#BeatPlasticPollution is back again as the theme for World Environment Day on 5 June 2025. This itself shows the gravity of the plastic crisis that the world is faced with, and it is a great opportunity for us to respond to the Himalayan waste crisis and promote mountain solutions.
Amid vibrant cultural festivities, former students of the Central School for Tibetans (CST), Darjeeling, joined by members of the Tibetan communities from New York, New Jersey, and Minnesota, gathered on June 4 at the Tsuglagkhang Temple Complex in McLeodganj to offer a heartfelt “Tenshug – long life prayer ceremony”, to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.
Tenshug refers to a ceremonial and devotional request made to a great spiritual teacher to live long and continue turning the Wheel of Dharma for…
In an extraordinary display of courage, leadership, and comradeship, Lieutenant Shashank Tiwari of SIKKIM SCOUTS of Indian Army made the ultimate sacrifice while saving a fellow soldier during an operational task in North Sikkim on 22 May 2025.
On the 2nd of May, an activist from Darjeeling – Sudhan Gurung, was brutally attacked by some men right in the heart of the town. The attack caused grievous injuries to Sudhan, deep cuts on his head and massive blood loss. Fortunately, he could be rushed to the hospital immediately, and was pulled out of danger.
Kalimpong Ultra Marathon is one of the most challenging yet scenic races in India. This year 450 participants came from all over India for this epic run.
As we travelled in the airport taxi, he didn’t ask about home, our neighbours, or old friends. Nothing.
After his house was burned down during the 1986 political movement for Gorkhaland in Darjeeling, his parents had passed away the following year. Perhaps it was the overwhelming grief and exhaustion from losing their home. That was what the locals believed, too.
That’s what we did, we hung around in Chorwasta all day long, doing nothing, watch life happen. I recently realized, the Italians have philosophy and phrase for this – “Il dolce far niente – the sweetness of doing nothing.”
It could mean anything, from looking at time fly by, drinking a cup of tea, “season herdai – looking at people of opposite sex” or simply guffing. When you are devoting your time on do-nothing leisure activities, one is supposed to be experiencing “il dolce far niente.”
Born on July 25, 1945, in Phoobsering Tea Estate, Darjeeling, Kajee Singh’s lifelong dedication to the preservation and formalization of Nepali folk music began in his early years. The son of Maadalaacharya Indrajeet Singh Sardaar, he inherited a deep-rooted passion for music from his family, which had been cultivating the classical folk music tradition of the Gorkha community for generations. His father’s influence, along with his own keen interest in traditional culture, would shape his path and inspire him to bring the Maadal — a revered Nepali musical instrument — to the forefront of Indian music.
Darjeeling’s Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) recently celebrated the graduation of participants from the Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (BIPARD) adventure and survival skills course. The event showcased the Institute’s dedication to fostering inclusivity, perseverance, and excellence in mountaineering.