Three women from the Darjeeling district, all under 40, have scaled new heights bringing fame and glory to the region.

While Lt. Col. (retd) Barsha Rai ran 100 miles (160km) from Chinar War Memorial, Srinagar, to Kargil War Memorial, Drass, in memory of fallen brave soldiers, Rinchen W. Yolmo and Rakhee Mitruka won awards at the Asia Cake Oscars held in Colombo,
Sri Lanka.

Barsha, a second-generation officer, decided to run the extra mile to mark the silver jubilee of the Kargil War.

Her father Col. (retd) Keshab Rai was posted in Kargil during the 1999 war and Barsha was 12 then. The war had left a deep impression in her mind.

“I was in Class VIII when my father was posted there. I am connected to it (war) deeply,” Barsha told The Telegraph over the phone from Srinagar.

Barsha who retired in March this year had penned a poem expressing her mother’s trepidation when her father had gone to war.

The poem describes Barsha’s mother sitting near the phone waiting for her father’s voice but with a fear at the same time that “there could be bad news”. It is because of her connection with the 1999 war that Barsha decided to run the distance.

“I started training in June last year,” said Barsha who hails from Darjeeling.

The run, which took her to a height of more than 10,000 feet, started from Srinagar on July 19 and ended on July 22. Her husband, Col Varun Dikshit — who is also from Darjeeling and currently posted in Kashmir — joined the 160km run.

To the south of Kashmir, two bakers based in Siliguri bagged awards in the prestigious Asia Cake Oscars held in Colombo on July 21. Rinchen W, Yolmo is the proprietor of Homebaker, while Rakhee Mitruka owns The Cake Theory. Both the outlets also offer courses in baking.

Rinchen won in the “novelty cake” category, while Rakhee bagged the award in the “cake artists of the year (intermediate)” category.

The winners were selected by a panel of international judges.

Rinchen started her venture first in Bangalore in 2012 when she quit her corporate job. She moved to Siliguri in 2015 and continued with the bakery business.

“I started baking about 12 years back,” said Rakhee.

The awards, many believe, would go a long way in changing the profile of Siliguri.

“When I started, it was difficult even to procure basic baking materials like vanilla sugar,” said Rinchen.

The scene is now changing. “Earlier, people wanted cakes mostly for birthdays and anniversaries. Now, people are ordering cakes for various events like even rice weaning of a child,’ said Rinchen.

Rakhee admits: “Bakery items are in demand nowadays.”

Rinchen has also been invited to judge various national-level contests, while Rakhee has made her name in such events with her work.