Gitanjali Mango Festival to be held from June 9 to 11

siliguri: In a bid to approach the UNESCO to declare mango growing in this region an intangible heritage bridging the gap between two world heritages- the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and the Paharpur Buddhist Vihara ruins in neighbouring Bangladesh, the 7th edition of Gitanjali Mango Festival will be held in Siliguri. The festival will be flagged off on June 9 and will continue till June 11 at a Shopping Mall in Siliguri.

This is an annual event organised by a private school in collaboration with the Association for Conservation and Tourism (ACT).

“Mango is the ‘King of Fruits’. Mango growing in this region has thousands of years of history. It is connected with handicrafts, handloom and culture. We are trying to inscribe mango growing and all activities related to mangoes to get recognition of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH.) It will also serve as a connect between DHR and Paharpur” said Raj Basu, the Convenor of ACT.

Since its inception in 2010, the festival has aimed to introduce the taste and importance of mangoes to students.

While promoting rural enterprises and tourism, the festival has grown to become a significant activity in the BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal) region, fostering cultural exchange and cooperation among participants from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal.

With a wide range of activities, exhibitions, competitions, and seminars, the festival creates a platform for showcasing the diversity of mangoes, cultural performances, and entrepreneurial endeavors. In this year’s festival, over 100 mango farmers and entrepreneurs, alongside numerous organic farmers, craftsmen, weavers, and representatives from the tourism industry and travel trade will present there.

More than 250 varieties of mangoes like Himsagar, Langra, Kohitur, Golap Khash, Alphonso will be brought in from Malda, Murshidabad, Burdwan, Nadia, North Dinajpur, Puruliya, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh. 20 varieties will come from Bangladesh alone.

About 30 stalls will be there at the festival. More than 60 captivating stage performances, mango exhibitions and competitions showcasing different varieties, mango eating contests, mango recipe competitions, sit and draw competitions, for students, an art exhibition, mango recipe contest and tourism promotion tables will be organised.