Darjeeling, Nov 06: If Maoist scare is fast turning Kathmandu into a tourist nightmare with crack commandos frisking every vehicle that checks into the Himalayan capital in search of pro-Maoist guerillas, the Queen of Hills is gearing up to wean tourists away from Nepal with a 10-day carnival.
Nepal that used to witness loads of tourists from India during this part of the year, has increasingly been losing it to Darjeeling and Gangtok in Sikkim as Kathmandu virtually shuts down after sunset and locals are wary of venturing out for fear of police-Maoist confrontation.

The carnival that is to witness solemn presence of Shri Shri Ravi Shankar of Art of Living fame and jazz king Louis Banks, is slated to be flagged off on November 7 coinciding with the centenary celebrations of Happy Valley Tea Estate, one of the oldest tea gardens in Darjeeling.

Tea garden workers will be performing traditional songs and dances in the evenings, while rock groups from throughout India and Nepal will also perform. Besides a kite festival, other prominent events include parasailing, white water-rafting in the Teesta, visual art and flower shows.

Added to the carnival is a two-day annual biennial conference of Indian zoo directors beginning here tomorrow that will take up the issue of preserving Himalayan red panda, one of the endangered species in the world. The Darjeeling Zoo authorities have been rearing red pandas before releasing them into the wild after breeding them in captivity, zoo director Dr B R Sharma told DHNS here today.

Nearly 58 directors from zoos all over the country are expected to attend the conference. The additional director-general of the Wildlife Board, Mr Vinod Rishi is likely to be present in the conference that will discuss role of zoos in the conservation efforts of natural parks and sanctuaries.