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"},"mark-coord1":{"wt":"{{coord|27|3|50|N|88|12|25|E}}"},"label-pos1":{"wt":"left"},"label1":{"wt":"Chongtong TG"},"numbered1":{"wt":"CT"},"mark-title1":{"wt":"[[Chongtong Tea Garden]] (CT)"},"label-color1":{"wt":"#800000"},"label-size1":{"wt":"11"},"mark-size1":{"wt":"12"},"shape1":{"wt":"l-circle"},"shape-color1":{"wt":"#A40000"},"shape-outline1":{"wt":"white"},"label-offset-x1":{"wt":"2"},"mark-coord2":{"wt":"{{coord|27|4|50|N|88|17|58|E}}"},"label-pos2":{"wt":"left"},"label2":{"wt":"Ging TG"},"numbered2":{"wt":"CT"},"mark-title2":{"wt":"[[Ging Tea Garden]] (CT)"},"mark-coord3":{"wt":"{{coord|27|3|5|N|88|13|43|E}}"},"label-pos3":{"wt":"left"},"label3":{"wt":"Singtam TG"},"numbered3":{"wt":"CT"},"mark-title3":{"wt":"[[Singtam Tea Garden]] (CT)"},"mark-coord4":{"wt":"{{coord|27|6|25|N|88|19|0|E}}"},"label-pos4":{"wt":"right"},"label4":{"wt":"Badamtam 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This map presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full-screen map.
The garden is about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Darjeeling. While proceeding from the town along Hill Cart Road, one has to turn right, well before reaching Ghum. The road descends rapidly into the valley. With sharp bends all the way, there are scenic views at many points. Tea gardens dot the hill slopes. [3]
Constructed by the Gorkha Hill Council Tourism Department, [3] it was inaugurated by Subhash Ghising, the GNLF supremo. The Rock Garden is a multi-level picnic ground terraced around a natural waterfall, its attraction is in it "being a sort of road-side facility but with a little too much concrete." [4] The garden has views of a hill stream cascading over rocks along the slope, with flower gardens and sitting spaces at different levels. There is also a small lake. With tourists pouring in large numbers, tea shops and snack kiosks have come up. [5]
Ganga Maya Park is further down the road, about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from the Rock Garden. Named after an innocent victim of police firing during the GNLF agitation, "it meanders down the course of a chortling mountain stream, past gazebos, clumps of flowering shrubs and trees, over humped backed bridges under which koi-carp coruscate, and into a circular lake with paddle boats and a waterfall." [4] It has a small lake where boating facilities are available. [2] Gorkha folk dances are performed to entertain the tourists.
Good road conditions are essential in the hills, not only for comfortable rides but also for safety. The poor maintenance of the roads often led to protests by transporters’ associations. Amongst the bad roads in focus is the one to Rock Garden and Ganga Maya Park. DGHC maintains a vast network of roads, and they are repairing stretches. Since it is difficult to get bitumen on time, repairs get delayed sometimes. It takes around 30 minutes from darjeeling to reach here and the roads are very steep and only a trained driver can drive in this stretch of road.
Satyajit Ray’s Kanchenjungha (1962) helped the world discover the charm of Darjeeling. Raja Mukherjee’s directorial debut Bidhatar Khela (2007) renewed the magic of the town. Mukherjee, who had never been to Darjeeling before, was overwhelmed by the place and was surprised that the beauty of the hills has not been properly exposed to the world. After two trips to the town, he decided to capture every possible place here — from St Paul's School to Mount Hermon, from Hotel Viceroy, Ganga Maya Park, Rock Garden, Happy Valley to even Morgan's House in Kalimpong — in his movie. [8]
Singalila National Park is a national park of India located on the Singalila Ridge at an elevation of more than 2,300 metres above sea level, in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. It is well known for the trekking route to Sandakphu that runs through it.
Ghum is a small hilly neighbourhood in the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region of West Bengal, India. It comes under ward number one of the Darjeeling Municipality. Ghum railway station of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is the highest railway station in India. It is situated at an altitude of 2,258 metres (7,407 ft). The place is the home of the Ghum Monastery and the Batasia Loop, a bend of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
North Tukvar Tea Estate is a tea garden in the Darjeeling Pulbazar CD block in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Tiger Hill is a mountain located in Darjeeling, in the Indian State of West Bengal. It has a panoramic view of Mount Everest and Mount Kanchenjunga together.
Tonglu is one of the higher peaks of the Singalila Ridge and a small settlement inside the Singalila National Park in the Darjeeling subdivision, Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal in India near the India - Nepal border. It is a roadside halt along the trekking route from Manebhanjan to Sandakphu. It has a number of guest houses and homestays for faring trekkers and tourists on their way to Sandakphu.
Maney Bhanjyang is a small transit-town in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision, Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal in India. It is located at the gateway of the Singalila National Park, 28 km away from Darjeeling town. The income of the local residents is geared towards tourism, especially foreign trekkers. Maney Bhanjyang is the start of the trailhead for the trek to Sandakphu on the Singalila Ridge, the highest point in West Bengal. Conveyance for Sandakphu is also available mainly from Maney Bhanjyang in the form of Land Rovers of 1960 model. The 4-hour ride can be quite 'jumpy' as drivers maneuver their prized possessions along snaky curves and uphill roads.
Phalut or Falut 3,600 metres (11,800 ft) is the second highest peak of West Bengal, India. Part of the Singalila Ridge in the Himalayas, it is located at the border of the Indian states of West Bengal and Sikkim and of Nepal. It is located inside the Singalila National Park. A small bunkhouse is near the top of the peak and is administered by the Indian army. Singalila Pass is 17 km away from Phalut.
Bijanbari is a small town in Darjeeling district with Darjeeling Pulbazar CD block being the headquarters of the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision in West Bengal, India. It is a place of importance in Darjeeling district mainly because of the Block Divisional Office and a Hydel Power Plant. It is a valley land with number of homestays and it takes 1.5 hours to reach from the main town Darjeeling.
Rimbick is a village in the Darjeeling Pulbazar CD block in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district in West Bengal, India.
Badamtam Tea Estate is a tea garden in the Darjeeling Pulbazar CD block in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district in West Bengal, India.
Phoobsering Tea Estate is a tea garden in the Darjeeling Pulbazar in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Lodhoma is a village and gram panchayat in the Darjeeling Pulbazar CD block in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.
Ging Tea Garden is a census town in the Darjeeling Pulbazar CD block in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.
Chongtong Tea Garden is a census town in the Darjeeling Pulbazar CD block in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.
Singtam Tea Garden is a census town in the Darjeeling Pulbazar CD block in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.
Puttabong Tea Estate is a tea garden in the Darjeeling Pulbazar CD block in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Tukvar Tea Garden is a village in the Darjeeling Pulbazar CD block in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.
Singla Tea Garden is a village in the Darjeeling Pulbazar CD block in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.
Soom Tea Garden is a village in the Darjeeling Pulbazar CD block in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.
Orange Valley Tea Garden is a village in the Darjeeling Pulbazar CD block in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.
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