Carnival to lure tourists to Sikkim - Cultural event, adventure sport & more for 5-day fest

NIRMAL MANGAR

Rhododendrons bloom at Yumthang in North Sikkim where a safari will be organised during the carnival. Picture by Prabin Khaling Gangtok, May 3: Sikkim will hold a five-day festival next week to woo visitors to the state with an aim to revive the tourism industry that was hit by the earthquake last year. The Sikkim Spring Carnival will start on May 11 with cultural and adventurous events that would be held in all the four districts. “The carnival would be organised across the state to increase the footfall of tourists that has drastically gone down after the September 18 earthquake and the recent strikes in the neighbouring Bengal,” said Ravindra Telang, the commissioner and the secretary of the tourism department. According to the data provided by the department, 33,421 domestic tourists visited Sikkim in March, a sharp drop compared to the 62,438 visitors in the same month last year. Earlier this year the Travel Agents Association of Sikkim had organised a two-week-long Snow and Cultural Fest to regain the state’s image as a favoured destination. According to Telang, the spring festival will be held at a cost of Rs 1 crore and the state government will bear the expense. He added that the local level committees would organise the programmes in the districts. The carnival will start with a presentation by the 17th Mountain Division of the army at Paljor Stadium here. Chief minister Pawan Chamling is expected to inaugurate the fest that will end on May 15. The presentation will include a flypast by helicopters, para motor shows, Bhangra dance display, sky diving sessions, dog show, malkhamb and a pipe band display. In the evening, several cultural programmes would be held on MG Marg. On the next day, a police band will perform in Gangtok. “The major attractions of the carnival are traditional wedding processions by different communities in the state and a rally by local faith healers in Gangtok. Mountain biking and rhododendron safaris at Yumthang in North Sikkim and traditional archery tournament and paragliding sessions in West Sikkim have also been lined up for tourists. A Buddhist art exhibition will be held in the East district along with yak safaris near the Chhangu Lake and rock climbing competitions in the East,” said Telang. A bhajan sandhya will be organised at Siddheshwara Dham along with a laser show. Singer Ravindra Jain is expected to perform at the event. Traditional chaam dance would be held at Samdruptse in Namchi during the fest. An exhibition of costumes worn during mask dance and a walk along the rose gardens at Darmandin (West Sikkim) would also feature in the programmes. A flower show would be held at Darap in West Sikkim. Telang said all tourism stakeholders across the state had been requested to support the festival and make it successful. “We have requested TAAS to help with the online bookings. We do not want to leave any stone unturned in promoting the carnival,” he said. TAAS president Luckendra Rasaily said: “May is the peak tourist season in Sikkim so there is no need of aggressive marketing. The tourists (coming to Sikkim at this time) only need to be informed about the events and their locations. We are fully supporting the tourism department in the venture.” Tour operators in Gangtok are expecting more footfall with the announcement of the festival. “We have started getting queries from Gujarat, Calcutta and Mumbai for the carnival. We hope there will be good business this season,” Madan Gurung, a tour operator, told The Telegraph.(TT)