Move to restore Kalimpong Silk Route to old glory

YOWAN MOTHAY | EOI | KALIMONG, JUNE 14 2022: The Kalimpong Silk Route Heritage Walk was completed from the Topkhana of Pedong to the Topkhana of Kalimpong on Tuesday; organized by the tourism vertical "Atiti Dev Bhav" of the social organization Mani Trust. 

It was a prelude to the five-day Kalimpong Silk Route Festival will be held from November 3 to 7 at the Kalimpong Topkhana Regulated Market.The Kalimpong Silk Route Heritage Walk was inaugurated by President of Jelep La Pass Trade Demand Committee Sebastian Pradhan, the founder of the idea of homestay tourism. The walk also made known to the people the characteristics of the Silk Road. 

Speaking on the occasion, Sebastien Pradhan said that cross-border trade and commerce with Tibet was started from Kalimpong, that used to run through the Silk Route before 1961 when the border was closed because of Sino-Indian border conflict that led to the war of 1962. 

During the event, the logo of Kalimpong Silk Route Festival was unveiled by Prem Bahadur Mukhiya, a senior citizen of 20 Miles. Bird specialist Peter Lobo, Kalimpong Silk Route Festival Coordinator Devendra Basnet, Co-Coordinator Lee Kumar Pradhan, former MLA of Sikkim Madan Cintury attended the event along with representatives of Walk and Talk, Kalimpong Artists Association and students of Vrindavan and St. Mary's school students attended the event.

The aim of the Kalimpong Silk Route Festival is to make the youth aware of the importance of the Kalimpong Silk Route, and an effort to restore the dignity the Silk Route enjoyed in the 1950s and early 1960s, said Subash Mani Singh, Chairman, Mani Trust. A heritage walk on Tuesday to recall the history of Kalimpong Silk Route.