Iron Sherpa Heritage Run, lit fest and onboard cultural shows headline expanded edition; DHR announces 2026 festival dates and annual heritage run plan
Maligaon (Guwahati), Dec 11: The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) has wrapped up the Ghum Festival 2025 with a grand closing ceremony at Ghum, with Northeast Frontier Railway General Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava presiding over the event.
This year’s edition has been described by officials as one of the most successful so far, with expanded programming, new initiatives and wider community participation.
The festival, built around celebrating hill heritage and the legacy of the UNESCO-listed mountain railway, introduced several first-time features, including the Kurseong Literature Festival, the Iron Sherpa Heritage Run, the DHRUMA Music Festival, open-roof cultural performances onboard trains, and multiple heritage walks, exhibitions and art showcases.
Railway officials said these additions have helped further position the Ghum Festival as a flagship annual celebration of the Darjeeling hills.
A key highlight this year was the inaugural Iron Sherpa Heritage Run, organised exclusively for residents of the hills to mark the 26th anniversary of DHR’s inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The run started from the iconic Darjeeling Chowrasta and ended at Ghum, India’s highest railway station, drawing nearly 200 participants and symbolising, according to officials, the close bond between the local community and the historic railway.
Buoyed by the response, DHR has decided to make the Iron Sherpa Heritage Run an annual event to be held every December 5.
Following the run, participants and guests were hosted on a special Darjeeling–Ghum–Darjeeling train service featuring an open-roof cultural programme showcasing local music, dance and art.
The on-board event turned the journey into a “moving celebration” of heritage and community, officials said.
The Director of DHR expressed gratitude to partners, participants and supporters, and reiterated the railway’s commitment to conserving its heritage while strengthening its connect with hill residents.
The Ghum Festival 2025 began on December 2 with two inaugural sessions and concluded with the announcement of dates for the next edition.
DHR has scheduled the 2026 festival from November 28 to December 6, and plans to build both the Ghum Festival and the Iron Sherpa Heritage Run into signature annual platforms promoting heritage, health, culture and community engagement in the Darjeeling hills.
