Kurseong, the Land Of White Orchid

Kurseong, which means the land of White Orchid, is a hill station situated In Darjeeling District of West Bengal, India. It is situated in 1,458 meters, 51 km from Siliguri and 30 km from Darjeeling. As it is located at a lower elevation, Kurseong enjoys milder and very healthy climate throughout the year, the winters are also not as severe as in Darjeeling. Many other destinations are there to visit. For Darjeeling Trip, visit: http://www.honeymoonpackagestours.com/darjeeling/trip.html

Kurseong can be reached by road from Siliguri. It is also connected through rail road because of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (The Toy Train), which currently cannot be completed because of the landslides at few places in the route of the rail road. The nearest airport is Bagdogra and the nearest major railway station is New Jalpaiguri (NJP), which is 53 km form Kurseong.

The main income of this town is based on the education and tourism and the best time to visit Kurseong is during the months of April, May, August and October. The languages spoken at this place are Nepali, Hindi, Tibetan, English and Bengali. During the rainy season you cannot visit this place as it rains endlessly. Kurseong receives the utmost rainfall in India after ‘Cherrapunjee’ in Meghalay, although, such heavy rain fall is perfect for the growth of white orchids that decorate the slopes of the hill station in profusion.

The name Kurseong came from the Lepcha word, Kharsang, meaning ‘Land of the White Orchids’. The Lepcha people were the first settlers of this place and named it Kharsang to describe their new home because of the white orchids dotting the valleys. The name of this white orchid is “Kurson-Rip”, whose botanical name is coelogyne cristata.

The place is also connected to literature with some of the celebrated poems and songs of Guru Rabindranath Tagore, as they were composed in Kurseong. Eminent names in the world of literature and arts like the magic painter, Abanindranath Tagore and great composer Atul Prasad Sen got motivation for some of their famous works around Kurseong.

Tourist Places in Kurseong:

Kurseong is one of the favorite tourist places in Darjeeling, West Bengal.

Tea Estates: The place is known for the production of world class tea leaves. Some of the renowned tea estates in Kurseong are the Ambotia, Castleton, Springside, Makaibari, Jogmaya, Ghoomtee and more. Among these tea estates, the Castleton Tea Estate is known to produce the world's most pricey tea. These estates not only add to the exquisiteness of Kurseong, but also provide an actual experience on the process of making world class tea leaves. These tea estates also offer, bed, breakfast and accommodation for the visiting tourists.

Eagle's Crag: This place is located about a kilometer form Kurseong railway station and is one of the famed sites of this hill station. It is a towering point and from here you can see magnificent sight of the valley below. You can also see the free flowing river Teesta from here as well as catch the sight of the snow-covered peaks of the Kunchenjunga, Jannu, and Kabru from this point. The neighboring area of this place offers quite a few trekking expeditions which are popular for their beauty.

Apart from few other such natural exquisite sites, there are various religious places to visit which include The Ambhotia Shiva Temple, Giddapahar Durga Mata Mandir, Jagdish Mandir and much more.