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A beeline again for the Queen of Hills Darjeeling: Darjeeling is in for a cash-rich winter as tourism, the mainstay of the region's economy, shows signs of revival. After a two-year hiatus, following the 9/11 disaster and a global economic slowdown, foreign and domestic tourists are once again making a beeline for the "queen of hills."
Offering a magnificent view of the Kanchenjunga peak in the Himalayas, a visit to the hill resort is rather incomplete without a ride on the steam engine-pulled toy train, a world heritage site declared by the UNESCO, as it chugs along the hilly tract on its 84-km journey, offering a breath-taking view of the lush green mountains and sprawling tea gardens. Over 50,000 tourists have already arrived in Darjeeling this year and the number is expected to double post-Christmas. Jimmy Nymen, a tourist from Sweden, said he was enthralled with the region's pristine beauty. "I think it's really nice here in Darjeeling, lots of hills, it's a bit cloudy, which I have not seen much. It's really nice here and much relaxed as compared to Delhi and other places like that," Nymen said. Alok Mukherjee, a tourist from Kolkata, said: "I come here in both the seasons. I really like it in Darjeeling. I first came to Darjeeling in 1958, after that I have become a regular visitor." In 1960s and 70s, the lush green town used to be the most favoured destination after Kashmir but lost its charm after a separatist movement broke out in the region dominated by Gorkha people. With the granting of greater autonomy resulting in the creation of Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Development Council within West Bengal in 1988, the rebellion subsided and tourism has since been revived. Old and sick have electric car for Vaishno Devi (Go to Top) Ardhkwari (J-K): Authorities of the cave shrine of Vaishno Devi have started an electric car service for the elderly and the sick, allowing them to cover half of the arduous 14 km track in just 20 minutes. The electric car called 'Bijlee', runs on batteries and takes pilgrims to the holy cave from Ardhkwari, the half way point to the shrine, and back. The steep seven-km journey from Ardhkwari to the cave usually takes three hours. Chanda Ben, a 70-year old from Surat city, said she was grateful to the authorities for starting the service. "This service is really good as it helps us in reaching the shrine much faster and we are unable to trek down so now we can reach easily," Ben said. Rinku, another pilgrim, added that her ailing grandfather would now be able to fulfil his dreams. "We have not brought our grandfather along this time but now I am thinking of bringing him. He is very old, he will be able to visit the shrine, which is his dream. This consumes less time and the service is really good," she said. Rohit Kansal, Additional Chief Executive Officer of the Shrine Board, said at present the service was reserved exclusively for the old. "We have started this battery-operated zero pollution vehicle for those who are aged and ailing. The car will carry them from Ardhkwari to the shrine. It is reserved mainly for the old people," Kansal said. Perched atop Trikuta hills at 1,700 metres above sea level, Vaishno Devi is one of the most popular shrines in the country. It attracts more than five million pilgrims every year, particularly during summers. -ANI |
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