Kalimpong, Dec. 29: Visitors and residents rode the rapids of the Teesta, tried their hand at angling and beach volleyball at Beni and were treated to a cultural performance by a Newar committee on the sixth day of the Kalimpong Winter Fest.

“River rafting was included in the itinerary of the fest because we wanted to highlight the sport,” said Sandip Jain, chief coordinator, of the fest.

“Beni is a lovely place. People just laze around on the sandy beaches of the river because they are afraid of rafting. We wanted to dispel myths about the sport,” he added.

People keen on learning the ropes of the adventure sport were offered two kinds of rides.

One was a short ride in which the raft kept close to the shore and the other offered a 2-km trip from Beni to the Teesta bridge.

While the events continued at Beni, a cultural programme started at Mela ground whose main highlight was the Newar traditions.

Newars from Kalimpong, Nepal, and Sikkim participated in this programme which included a procession in which members of the community, clad in their traditional best, played traditional musical instruments while parading around Mela ground.

Lakhe pyaka (mask dance) manjushree pyaka,a dance showcasing the community’s tantric heritage and nubuva pyaka, a welcome dance, were also performed.

“These dances are fading away and we should try and preserve them,” said Kagendra Pradhan, a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Newar Sangthan, which had organised the programme.

Traditional songs like pucha lasubami, a welcome song, were also performed to the accompaniment of traditional musical instruments like paschima and mohali.

“Newar music and dance are very hard to learn as the score of the music should be known not only to the vocalists and the instrumentalists but also by the dancer,” said Pradhan.

Sherpa dances were also performed in the afternoon. Local bands like Frozen Heart, Trishna, Sign, and a band from Kalimpong College, performed live to entertain the audience.