Gateway to North Eastern India, Siliguri is a city in the northeast Indian state of West Bengal, India on the foothills of the Himalayas, surrounded by tea gardens. It’s home to the North Bengal Science Centre, with its digital planetarium and model T. rex. To the east is leafy Surya Sen Park, named after an independence activist, and the huge, white-domed ISKCON Temple. Farther north, the Salugara Monastery is a colorful Buddhist shrine. Siliguri has great strategic importance in West Bengal. It is located conveniently, connecting four international borders i.e. China, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.
It also connects the North-East with the Indian mainland and is connected with all other districts of West Bengal. Located at the foothills of Eastern Himalaya, Siliguri is a trading and transportation hub. Over time, Siliguri has grown from a village into a commercial hub. Until the 19th century this region was called as “Shilchaguri” when there was dense Dolka forest covering the area. Because of its appeal as an agricultural village, the Kingdom of Sikkim captured Siliguri making it the southernmost part of their kingdom until the Kingdom of Nepal interfered.
Because of it Kirati and Nepalis came to settle in this region. Treaty of Sugauli in 1815 signed between Britain-Nepal, changed the prospect of Siliguri. As it became a point of transit with Darjeeling hills and Nepal mainland. 1815 onwards, Siliguri started growing rapidly as a small city due to its strategic convenience of trade. In 1865, the British captured Darjeeling and the entire Dooars region to build tea plantations and export the produce to England. The “Siliguri Corridor” was formed when Bengal was divided into West Bengal and East Pakistan (later Bangladesh) in 1947, with Sikkim later merging with India in 1975.
Bengali is the official language in Siliguri subdivision, including followed by Biharis, Marwaris, Punjabis, Nepalis, Odias, and Tribals. Siliguri and surrounding Sub-Himalayan forests are rich in fauna diversity, the plains of North Bengal (Siliguri, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar etc.) are surrounded by deep forests. These forests are home of various rare and common species of plants. The forest here is moist Tropical and characterised by dense growth of tall Sal i.e. Shorea robusta.
Siliguri is located in the Terai region at the base of Himalaya range which is rich in biodiversity, containing numerous rare species of flora and fauna. It is home of various types of wild animals like the elephant, tiger, Indian bison, barking deer, wild pig, monkey, civet, snake, lizard, mountain goat, sambar, chetal and fishing cat. These forests are also home of about 243 different bird species like the pied hornbill, egret, kingfisher, drongo, fly catcher, woodpecker and others. Another common sight is migratory water birds. Well connected by rail, road, and air Siliguri is a major educational hub.
There are several places worth visiting in and around the city. these include Darjeeling Himalayan Railway toy train runs between New Jalpaiguri, Siliguri and Darjeeling. It was built between 1879 and 1881 and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, North Bengal Wild Animals Park, about 8 km (5.0 mi) away from the city, also worth visiting is Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, spread over an area of 700 acres. The park conducts herbivore safaris, carnivore safaris, and elephant safaris.
There are some important Hindu and Buddhists monuments in and around the city including Salugara monastrey, Ewam Buddhist Monastrey Sevoke Kali Mandir (Surya Sen Park,, Khordong Byangter Monastery, Mahabirstan, Seth Srilal Market, Bidhan Market,.ISKCON Termple, Hong Kong Market, Coronation Bridger, Dreamland Amusemet Park, Savin Kingdom amusement and water park also worth visiting is North Bengal Science Centre, established in 1997, is the only science centre of North Bengal. Those interested in shopping in Silguri can buy from Hill Cart Road, Bidhan Road and Sevoke Road.
Siliguri is an excellent place to pick up some Darjeeling tea. Due to large number of Nepali and Tibetan living in Siliguri, the city offers an excellent selection of authentic Tibetan and Nepalese delicacies. In addition, there are also several good quality restaurants specializing in Western and Chinese cuisine as well as a considerable number of US fast food outlets. There are numerous hotels, and ldges in and around the city that offer accommodation at affordable prices. City bears different look during Durga Puja. Best time to visit is from September to March.
