Kalimpong
A quiet ridge town east of the Teesta at about 1,250 metres, strung between Durpin and Deolo hills, with monasteries, mission buildings and flower nurseries.
Kalimpong
Kalimpong sits on a ridge between two hills, Durpin at one end and Deolo at the other, on the eastern side of the Teesta. At about 1,250 metres it is a good deal lower than Darjeeling, and its own district guide makes the point that it is neither very hot in summer nor very cold in winter. The town’s history is a border history. The area was held by Bhutan until the Anglo-Bhutan war of 1864 and the Treaty of Sinchula of 11 November 1865, after which it passed to British India and was attached to Darjeeling district. It then grew quickly, for two reasons. One was trade: the route to Tibet over the Jelep La ran through Kalimpong, and wool, furs, musk and grain changed hands here until the pass was closed after the war of 1962. The other was the Scottish mission, which built schools, a church and, in 1900, the homes founded by Dr J. A. Graham. Since 14 February 2017 Kalimpong has been a district in its own right. For a visitor it is a place of half-day sights and no single great one: a monastery on each hill, a view from the top of Deolo, nurseries full of orchids. It suits one night on the way between Darjeeling and the plains, or two if you want a day that is not spent in a car.
Explore Kalimpong on the map
City locations, drawn from our published destination data. Attractions, hotels and restaurants are not mapped yet.
What Kalimpong is for
Two hills, three monasteries, a mission legacy and plants — none of it hurried.
The two hills
- Zang Dhok Palri Phodang, the monastery on Durpin hill about 5 km from town, usually just called Durpin Gompa. The Dalai Lama consecrated it in 1976 and gave it the Kangyur in 108 volumes. It stands inside the army cantonment, so we confirm access when we quote.
- Durpin Dara itself — the name means binocular hill — looks over the town, the Teesta and, on a clear day, the peaks of Sikkim. A golf course lies near the top.
- Deolo Hill, north-east of town, at somewhere between 1,700 and 1,800 metres — the district’s own pages give two figures. There is a park at the summit, the town’s reservoirs, and a wide view over the Relli and Teesta valleys; the snows show only in clear weather.
Monasteries and the mission
- Tharpa Choling, a small Gelug monastery built in 1926, about 1.5 km from the centre on the road towards Dr Graham’s Homes. Young monks are trained here.
- Tongsa Gompa, built by the Bhutanese in the late 17th century. The district guide calls it the oldest monastery in the region and gives 1692 as the likely year, while admitting no firm record survives.
- MacFarlane Church, just above the main road. First built in 1891 and later rebuilt, it is named after the Scottish missionary William MacFarlane.
- Dr Graham’s Homes, the school that began in 1900 as a home for destitute Anglo-Indian children. The district guide singles out the school chapel; it is a working school, so visits are at its discretion.
Plants and people
- The flower nurseries. Kalimpong’s nurseries raise orchids, climbers and house plants, and the district promotes them to visitors. Which are open, and when, we confirm at the time of quoting.
- The Lepcha Museum, about a kilometre from the centre in a Lepcha village, holds ritual objects and musical instruments of the people who were here first.
- Mangal Dham, a Hindu temple of the Pranami tradition, about a kilometre from the centre and set in two acres.
How long to give it
Durpin, then Deolo
Arrive by early afternoon. Go first to Durpin for the monastery and the view down to the Teesta, then cross the town to Deolo Hill for the late light. If a nursery is open on the way, stop.
The town’s older layers
Tharpa Choling and Dr Graham’s Homes lie along the same road; MacFarlane Church and Tongsa Gompa are closer in. That is a morning. Leave after lunch, or stay the second night and add the Lepcha Museum.
How to reach and move
No airport and no railway of its own; every approach is a hill road.
Getting there
- Bagdogra is the nearest airport. The district’s guide puts it about 80 km away and allows three hours for the drive.
- New Jalpaiguri is the nearest mainline station, about 75 km away on the same guide’s figures; Siliguri is about 68 km.
- From Darjeeling it is about 55 km, and from Gangtok about 72 km. The guide’s own times are two and a half and three hours; treat both as approximate.
Getting about
- The centre is small and can be walked, though the ridge is steep on both sides.
- The hills need a car. Durpin is about 5 km from the centre in one direction and Deolo, on the district’s figure, about 10 km in the other.
- Lolegaon, about 45 km out, is reached by bus or taxi; the other villages beyond the town need a car.
When to visit
The district names two seasons; the months between them are wet.
The first of the district’s two tourist seasons. Summer days reach about 27°C and nights fall to about 16°C.
The guide calls the rains severe and says landslides often cut the town off. Fog is common. Travel with spare time.
The second season, with the clear skies the guide recommends. Add a light woollen layer to what you would wear in spring.
Cool, not severe: the guide gives a winter range of about 5°C to 17°C. Fog is frequent.
The town’s character
A former trading post where Lepcha, Bhutanese, Tibetan, Nepali and Scottish histories overlap.
A border town
- The Lepchas are the original inhabitants; the district translates the town’s Lepcha name as the ridges where we play.
- Before 1865 the area was held by Bhutan — Tongsa Gompa is the survivor of that time. After the Treaty of Sinchula it was first attached to the Western Duars and then moved into Darjeeling district.
- The Jelep La trade made the town. When the pass closed after 1962, Kalimpong fell back on its schools, farming and visitors.
Missions and monasteries
- The Scottish mission started its institution here in 1886, and Dr Graham’s Homes followed in 1900. The church and the school buildings are that legacy.
- Dharmodaya Vihar, a Nepalese Theravada temple, and St Teresa’s, a Catholic church decorated by local craftsmen, show how many traditions settled here. English, Nepali, Hindi and Bengali are all spoken.
Practical tips
A place to slow down in, provided you arrive with daylight.
Before you book
- One night or two: one is enough for the hills and a monastery. Take two only if you want a morning with nothing in it.
- Who should skip it: travellers who want a headline sight. Kalimpong has none; its appeal is that it is calm.
- Permits: the district’s visitor pages list none for the town. The Durpin monastery is in an army area, so carry photo identification.
On the day
- Do not overpack warm clothing. That is the district’s own advice: light clothes in March and April, a light woollen in September and October.
- Carry an umbrella in the rains, however clear the morning looks.
- Monasteries and the school are in daily use. Ask before photographing people, and keep to the areas visitors are shown.
Nearby
Across the Teesta, and up into the forest villages.
Related to Kalimpong
Journeys that include Kalimpong — each one visits the city as part of its itinerary.
Common questions
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