Nepalis enjoy themselves at the Dashain celebration in Darjeeling (Top) and Siliguri. Telegraph pctures

Oct, 20: Dashain celebrations in Darjeeling kicked off on a classic note of communal harmony with Muslims and Buddhists adding colour to the shovayatra (rally) brought out on the occasion of Phulpati today.

Members of the Muslim community were seen beating dholkas to complement the chants of slokas and tunes of bhajans, as the procession wound its way through Darjeeling from Dali to pay obeisance to the Durga deity at Chowrastha.

Abdul Rashid Butt Badami, an executive member of Anjuman Islamia, who was seen leading the procession, said: ?There is complete communal harmony in Darjeeling and our community members feel that we have two festivals to celebrate during this period. Today is the fifth day of Ramzam and also the Phulpati day for the Hindus. Next month, we have the Bhai Tika and the Id celebrations almost coinciding.?

On bhai tika, which falls on November 14, sisters greet their brothers by anointing tikas on their forehead while the brothers pledge to safeguard them at all times.

A large number of Buddhists, dressed in their traditional best, also participated in the traditional Nepali celebration of Dussehra.

?We are here to promote communal harmony and national integration. Anyway, it said Buddhism evolved from Hinduism and this is why we are taking part in these celebrations,? said Tshering Dorjee Bhutia, the president of Kidu Chu, an umbrella organisation of 10 Bhutia associations in Darjeeling.

?We also celebrate Laxmi puja and bhai tika during Diwali. Dussehra and Diwali have evolved more as social festivals in the hills and we have always been part of this event,? said N.D. Bhutia, the general secretary, Kidu Chu. Loshar is the main festival of the Bhutias, which is also celebrated with great enthusiasm.

Apart from various social organisations, cultural groups like the Kalakar Sangathan participated in the rally.

The Lepchas, who are nature worshippers and considered the natives of Darjeeling hills and Sikkim, also took part in the rally in a large numbers.

Dressed in their traditional thayak tuk (headgear) and colourful attires called the damdham and dampra tago, young Lepcha girls and boys were seen greeting tourists and residents with their traditional khambri.

O.D. Lepcha, the secretary of the Lepcha Association, said: ?We were invited by the DGHC to take part in the procession today and we came here as we respect the sentiments of all the people. It is a nice feeling and such an event helps people bond better.?

Even tourists were high on festive spirit in Kalimpong, where Gorkha Sanskriti Sangrakshan Samity organised the celebrations. A two-day cultural programme also started at Mela ground today. Kurseong, too, celebrated phulpati with pomp and gaiety. Civic councillors including the Kurseong civic chief P.C. Agarwal and vice chairman Sanjay Chhetri participated in the rally.