Bid to better Mungpo as rural tourism destination

MANAS R BANERJEE, SNS, 13 FEBRUARY 2019, MUNGPO: Members of the International Travel Artists' Forum (ITAF) have assembled hereto sketch several important sites in and around Rabindra Bhawan at Mungpo and Surel under Darjeeling district since yesterday to promote what they call "tourism with a difference."

Notably, ITAF was formed in 2016 to mark World Tourismn Day and promote tourism, while the group comprises artists from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.

The first Himalayan Journey' was started by the ITAF in March 20111, when several visual artists assembled at Gitdabling in Kalimpong, and the event was organized in association with the Lepcha Development Board to promote tourism.

Today's programme, which was organised by the Association of Conservation and Tourism (ACT) , in association with the Teesta Rangit Eco Sustainable Society, at Rabindra Bhawan premises at Mungpo, was the second 'Himalayan Journey.'

This time around, seven artists from Nepal under the leadership of Tseten Sherpa, and others from India and Bangladesh have attended the event, while three more artists from Bangladesh are set to join them on Friday.

The group of artists is also set to travel to two more places like Maturing near Sitong and Mangmaya near Takdah in Darjeeling, covering the Teesta Eco Region.

All paintings of the artists, sketched at different sites, will be displayed in Darjeeling, Kolkata and Kathmandu during tourism festivals in the

coming days, organizers said.

The decision to select Mungpo was taken to promote tourism highlighting the museum dedicated to Nobel Laureate Rabindranah Tagore, who visited the place several times and stayed at the Surel Bungalow and the Cinchona plantations.

Addressing an gathering today, ACT convener Raj Basu said, " Rabindranath Tagore even did paintings here. To mark his creations and to pay him respect, artists here also engaged themselves in painting."

Citing an example of the ruins of the Surel Bungalow, Mr Basu demanded that the state take initiatives to appeal to the UNESCO to grant World Heritage status to the entire Cinchona activities. Notably, the state has marked the site as a heritage area in its tourism map.

Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Kamal Kishore Tiwari, who was present in the programme today as a special guest, was virtually emotional as he saw the memorabilia of Rabindranath Tagore and the ruins of the Surel Bungalow where poet resided for at least 15 days.

Mr Tiwari, who was delighted to watch mount Kanchenjungha from the viewpoint named 'Sixteen', also said the area had huge potential to become a rural tourism destination, thus generating alternative employment opportunities in Mungpo. On the other hand, artist Tseten Sherpa said they sketched many important places and properties, including the Rabindra Bhawan, the ruins of the Surel Bungalow, and one of Tagore's favourite flowers, camellia.