KURSEONG-The Place of White Orchid

KURSEONG  is a hill station and sub-divisional town situated in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India.Situated at an altitude of 1458 mts, Kurseong is about 57 km from From New Jalpaiguri railway station and about 32 km from Darjeeling. The word Kurseong means – the place of White Orchid. Kurseong , is a tiny and bustling hill town, area is only 5.05 sq. Km with about 41'000 inhabitants.

I would certainly say Kurseong is a place worth for a vacation stay.

There are so many sightseeing view points. I would like to mention some of the important and major numbers here.

EAGLE’S CRAG (Durpin Dhara-2 Km) is the Sunrise Point of Kurseong. You can view Himalayan peaks with their golden glow for sunrise. Eagles Crag affords splendid views down the Teesta Valley and the steamy plains to the south.

A small concrete stairway leads up to the garden above. The garden is full of hedges and flowering plantations. There is also a watch tower on one side of the garden. The views of the mountains on the opposite side and also that of the lower plains from here is awesome.

There is a concrete altar here and a Khukri (traditional Nepali knife) placed on it. It serves as a monument which was constructed by the erstwhile DGHC in memory of the Gorkhas who lost their lives in 1988 agitation in the hills.

A large water reservoir here supplies water to Kurseong town. Eagle Craig has always been a favourite place for the local young couples. Being on top of a hill and a bit isolated, this place offers a nice romantic ambience. Eagle Craig is open on all days from morning till sunset. There is no admission fee.

DowHill Park (Deer Park-3Km), on the DowHill Road. you will find yourself between tall pine trees and the sound of nature. The sound of a creek running nearby, birds chirping, the regular hum of the cicadas. It is relatively safe as the locals are friendly and harmless.

Dow Hill park is located on top of Dow Hill. The fenced park itself is quite small. There are hedge and other different kinds of plantations. There is a gazebo in the park where you can sit and relax. There is also a small children playground with swings and slides. The park is open from 10am to 4pm. Closed on Thursdays. A nominal entry fee needs to be paid to enter the park.

In the adjacent forest there is a large fenced area where you can still see some deers. But venturing into the forest is not allowed, you can only look for the deers from outside the fence and often they can be seen moving around, but not in the park.

Makaibari Tea Estate, (4km along Pankhabari Rd south west of town) is a Traditional tea estate which offers insight in its history, the art of tea processing, and its pioneering work in biodynamic practices (demeter certified). You can meet the workers up-close wandering the fields between the 7 villages making up the estate.

GIDDHA PAHAR VIEW POINT (about 4Km) provides panoramic view of Kurseong Town and the plains of Siliguri. Wonderful photo ops for photo enthusiasts. There are some spectacular views to be witnessed from here. It is all green and pure.

If you look towards the Hill Cart Road below, you can see the road winding down side by side with the toy train track. Giddapahar view point is open daily during the day time and there is no entry fee. You can park the car by the road side.

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Museum is located neareby this view point. It contains various documents and articles related with Netaji Subash Chandra Bose. It was originally a private house purchased in 1922 by Sarat Chandra Bose, the writer and veteran freedom fighter. Later in 1936 Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was confined for couple of months by the British in this Bungalow.

The museum is also known as Netaji Institute for Asian Studies where research and studies are conducted on Himalayan languages, society and culture. The museum is open daily. There is no admission fee. You will be required to take off your shoes before entering the museum. No photography is allowed inside.

Besides there are some another view points also in kurseong.such as:

Dow Hill Forest Museum. Giddapahar Seti Mata Temple, Ambootia Shiv Temple . St. Mary's Hill , Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Museum

Toy Train ride between Kurseong and Darjeeling .

From Kurseong station, you can make a day trip to Darjeeling. One of the best ways to do so is by taking a toy train from Kurseong station. There are two trains every day between Kurseong and Darjeeling. One leaves Kurseong in the morning at 07:00 hrs and the other in the afternoon at 15:00 hrs. Both take about 3 hours to reach Darjeeling. We have followed this route.