The Himalayan Beacon, known until 2006 simply as BEACON, is a monthly news-magazine published in Darjeeling by The Mandalay Books India (Pvt.) Ltd., and distributed throughout Darjeeling Hills and Sikkim. It is now owned by The Mandalay Books India (Pvt.) Ltd., which publishes other periodicals, including the weekly newspaper This Week and The Himalayan Traveller. BEACON is the largest and the first magazine to be published by and for the Darjeeling Hills. Nicknamed the "Fire Hose" for its colourful appearance and undiplomatic journalistic style, it is often regarded as a source of record, meaning that it is frequently relied upon as the official and authoritative reference for modern events. Founded in 1998 by Barun Roy, the magazine is by far more popular among the youths of the region t