A beautiful
hill town at 3750 ft in
North Bengal , Kalimpong can
be reached from either Siliguri or Darjeeling
. The majority of the populace here are
ethnic Nepali, having migrated to
Kalimpong in search of jobs half a century ago. Kalimpong
offers a quiet and relaxed holiday, against
the backdrop of Mount
Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the
world.
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More about
Kalimpong
Climate
Kalimpong has five distinct
seasons - spring; mild summer from
May-June (with the highs never crossing 30 °C); severe
monsoon from June-Sep causing many
landslides; autumn; and
winter from Dec-February (with the maximum
temperature being around 15 °C). During the monsoon and winter
seasons, Kalimpong is often enveloped by fog.
Language
The main languages are spoken
English (in tourist spots), Gorkha,
Bengali and Hindi.
The journey from Darjeeling
to Kalimpong is a beautiful experience, when the
road drops from Ghoom 7407
ft. to Teesta Bazar 700 ft
in 12 kms! The road passes through
lush green forests and tea
gardens. A place called the Viewpoint
or 'Lovers Meet', offers
excellent view of the
confluence of the
Rangeet and the
Teesta rivers, as also of
the Himalayas from
Durbindara summit.
Kalimpong's
attractions include three Buddhist
monastries, orchid nurseries, a
sericulture centre and Dr. Graham's
Home, a large sprawling school set
up in 1900 for educating the children of tea
workers. Kalimpong is well known for its many
educational institutions, which attract
students from all over North East India, West Bengal
, Bhutan, Nepal, and
Bangladesh.
Places
to visit in and around Kalimpong include Dr. Graham's
Home (a unique educational institution),
Durpin Dara (highest point),
Gauripur House - now
Co-operative Training Institute, Kalimpong Market,
Kalibari, 7th Mile View Point,
Mangaldham (place of worship with fine
architecture), Rissisum, Sericulture Research
Institute, Lolay Gaon / Kafer, Lava
(which commands a panoramic view of Jelep La
and Rechi La passes and is
gateway to Neora National
Park), Monasteries like Thongsha
Gompa, Tharpa Choling, Zong Dog Palri Fo-Brang &
Pedong and famous flower nurseries
like Brindaban Garden, Ganesh Mani Pradhan, L.B. Pradhan,
Pinewood, Standard, Shangrila Garden, Twin Brothers &
Universal Nursery (which export exotic
flowers like Amaryllis LiLies, Anthuriums, Roses,
Gerbera, dahlias, gladiolas, Orchids and Cacti to the world).
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