Mangpu

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Mangpoo
Mangpu Cinchona Plantation
Small town
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Mangpoo
Location in West Bengal, India
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Mangpoo
Mangpoo (India)
Coordinates: 26°58′17″N88°22′16″E / 26.97139°N 88.37111°E / 26.97139; 88.37111
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
State West Bengal
District Darjeeling
Population
 (2011)
  Total1,109
Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
734313
Telephone/STD code0353
Lok Sabha constituency Darjeeling
Vidhan Sabha constituency Kurseong
Website darjeeling.gov.in

Mangpoo (also referred to as Mangpu Cinchona Plantation, or rendered as Mungpoo) is a village in the Kurseong Vidhan Sabha Rongli Development Block in the Darjeeling Sadar Subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.

Contents

History

The ancient Incas, in what is now Peru, knew that the bark of a tree had miraculous property of curing Malaria. Carl Linnaeus established the botanical genus of Cinchona in 1742. Dr. Thomas Anderson, Superintendent of Royal Botanical Garden at Calcutta, started his experimental trial for cultivation of Cinchona in the Darjeeling Hills and in 1862 selected the Mangpu hills for commercial cultivation. After successful establishment of Cinchona plantations at Mangpu, it was extended to Munsong, Rongo, Latpanchar and Ambotia. [1]

The Directorate of Cinchona and Other Medicinal Plants started functioning in Darjeeling in 1862, initially for growing Cinchona trees and to produce the life-saving anti-Malarial drug, Quinine, from its bark. Later, other medicinal and specialised plants were also grown. [1]

The Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore visited Mangpu quite often between 1938 and 1940. He used to stay at the residence of his protége Maitreyi Devi, who was herself a renowned poet and novelist. Maitreyi Devi's husband Manmohan Sen was at that time the director of the quinine factory in Mangpu. The bungalow has now been converted into Rabindra Bhavan, a museum containing Tagore's photographs, paintings, writings, and other paraphernalia. The museum also contains furniture that was designed and carved by Rathindranath Tagore. Maitreyi Devi recorded the stays of Rabindranath in her book Mangpute Rabindranath, the English translation of which is called Tagore By The Fire Side. [2] [3]

Geography

Mangpu
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8km
5miles
S
I
K
K
I
M
N
E
P
A
L
Balason River
Mahananda
River
Teesta River
Mahananda
Wildlife
Sanctuary
NP
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Margaret’s Hope TE
TE
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Makaibari TE
TE
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Jungpana TE
TE
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Goomtee TE
TEV
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Castleton TE
TE
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Balasun TE
TE
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Lopchu TE
TE
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Glenburn TE
TE
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Kurseong
M
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Cart Road
CT
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Ambootia
R
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Sevoke
R
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Sittong
R
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Simulbari TG
R
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Giddapahar
R
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Tindharia
R
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Sukna
R
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Rohini TG
R
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Monteviot TG
R
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Mangpu
R
Longview TG
R
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Teesta Valley TG
R
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Peshok TG
R
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Takdah
R
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Places and tea estates in the north-eastern portion of Darjeeling Sadar subdivision (including Rangli Rangliot CD block) and Kurseong subdivision in Darjeeling district
CT: census town, R: rural/ urban centre, N: neighbourhood, H: hill centre, NP: national park/ wildlife sanctuary, TE: tea estate, TA: tourist attraction
Abbreviations used in names – TG for Tea Garden (town/village), TE for Tea Estate
Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly

Location

Mangpu is located at 26°57′58″N88°22′20″E / 26.966000°N 88.372361°E / 26.966000; 88.372361

Mangpoo is 32 km east of Darjeeling. The elevation varies from 1,000 to 6,170 ft (300 to 1,880 m). [1]

Area overview

The map alongside shows the eastern portion of the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region and a small portion of the Terai region in its eastern and southern fringes, all of it in the Darjeeling district. In the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision 61.00% of the total population lives in the rural areas and 39.00% of the population lives in the urban areas. In the Kurseong subdivision 58.41% of the total population lives in the rural areas and 41.59% lives in the urban areas. [4] [5] There are 78 tea gardens/estates (the figure varies slightly according to different sources), in the district, producing and largely exporting Darjeeling tea. It engages a large proportion of the population directly/ indirectly. [6] Some tea gardens were identified in the 2011 census as census towns or villages. [7] Such places are marked in the map as CT (census town) or R (rural/ urban centre). Specific tea estate pages are marked TE.

Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.

Demographics

According to the 2011 Census of India, Mangpu Cinchona Plantation had a total population of 25,000 [8] 1,109 (49%) were males and (51%) were females. There were 64 persons in the age range of 0 to 6 years. The total number of literate people in Mangpu Cinchona Plantation was 1,023 (92.25% of the population over 6 years). [9]

Education

Saraswati Higher Secondary School is an English-medium coeducational institution established in 1945. It has facilities for teaching from class VI to class XII. [10] Gyanpith Higher Secondary School is another coeducational school located at Rungbee Division of Mungpoo which is under the WBCHSE curriculum. Sarada High School is also a coeducational school located at Mungpoor Division of Mungpoo which provides education up to Madhyamik level. Labdah Junior High School is another coeducational school which provides education up to class 10. Kasturi High School is the only school in Mungpoo which is Nepali medium till class 10 for both boys and girls. [11] Other than these school there are numerous private/primary schools in Mangpu viz., St. Joseph's School, St. Mangal Academy, Good Start Academy, Dolphin Nursery School, Labdah CP Primary School, Gramsewak Primary School, Hill Angels' School, St. Anthony' School, Dr. Ambedkar Memorial Welfare School, Green Hill Academy, Siddhartha Memorial School, Green Mountain English School, etc.

Healthcare

Mungpoo Government Cinchona Plantation Hospital is located below Nali Dara (which is the central meeting place of the whole Mangpu region). Dowhill Central Hospital, with 40 beds, is located at Dow Hill and Latpanchar Cinchona Plantation Hospital, with 12 beds, is located at Latpanchar. [12]

Road connections

Mungpoo is located at a distance of 52 km from Siliguri, 40 km from Kalimpong and 32 km from Darjeeling town. Nearest Railway station is New Jalpaiguri Railway Station (NJP) and nearest Airport is Bagdogra Airport (IX-B). Mungpoo is almost 88.8 km far away from Gangtok and 67.3 km away from Mirik.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurseong</span> Town in West Bengal, India

Kurseong is a town and a municipality in Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Kurseong subdivision.

Cart Road is a census town in the Kurseong CD block in the Kurseong subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tindharia</span> Village in West Bengal, India

Tindharia or Tindharay is a village in the Kurseong CD block in the Kurseong subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sevoke</span> Town near Siliguri, West Bengal, India

Sevoke is a small town near Siliguri in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal state of India near the border with Sikkim state. Situated in Dooars, Sevoke lies on the bank of River Teesta and has two bridges − namely Coronation Bridge and Sevoke Railway Bridge over it. Indian Army and Border Security Force camps are located in the area. The Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in this area. National Highway NH10 passes through the town and connects Sevoke town to Gangtok and Siliguri. National Highway 17 originates from Sevoke near Coronation Bridge and terminates in Guwahati.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurseong subdivision</span> Subdivision in West Bengal, India

Kurseong subdivision is a subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.

Takdah Cantonment is a neighbourhood in the Rangli Rangliot CD block in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district, West Bengal, India. It is one of the upcoming tourist centres of the Darjeeling hills. Takdah literary means "always covered" in one of the local folklores, as it is often covered in fog. Roads that connect Takdah are in very bad condition.

Ambootia or Ambootay is a tea estate village in the Kurseong CD block in the Kurseong subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal in India.

Rangli Rangliot is a village in the Rangli Rangliot CD block in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sukna, Darjeeling</span> Village in West Bengal, India

Sukna is a village and a gram panchayat in the Kurseong CD block in the Kurseong subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.

Rohini Tea Garden is a village in the Kurseong CD block in the Kurseong subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.

Margaret's Hope Tea Estate is a tea garden in the Kurseong CD block in the Kurseong subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Teesta Valley Tea Garden is a village in the Rangli Rangliot CD block in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.

Jungpana Tea Estate is a tea garden in the Kurseong CD block in the Kurseong subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Castleton Tea Estate is a tea garden in the Kurseong CD block in the Kurseong subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Monteviot Tea Garden is a village in the Kurseong CD block in the Kurseong subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.

Balasun Tea Estate is a tea garden in the Kurseong CD block in the Kurseong subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Giddapahar is a village in the Kurseong CD block in the Kurseong subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.

Simulbari Tea Garden is a village in the Kurseong CD block in the Kurseong subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.

Sittong (Valley) is a village in the Kurseong CD block in the Kurseong subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.

Goomtee Tea Estate is a tea garden in the Kurseong CD block in the Kurseong subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Mungpoo Cinchona Plantation – a brief history". Mungpoo News, 14 August 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  2. "Rabindranath Tagore's Bungalow, Mungpoo". 1001 Things About North Bengal, North East India And Bhutan. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  3. "This Little Known Himalayan Village That Was the Much-Loved Summer Retreat of Rabindranath Tagore". The Better India. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  4. "Darjeeling". District Profile - General Information. District administration. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  5. "District Statistical Handbook 2013 Darjeeling". Tables 2.2, 2.4b. Department of Planning and Statistics, Government of West Bengal. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  6. "Darjeeling Tea". District administration. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  7. "2011 Census – Primary Census Abstract Data Tables". West Bengal – District-wise. Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  8. "11 Places To See in Mungpoo Darjeeling". Namaste Darjeeling. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  9. "2011 Census – Primary Census Abstract Data Tables". West Bengal – District-wise. Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  10. "Saraswati Higher Secondary School". EduGorilla. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  11. "Darjeeling". Namaste Darjeeling. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  12. "Health & Family Welfare Department" (PDF). Health Statistics - Hospitals. Government of West Bengal. Retrieved 3 March 2020.