Kalimpong - A Peaceful Hill Station

by bennylin0724

Article by Flin Martyn

Kalimpong is a hill station situated in the district of Darjeeling, West Bengal. Situated at about 1250 m above sea level on the lesser Himalayas, Kalimpong has the Indian Army's 27 mountain division on the outskirts of the town. Located on a ridge overlooking the Teesta River, Kalimpong is a favorite tourist destination because of its pleasant climate and proximity to many other popular tourist destinations. Known for its famous educational institutions, which were established during the British colonial years, and horticulture, Kalimpong is also famous for the Buddhist religious sites.

The name Kalimpong originated from the name Kalenpung, which means Hillock of Assemblage in the Lepche language. This name gradually changed to Kaleebung and then to Kalimpong.

After the independence of India, Kalimpong became part of the state of West Bengal. When China annexed Tibet in 1959, many Buddhist monks fled from Tibet and established monasteries in Kalimpong. These monks also brought many rare Buddhist scriptures with them. In 1976, the Dalai Lama who visited the Zong Dong Palri Fo Brang monastery, consecrated the scriptures in it. Kalimpong has thus got great religious importance among the Buddhists. Unlike Darjeeling, which is a crowded tourist destination, Kalimpong is a peaceful one and is loved by many tourists because of this.Kalimpong is the major ginger growing area in India. Kalimpong also exports traditional handicrafts, wood carvings, embroidered items, copper wares, bags, purses, scrolls, Tibetan jewellery and artifacts.

Tourism is the main source of income for the residents of Kalimpong. The main tourist spots of Kalimpong are Deolo hill, which is the highest point in Kalimpong from where the Kanchenjunga massif is visible. The Gowripur House, which was the home of the great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, the Zong Dong Palri Fo Brang monastery, the Mangal Dham temple, The Cactus Nursery and the golf course are the other main tourist spots of Kalimpong.

More than t! he touri st sites, one enjoys roaming around the town in a bike, enjoying the beautiful scenes and trekking to the mountains in Kalimpong. Handicrafts and lollipops of Kalimpong are quite famous.

Summer season in Kalimpong in the month of August is mild. The monsoon season which is from June to September, is severe, sometimes accompanied by natural calamities like landslides. The winter season is from December to February. Summer and spring season are the most popular tourist seasons.

Kalimpong is well connected via NH31A. Besides hired four wheeler vehicle services, there are regular bus services to Kalimpong. Bagdogra airport, which is at about 80 km from Kalimpong is the nearest airport and the New Jalpaiguri Railway station, which is in the outskirts of Siliguri is the nearest railway station.

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Dalai Lama, On life and enlightenment.-part1

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