Morgan House, Kalimpong

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Morgan House
Morgan House Kalimpong 2.jpg
Morgan House, Kalimpong is a colonial British mansion
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Former namesSingamari Tourist Lodge, Durpin Tourist Lodge
General information
StatusConverted to Hotel
TypeMansion
Architectural style British colonial architecture
LocationKalimpong, West Bengal
AddressChandraloke, Kalimpong, West Bengal 734301
Town or cityKalimpong
CountryIndia
Coordinates 27°02′43″N88°27′39″E / 27.045380°N 88.460942°E / 27.045380; 88.460942 Coordinates: 27°02′43″N88°27′39″E / 27.045380°N 88.460942°E / 27.045380; 88.460942
Elevation4480.47 feet/1365.65 metre
Current tenantsWest Bengal Tourism Development Corporation
Groundbreaking1930
Height
Architectural British colonial architecture
Technical details
MaterialStone, Wood
Floor count2
Lifts/elevators0
Grounds16 acres
Other information
Number of rooms7
ParkingAvailable
Website
https://www.wbtdcl.com/home/lodge_search?Lodge_id=OA&Lodge_destinationName=Mw

Morgan House Kalimpong or Morgan House is a mansion of British colonial architecture built by an English jute baron George Morgan in the 1930s on the hill station of Kalimpong, Kalimpong district, West Bengal. Today, the mansion is a hotel managed by West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC). Earlier this property was also known as Singamari Tourist Lodge or Durpin Tourist Lodge. [1]

Contents

Location

Morgan House is built on a sixteen-acre estate atop the mountain of Durpindara. It is situated three kilometers off the center of Kalimpong town and has a clear view of the Kangchenjunga mountain range. [2] The mansion and the estate is surrounded by the Kalimpong Cantonment area and overlooks the valleys of Relli, Kapher, Deolo and Labha [3] in various directions.

Morgan House is 75 km from Siliguri, 52 km from Darjeeling and 75 km from Gangtok by road. Nearest railway station is in New Jalpaiguri and nearest airport is in Pakyong.

History

Morgan house is a British colonial mansion built in the early 1930s. The building was to commemorate the wedding of an indigo plantation owner with a jute baron George Morgan.[ citation needed ]

The property was used as a summer retreat and elaborate parties were hosted. It passed into the hand of trustees after the Morgans died without heir. [2] It was further handed over to government of India post Indian independence. During 1962, after then prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru was taken ill, plans were made to convert this house into a government rest house.

However, due to sudden demise of Jawahar Lal Nehru, [4] [5] this plan was abandoned. In 1965 it was handed to tourism department and in 1975 it was finally handed over to West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation. Since then it is being managed as a boutique hotel and is open to tourists.

Indian actors and celebrities such as Uttam Kumar, Supriya, Kishore Kumar, Amit Kumar, Leena Chandavarkar, Nargis, Sunil Dutt and Om Prakash have stayed in this lodge and their testimonials can be seen framed in the lounge. [6] Actor Utpal Dutt was also a regular visitor. [1] American ambassador in India Chester Bowles stayed here. [2]

This lodge is also considered to be haunted and has been featured in several lists of haunted lodges and hotels. [7] [8] [9]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "Next weekend you can be at ... Morgan House". The Telegraph. Retrieved 25 June 2017.[ dead link ]
  2. 1 2 3 Subhrajyoti07 (25 June 2017), An old news clipping one can find framed in the lounge , retrieved 25 June 2017
  3. ↑ Subhrajyoti07 (20 May 2017), English: Kalimpong Army Golf Course watershed viewpoint plaq installed by Indian Army , retrieved 25 June 2017
  4. ↑ "Feature". pib.nic.in. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  5. ↑ "India Mourning Nehru, 74, Dead of a Heart Attack; World Leaders Honor Him". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  6. ↑ "The Telegraph - North Bengal & Sikkim". www.telegraphindia.com. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  7. ↑ Kumar, S. "Morgan House, Kalimpong Sightseeing Places – Haunted House in Kalimpong". www.kolkatabengalinfo.com. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  8. ↑ "Dare to stay at these haunted hotels of India?" . Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  9. ↑ "7 Haunted Hotels of India and Spooky Stories Behind Them - Holidify". www.holidify.com. Retrieved 24 June 2017.

Bibliography

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  2. Mitra, Swati (2011). Wild Trail in Bengal: Travel Guide. Goodearth Publications. ISBN   978-93-80262-16-1.
  3. Mehta, Vinod (2004). 100 holidays in the hills and 100 bonus hideaways. Outlook Pub. (India). ISBN   978-81-901724-6-2.
  4. The India Travel Planner. Cross Section Publications (P) Limited. 2006.
  5. Heritage holidays. Outlook Publishing (India). 2004.
  6. Betts, Vanessa; McCulloch, Victoria (10 February 2014). Indian Himalaya Footprint Handbook: Includes Corbett National Park, Darjeeling, Leh, Sikkim. Footprint Travel Guides. ISBN   978-1-907263-88-0.
  7. Planet, Lonely; Singh, Sarina; Benanav, Michael; Blasi, Abigail; Clammer, Paul; Elliott, Mark; Harding, Paul; Mahapatra, Anirban; Noble, John; Raub, Kevin (1 September 2015). Lonely Planet India. Lonely Planet. ISBN   978-1-74360-975-0.
  8. Coxall, Michelle; Greenway, Paul (1 September 1996). Indian Himalaya: a Lonely Planet travel survival kit. Lonely Planet. ISBN   978-0-86442-413-6.
  9. Desai, Madhavi; Desai, Miki (5 December 2016). The Bungalow in Twentieth-Century India: The Cultural Expression of Changing Ways of Life and Aspirations in the Domestic Architecture of Colonial and Post-colonial Society. Routledge. ISBN   978-1-351-89347-3.
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