TTT NEWS NETWORK
DARJEELING | 1 DECEMBER 2025
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) honoured exceptional achievers from across the hills during the inaugural Spirit of the Hills Awards, held at the historic Ghum Railway Station as part of the DHR Winter Festival 2025. The ceremony marked a major milestone in DHR’s efforts to recognise individuals, institutions, and community organisations contributing to education, heritage, tourism, environmental protection, and social transformation across the Darjeeling hills.
The Chief Guest for both the Opening Ceremony and the Awards Ceremony was Shri Veer Bhadra Vishwakarma, AGM/Northeast Frontier Railway. In addition to felicitating and appreciating the award winners, he commended DHR for its recent initiatives and encouraged the team to continue its exemplary efforts in conservation and the holistic development of the railway and the hills.
“The awards—each inspired by the strength and legacy of DHR’s iconic fleet of 13 historic steam locomotives—were presented across four broad categories: Student & Educational Excellence, Environment & Sustainability, Social Service & Community Impact, and Heritage & Tourism,” said Mr. Rishav Choudhury, Director of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR)
Among this year’s top honours:
### Excellence in Education
* IRON SHERPA Award: Presented to a meritorious student representing the academic spirit , resilience and overall excellence of the DHR region.(Winner:Kavya Subedi Sunrise High School, Runner up: Prayatna Karki ,Sonada Holy Cross Girls High School)
* Mountaineer Award: Mohd. Hussain Noori from the Victoria Boys’ School for overall excellence in residential education.
* Queen of the Hills Award: Subekcha Rai(Mahanadi Girls High School): Awarded to a student championing Nepali language, identity, and cultural heritage.
### Environment and Sustainability
* Forest Whisperer Award: Shri Devesh Pandey (DFO, Kurseong) for exemplary leadership in environmental conservation.
* Tusker Award: United Himalayan Organisation, Sonada for advancing waste management and green initiatives across the DHR corridor.
### Heritage, Tourism & Community Leadership
* Wanderer Award: Partha Pratim Roy (Cindrella Tour & Travels) for promoting heritage tourism.
* Ajax Award: Amit Periwal (Clubside Tour & Travels) for excellence in tourism and hospitality services.
* Horatio Award: Suman Pradhan, Station Manager, Darjeeling for outstanding professional service.
* Bronco Award: GTA Adventure Tourism Division for promoting resilience-building and adventure tourism.
* Hawkeye Award: Babu Lal Rai (Sr. Tech/Mech/D/SGUJ) for exceptional visual documentation and storytelling.
* Victor Award: Nilima Tamang (ACT) for her contributions to women’s empowerment across the hills.
* Hill Bird Award: Roshan Gupta (The Times of India) for exceptional storytelling and preserving the cultural identity of the hills.
* Valiant Award: Mero Darjeeling for youth-led civic action through their unique hill plogging movement using traditional chimtas.
* Soldat Award: Inner Wheel Club, Darjeeling for remarkable contributions to volunteerism and community welfare.
GHUM FESTIVAL 2025 — SPECIAL CELEBRATION OF 200 YEARS OF WORLD RAILWAYS
This year, the Ghum Festival, which began on 29 November, carries a special significance as the global railway fraternity marks 200 years of world railways. The festival has attracted hundreds of visitors with cultural programs, heritage exhibitions, and steam experiences.
For the first time ever, the festival will feature a Heritage Run on 5 December 2025, from Darjeeling Chowrasta to Ghum Station. The event will be organised by DHR in collaboration with Hope and Heal Cancer Hospital, Siliguri, promoting health, heritage, and community spirit.
CLOSING CEREMONY ON 7 DECEMBER AT DARJEELING CHOWRASTA:
DHR announced that the Ghum Festival 2025 will conclude on 7 December with a grand closing ceremony at Darjeeling Chowrasta, celebrating the community, performers, heritage enthusiasts, and partners who have contributed to this year’s cultural extravaganza.
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