rovers to reach Maneybhanjyang." It started snowing from around 2am on Tuesday and continued through the morning.

"Ten Landrovers with tourists were in Sandakphu. Half of them returned to Maneybhanjyang. The rest stayed at Kalpokhri (a mid-way point)," said Chandan Pradhan, secretary, Singalila Land Rover Owners' Welfare Association.

"We, took, almost 40 tourists till Beekay Bhanjyang today. Beyond that point it was not advisable to travel," Pradhan added.

Joyoshi Dasgupta, the district magistrate of Darjeeling, said the authorities were keeping tabs on the weather. "We are monitoring the situation, no tourists have been stranded," Dasgupta said. Street bonfires dotted Darjeeling's streets. Such was the influence of this snowfall that a pre-quarterfinal match of the GTA chairman's Gold Cup to be played in Darjeeling between Mohammedan Sporting and the Behala Sanskritik Sammlani Sporting Club had to be cancelled on Tuesday. The cold weather, constant drizzle and fog made play difficult.

Binay Tamang, chairman of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), told The Telegraph: "We will try to hold the match tomorrow." 

From Sikkim to Bhutan, there was snow across the hills. Darjeeling itself no such spectacle but Sandakphu ensured the town got its winter thrills..