'Ghoom Winter Festival 2022' flagged off, to continue till December 5

Amitava Banerjee | MP | 12 Nov 2022 | Darjeeling: The second edition of Ghoom Winter Festival 2002, organized by the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR,) was flagged off on Saturday. It will continue till December 5. Incidentally Ghoom, at an altitude of 2258m, is the highest railway station of India. 

"The main objective of the near month-long festival is to promote tourism and showcase the unique culture of the Hills; local food, handicrafts as well as promote local talent," stated SK Choudhury, Divisional Railway Manager, Northeast Frontier Railway. The DRM inaugurated the festival and also flagged off a special "night joyride". 

The night train is a special DHR joyride that will run on weekends till December 5. "The train will depart from Darjeeling at 6 pm on weekends and reach Ghoom at 6:45 pm. There will be an half-an-hour halt at the Ghoom station where passengers can witness the festival. The train will then depart from Ghoom at 7:15 pm and reach Darjeeling at 8:00 pm," stated Choudhury. 

The month-long festival will include cultural shows, exhibitions, food stalls and handicraft stalls. 

"There is a talent hunt competition in which anyone can participate free- of-cost. There will be no registration fee. They can sing, dance, play musical instruments or any other kind of performance. 

There will be a screening process. The selected candidates or groups will perform on November 26 and 27. The winners will be felicitated and awarded trophies. This is aimed at showcasing the local talents," stated the DRM. 

The programmes will be held from 10 am till 7:30 pm daily. Special programmes will be hosted on weekends with celebrity singers and dancers. 

"The festival will culminate with a mega show at the Darjeeling Mall on December 5," stated the DRM. "In the near future we are coming up with a Coach Restaurant and a Rooftop Restaurant in the Darjeeling station," added the DRM. 

The plummeting winter temperatures could not dampen the spirits at the inauguration ceremony on Saturday evening. 

The station has been decorated and lit up adding to the festive fervor. Incidentally the world heritage DHR is a major tourist attraction in Darjeeling. 

Courtesy & source- Millenium Post

http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/ghoom-winter-festival-2022-flagged-off-to-continue-till-december-5-498943