The Darjeeling orange is making a comeback through the sixth edition of the Himalayan Orange Tourism Festival. This three-day fest will be held at City Centre 1, Salt Lake, from Dec 6 to 8, between 12 pm to 8 pm.
The festival, organised by the Association for Conservation and Tourism (ACT), aims to reconnect urban audiences with the rural roots of Darjeeling, Dooars, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and other parts of northeast India, as well as Himachal Pradesh, Nepal, and Bhutan.
The Darjeeling orange, once more renowned than its Nagpur counterpart, faded into obscurity. Efforts to revive its popularity include plans for a citrus research centre in Mongpu and the promotion of ‘Himalayan Orange‘ as a symbol of agrotourism and rural pride.
The inspiration for the festival stems from Rabindranath Tagore‘s deep connection to the Hills. “On his deathbed, people from the hills sent him a basket of oranges. It moved him to tears, and he said it was the best gift he ever received,” said Raj Basu, a key organiser.
The festival also honours a 30-year rural tourism movement led by ACT, which revitalised agricultural pride and rural heritage across the Eastern Himalayas. First launched in 2014, the Himalayan Orange Tourism Festival evolved into a significant cultural event, with editions in 2016, 2018, 2021, and 2022.
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