subject: The Road Route: New Jalpaiguri To Darjeeling [print this page] Situated in the plains at the base of the Himalayas, New Jalpaiguri connects Gangtok, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik to the rest of India. The town has a major railway station.
The major populace of the region comprises Bengalis and other minor communities like Gorkhas, Marwaris and Biharis. Durga Puja, Lakshmi Puja, Christmas and Kali Puja are some of the major festivals celebrated here. The prime attraction in New Jalpaiguri is Mahananda Weir Wildlife Sanctuary, which is a home to various wildlife and bird species. Salugara Monastery and Coronation Bridge are among the other attractions of the region.
The distance from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling is about 70 km. Darjeeling, located at an average elevation of 6710 ft in Mahabharat Range or Lesser Himalayas, is popularly known as Queen of Hills. Snow-clad Himalayan ranges tower over this internationally acclaimed tourist destination.
Kanchenjunga, third highest peak in world with an altitude of 28968 ft, can be clearly visible from Tiger Hill here. If the sky is clear, Mount Everest can also be seen. Among the tourist attractions in Darjeeling are Padmaja Naidu Himalaya Zoological Park, Lloyds Botanical Garden, tea plantations and the surrounding dense forests which are rich in flora and fauna.
Darjeeling does not have an airport. There is no broad gauge line between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling. A hill station train, known as toy train on narrow gauge, runs between the two towns. The toy train passes through scenic mountains. There are five stations in between them. Ghum is considered as the highest altitude railway station in Asia. The toy trains starts at nine in the morning from New Jalpaiguri and reaches Darjeeling at 4.15 in the evening. Though the traveller can see the scenic beauty, many discard the toy train simply due to the fact that it takes more than seven hours to reach the destination.
The main mode of transport to travel from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling is by road. Both the state-run and private buses and taxis are available in plenty to travel to the destination. While bus travel costs Rs.60 onwards, shared Jeeps charge a rate of around Rs.80. Bus service is available from Siliguri, situated at 4 km from New Jalpaiguri.
Full taxis, which are available in front of the New Jalpaiguri railway station, charge a fare of Rs.800. Pre-paid taxis are available at the counters operated by the West Bengal and Sikkim governments. There is a fixed rate for taxis if one goes through these counters. Otherwise travellers will have to bargain on fare with taxi owners. There are two main road routes to travel from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling. The route via Mink is long but scenic. Hill Car road (NH55) is the common route.
