Darjeeling Himalayan Railway to launch month-long march to mark centenary of Mahatma Gandhi's visit

The heritage Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) will organise a month-long commemorative initiative – Shatabdi March – from Sunday to celebrate Mahatma Gandhi's visit to the 'Queen of the Hills' in 1925, a senior official said.

The march will commence from West Bengal's Darjeeling railway station and culminate at Siliguri Town station on November 9, he said.

''Spread over five weekends, the 'Shatabdi March' will retrace the route of Gandhi's journey along the DHR, symbolically connecting the stations and communities that witnessed his presence a century ago,'' the official said.

In June 1925, Gandhi travelled to Darjeeling to meet the ailing 'Deshbandhu' Chittaranjan Das – leader, lawyer and founder of the Swaraj Party – he said in a statement.

Gandhi stayed with Das from June 4-9 at 'Step Aside', a villa in Darjeeling where the latter breathed his last a few days later, and engaged in vital discussions on the future of the freedom struggle against the British Raj, it said. The march will be held from Darjeeling to Ghoom on October 5, Ghoom to Sonada on October 11, Sonada to Tung on October 12, Tung to Kurseong on October 18, and Kurseong to Mahanadi on October 19, the statement said.

It will thereafter travel from Mahanadi to Gayabari on October 25, Gayabari to Tindharia on October 26, Tindharia to Rongtong on November 1, Rongtong to Sukna on November 2, Sukna to Siliguri Junction on November 8 and Siliguri Junction to Siliguri Town station on November 9, it added.

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