Cyclists rode at first light alongside the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway on the closing day of the Kanchenjunga Tourism Festival
Siliguri, 29 September 2026: The final day of the Kanchenjunga Tourism Festival (KTF) 2026 began at first light with Pedal with DHR, a cycling ride from Siliguri Junction to Rongtong, held in association with the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR). The ride carried the festival's low-emission message onto the road itself, in keeping with KTF 2026's call for tourism that treads lightly on the hills.
The ride was organised by the Association for Conservation & Tourism (ACT) in collaboration with the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), with technical support from Decathlon Siliguri.
Shri Raj Basu, Convenor, Association for Conservation & Tourism, said: "Slow is the new speed. A ride from Siliguri Junction to Rongtong, beside the railway that first opened these hills to the world, shows how tourism can move at a gentler pace and leave a lighter footprint. Tourism here can be carbon-neutral, and rides like this are one step towards it."
Shri Rishav Chaudhary, Director, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, said: "The DHR is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it belongs to the people of these hills. We were glad to join KTF 2026 for Pedal with DHR, which invites visitors to experience the railway's landscape in a sustainable way."
Decathlon Siliguri, technical support partner, said: "Cycling is one of the simplest ways to explore a place and one of the kindest to the environment. We were glad to provide technical support for Pedal with DHR and encourage more people to discover the hills on two wheels."
From the saddle
Arjun Mehta, Siliguri, who took part in the ride, said: "Watching the morning light come up as we rode out of Siliguri was unforgettable. You notice things on a cycle that you never see from a car: the smells, the sounds, the people waving from their doorways."
Riya Sharma, Darjeeling, said: "It felt like the hills were welcoming us slowly. I would happily do this ride every year, and I'd tell any traveller to try it."
About the Kanchenjunga Tourism Festival
Running for over two decades, the Kanchenjunga Tourism Festival is North Bengal's longest-standing tourism platform. An initiative of the Association for Conservation & Tourism (ACT), organised in collaboration with the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), KTF 2026 was held from 25 to 27 September across Siliguri, Darjeeling, Sonada and Sukna.
