Siliguri is a rapidly developing metropolis in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a very narrow strip of land linking mainland India to its north eastern states. The town hosts over 500,000 domestic and 15,000 foreign visitors annually.
Siliguri is situated in Darjeeling district, and though it is the district's largest city, the district headquarters is located at Darjeeling. Siliguri is a unique city as 15 out of 47 wards of Siliguri Municipal Corporation falls in neighbouring Jalpaiguri district. The Indian army, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Shashatra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Assam Rifles have bases around the town. The Bagdogra Airport is located within the Indian Air Force (IAF) cantonment area. Siliguri has an Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOC) oil depot near the southern edge of the town.Siliguri is the 2nd largest city of West Bengal after kolkata.
Siliguri is located at the base of the Himalaya mountains in the plains. It is the largest city in the area (North Bengal) and 2nd largest city in west bengal and connects the hill station towns of Gangtok, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Mirik and Darjeeling with the rest of India.
Best For: Toy train; Adventure sports; Boating facilities ; Various joy rides; Parks; Educational Institutions
In recent years the close proximity of the Teesta river has made Siliguri a destination for adventure sports (White Water Rafting) enthusiasts. Table Tennis, Cricket, Taekwon-Do, Chess and football (soccer) are the five most popular sports here. People are football crazy and support the local Bengal clubs. The Kanchenjanga Stadium is the city's only outdoor stadium and matches are regularly held here. The Stadium houses the Sports Authority of India (SAI) sports hostel for athletes. There is an indoor stadium at Deshbandhupara in the southern part of the city. This new stadium has facilities for lawn tennis, badminton and table tennis as well as other indoor sports. However, the city is best known for being the training grounds for many Table Tennis players; specially Mantu Ghosh who was the Gold medal winner in the 1996 and 1999 SAF Games. The climate is suitable for growing tea and the surrounding region has many tea gardens.
Source: wikipedia / wikitravel
Siliguri has three main seasons summer, winter and monsoon. Summer temperature rarely exceed 38°C. Winter is relatively cool and temperature ranges from a high of 15°C to a low of about 3°C. Light rain and dense fog is seen during this season. During the monsoon season between June and September, the town is lashed by heavy rains often cutting access to the hill stations and Sikkim. One can visit Siliguri anytime except for monsoon.
Source: wikipedia / wikitravel
Indian Rupees is the best form of currency to carry here. Money can be exchanged at the exchange houses or at the Airport or at the banks which give a better rate
Tourism Office: For more Information one can contact the Tourism Office, Hill Cart Road, Siliguri
Source: wikipedia / wikitravel
Siliguri could be reached by Air, Rail and Road. It is also the transit point for air, road and rail traffic to the neighbouring countries of Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh
By Air: Bagdogra airport, situated about 12 kms away is the closest airport. The airport is well connected to most Indian cities including the state capital Calcutta. The Bagdogra airport is poised to become an international airport in the near future. A regular helicopter service links Siliguri to Gangtok.
By Road: A new road, named as Vivekananda Road, has been built connecting Burdwan Road to the Mahabirsthan Rail Gate bringing much relief to the chaotic section of the city. The road is planned to join soon with Matigara, through a bridge. Also a newly constucted fly-over over the Rail Gate connecting Hashmi Chowk to Mahabirsthan, provides seamless communication from the Station Feeder Road in the south to Hill Cart Road in the central part of the city. The Tenzing Norgay Central Bus Terminal is a major stop for most buses in the region. The Royal Government of Bhutan also operates buses from Siliguri to the border town Phuntsoling in Bhutan. Jeeps also link Siliguri to neighbouring towns. Similarly the Sikkim government's buses run to Sikkim from the Sikkim Nationalised Transport (SNT) bus station opposite the Tenzing Norgay Bus Terminal
By Rail: Siliguri has three important railway stations:
1. Siliguri Town - This is the oldest station in the area. Opened on 23 Aug, 1880 during the British Raj, this station used to be the terminus for the trains coming from Kolkata and the starting point for the world-famous Darjeeling Himalayan Railway for journey to Darjeeling.
2. Siliguri Junction - This station opened in 1949 and used to be the point of departure of all trains to the north-eastern states, until the broad gauge was extended to Dibrugarh. Siliguri Junction is the only station in India with all the three gauges of tracks. 3. New Jalpaiguri - Opened in 1961 as a totally greenfield project 8 km.south of Siliguri, initially named New Siliguri (But,later renamed to Jalpaiguri as it falls under Jalpaiguri District) this is now the most important station in the region. This station connects Siliguri to every nook and corner of the country. The city has expanded and included New Jalpaiguri as one of its ward of Siliguri Municipal Corporation that it has become a single city
Source: wikipedia / wikitravel
The North Bengal Science Centre, in the city's northern suburbs, features many scientific experiments and gadgets. It also hosts a Nature Interpretation Centre that showcases the region's diverse flora and fauna, and has a small planetarium as well. ISKON Temple, recently built is dedicated to Lord Krishna and is considered to be the largest of its kind in the region. A prominent centre for Buddhist studies, the Sed-Gyued Monastery in near Salugara was inaugurated by the Dalai from the city. Also at a short distance, the Coronation or Sevoke Bridge Lama and features a 100-feet tall Stupa containing five types of relics. The Kalchakra Monastery is also worth a visit. Mahananda Wildlife Sanctury is a must-visit for nature lovers. It is densely forested situated just eight kms across the Teesta River and is a fine example of British architecture. Madhuban Park is a great spot for a family picnic, as is the Surya Sen Park, which lies along the Mahananda River.
Source: wikipedia / wikitravel
Other Activities:
With quite a few bazaars and markets catering to all types of budgets, Siliguri can easily be described as a shopper's paradise. The Hong Kong Market offers a wide array of inexpensive Chinese and other imported products, while the Seth Srilal Market, Hill Cart Road and Sunflower Shopping Mall are packed with large shops, featuring a range of goods at competitive prices.
Those interested in boating should head out to the Umrao Singh Boat Club in Sukna.
The surrounding landscape is dotted with many tea plantations and estates that make for very interesting tours
Plenty of accommodation is available to suit all budgets. The Four Star Hotels in Siliguri offer the guests with state of the art facilities like superb accommodation, excellent recreation facilities, excellent dining facilities and much more. Apart from the Four Star Hotels in Siliguri, there are 3 Star Hotels and Economy Hotels. The four star hotels also cater to the needs of the business travelers. Some of the budget hotels are Hotel Embassy and Hotel Vinayak. 3 Star hotels are Hotel Gateway and Hotel Sinclairs
Source: wikipedia / wikitravel
Siliguri, India is one of the most beautiful places on the earth. Infact, it can be said that it is like a mini paradise. Far away from noise and pollution, this is the perfect place for those who want to get lost in the world of peace and calm. It is a major trading center for the states of northeast and eastern Nepal. Women love to indulge in shopping, so it is to inform them that loose tea is the best buy in this city. Also, superb quality cane furniture is available here. For shopping, one can check out either Hill Cart Road or Sevoke Road.
