MALIGAON, May 19: The Northeast Frontier Railway announced the successful conclusion of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) Literature Festival 2026, organized by the DHR in collaboration with the creative collective Poets of Community. The three-day literary and cultural festival, held from 15th to 17th May, culminated on 18th May, 2026 with a grand valedictory and certificate distribution ceremony celebrating the enthusiastic participation of students, youth and members of the local community.
The festival successfully fulfilled its vision of bringing together the industrial heritage of the UNESCO World Heritage Darjeeling Himalayan Railway with the rich oral and literary traditions of the Himalayan region. Through a vibrant blend of literature, music, storytelling and community interaction, the festival created a meaningful cultural platform that highlighted the region’s diverse artistic heritage. The festival events were organized across Kurseong and Darjeeling and witnessed active participation from writers, artists, students and literature enthusiasts.
On the opening day at Victoria Boys’ School, Kurseong, noted author and IIT Roorkee alumnus Megha Mittal conducted an engaging workshop titled “Why Poetry Is Boring”, encouraging students to explore poetry as a contemporary and expressive art form.
The second day featured the unique “Rail & Rhythm: The Open-Deck Experience”, combining a scenic steam locomotive journey aboard the heritage Toy Train with live musical performances by regional artists. The programme was followed by an interactive folklore and storytelling session at Café De Central, Kurseong, celebrating the oral traditions of the Himalayan communities.
The concluding day at Café House, Darjeeling showcased multilingual literary performances in Nepali, English and Hindi, where writers and artists reflected upon the cultural heritage, identity and contemporary realities of the Himalayan region through poetry, storytelling and spoken-word presentations.
At the special certificate distribution ceremony held on Monday, certificates of appreciation and participation were presented to children, students, performers and community members who actively contributed to the workshops, storytelling sessions and cultural performances.
The initiative reflects the continued commitment of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and Northeast Frontier Railway towards preserving the cultural heritage of the hills while encouraging creative engagement among the younger generation and local communities.