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Kalimpong
Kalimpong is well-known for its many educational institutions, which attract students from all over North East India, West Bengal, Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. In recent times, Kalimpong has become an important tourist destination owing to its temperate climate and proximity to popular tourist locations in the region. Kalimpong is also famous for its flower market, especially the wide array of orchids. It also houses several of Buddhist monasteries which hold a number of rare Tibetan Buddhist scriptures.
Name originThe precise etymology of the name Kalimpong remains unclear. The most widely accepted origin of the name Kalimpong is "Assembly (or Stockade) of the King's Ministers" in Tibetan, derived from kalon ("King's ministers") and pong ("stockade"). Another possible origin to the name comes from the translation "ridges where we play" from Lepcha , derived from the region's traditional tribal gathering for summer sporting events. People from the hills also call the area Kalibong ("the black spurs"). According to K.P. Tamsang, author of The Untold and Unknown Reality about the Lepchas, the term Kalimpong is deduced from the name Kalenpung, which in Lepcha means "Hillock of Assemblage"; in time, the name was distorted to Kaleebung and later corrupted to Kalimpong. Another possible derivation points to Kaulim , a fibrous plant found in profusion in the region. HistoryUntil the mid-19th century, the area around Kalimpong was ruled intermittently by the Sikkimese and Bhutanese kingdoms. Present-day Kalimpong is believed to have once been the forward position of the Bhutanese in the 18th century, overlooking the Teesta Valley. The area was sparsely populated by the indigenous Lepcha community and migrant Bhutia and Limbu tribes. After the Anglo-Bhutan War in 1864, the Treaty of Sinchula (1865) was signed in which Bhutanese held territory east of the Teesta River was ceded to the British East India Company. At that time, Kalimpong was a hamlet, with only four families known to reside there. The first recorded mention of the town was a fleeting reference made that year by Ashley Eden, a government official with the Bengal Civil Service. After the war, the region was made into a subdivision of the Western Duars District , and the following year it was merged with the district of Darjeeling. The temperate climate prompted the British to develop the town as an alternative hill station to Darjeeling, to escape the scorching summer heat in the plains. Kalimpong's proximity to the Nathula and Jelepla passes, offshoots of the ancient Silk Route, was an added advantage and it soon became an important trading outpost in the trade of furs, wools and food grains between India and Tibet. The increase in population attracted large numbers of migrants from Nepal, leading to a sudden population increase and economic prosperity. The arrival of Scottish missionaries saw the construction of schools and welfare centres for the British. The Scottish University Mission Institution was the first to be opened in 1886, followed by the Kalimpong Girls High School . In 1900, the Reverend JA Graham founded the Dr. Graham's Homes for destitute Anglo-Indian students. By 1907, most schools in Kalimpong also started offering education to Indian students. By 1911, the population had swelled to 7,880. Following India's independence in 1947, Kalimpong came under the state of West Bengal, after Bengal was partitioned between India and Pakistan. With China's annexation of Tibet in 1959, many Buddhist monks fled Tibet and established monasteries in Kalimpong. The monks who fled persecution in Tibet also brought with them many rare Buddhist scriptures with them. In 1962, the permanent closure of the Jelepla Pass after the Sino-Indian War led to a slowdown in Kalimpong's economy, which relied heavily in trade between Tibet and India. In 1976, the visiting Dalai Lama consecrated the Zang Dhok Palri Phodang monastery, which houses many of the scriptures.
GeographyThe town centre is located on a ridge connecting two hills, Deolo Hill and Durpin Hill, at an elevation of 1,247 m (4,091 feet). Deolo, the highest point in Kalimpong, has an altitude of 1,704 m (5,590 feet) and Durpin Hill is at an elevation of 1,372 m (4,501 feet). The River Teesta flows in the valley below and separates Kalimpong from the state of Sikkim. The Shiwalik Hills, like most of the Himalayan foothills, have steep slopes and soft, loose topsoil, leading to frequent landslides in the monsoon season. The hills are nestled within higher peaks and the snow-clad Himalayan ranges tower over the town in the distance. Mount Kanchenjunga at 8,591 m (28,185 feet) the world's third tallest peak, is clearly visible from Kalimpong. Kalimpong has five distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn, winter and the monsoons. Summers are mild, with the highs usually never crossing 30 °C (86 °F), and last between May and June. Summers are followed by the monsoon rains which lash the town between June and September. The monsoons are severe, often causing landslides which sequester the town from the rest of India. Winter lasts from December to February, with the maximum temperature being around 15 °C (59 °F). During the monsoon and winter seasons, Kalimpong is often enveloped by fog. The annual temperature ranges from a high of 30 °C to a low of −4 °C (25 °F). Many locales in Kalimpong are named based on its distance in miles from Teesta Bazaar, a town which lies on the Teesta river in the valley below. For example, the locale 13th mile would be situated at a distance of 13 miles (21 km) from Teesta Bazaar. Economy
Farming on terraced slopes is a major source of livelihood for its rural populace and it supplies the town with fruits and vegetables. Altough education used to be the primary driver of the economy of the town, in recent years its contributions have stagnated. Many establishments cater to the Indian army base near the town, supplying it with essential supplies. Small contributions to the economy come by the way of the sale of traditional arts and crafts of Sikkim and Tibet. Government efforts related to sericulture, seismology, fisheries etc. provide a steady source of employment to many of its residents. Kalimpong is well known for its flower export industryGovt. of West Bengal official site
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