Orange Festival to be held in Kalimpong on Dec 14, 15

Darjeeling: Love the taste and smell of the world-famous Darjeeling oranges? Then, the two-day “Orange Festival” in Kalimpong on December 14 and 15 is a must-visit. Not only will one get to taste the famous Darjeeling Mandarin oranges (Citrus reticulata Blanco) but will also be able to wear it in the form of a natural perfume.

The Cinchona Directorate is in the process of extracting oil from the peel of oranges and developing it into a natural perfume, as a value addition. The perfume will be kept for trial and review at the Orange Festival. “There are many who are allergic to perfumes made using chemicals. The Cinchona Directorate is in the process of manufacturing a perfume with oil extracted from the peels of oranges as one of the key ingredients. We will display it in the Orange Festival, where visitors can try it and give their valuable feedback for us to develop the final product,” stated Samuel Rai, Director, Cinchona, while talking to Millennium Post.

The third edition of the Orange Festival is being held in Kalimpong for the first time. The earlier two editions were held at Mungpoo in Darjeeling.

“Arup Roy, minister of Horticulture and Food Processing, will be inaugurating the festival on December 14 morning. Prior to the inauguration ceremony, a rally will be held from Town Hall to the Mela Ground at 10 am. Roy along with Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Chief Anit Thapa, will be participating in the rally along with other State Government and GTA officials,” stated T Balasubramanian, District Magistrate, Kalimpong.

The festival is being organised by the Directorate of Cinchona and Other Medicinal Plants along with the District Administration, Kalimpong. The festival is a part of ‘Mission Suntala’. The ongoing mission is to salvage the world-famous Darjeeling orange (Suntala in Nepali) that was a major cash crop of the hills but has witnessed a steady decline over the years owing to disease and pest infestation.

“The festival will be held on one side of the street from Dambar Chowk to Thana Danra with around 50 stalls. Farmers, progressive farmers, Self-Help-Groups and Food Processing units will be setting up stalls. There will be short sessions on technical aspects, marketing and value addition relating to oranges. A day-long cultural programme will be held.

The festival is also expected to draw tourists with stalls like Experience Bengal,” added the District Magistrate. Samuel Rai, Director, Cinchona Plantation stated: “There will be demonstrations on pest control and technology to be adopted for better yield. There will be models on disease and how to mitigate them.”