West Bengal
If you like tea, you should visit this celebrated organic and biodynamic Darjeeling tea estate. Walk-in visits to the processing factory, with huge…
Must-see attractions in West Bengal
Darjeeling
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, known affectionately as the toy train, made its first journey along its precipice-topping, 2ft-wide tracks in 1881 and…
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Darjeeling
Singalila National Park covers the Indian side of the scenic Singalila Ridge, the Darjeeling region's finest trekking area, along the India–Nepal border…
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West Bengal
The 2585-sq-km Sundarbans Tiger Reserve has 100-plus Royal Bengal tigers lurking in its impenetrable mangrove forests and sometimes swimming its delta…
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West Bengal
Literally meaning 'house of 1000 doors', the Hazarduari was built in very English Neoclassical style for Nawab Nazim Humayun Jah in 1829–37. Not all of…
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West Bengal
The large, beautiful Eklakhi Mausoleum at Pandua gets its name from the reputed ₹1 lakh (₹100,000) cost of building it back in 1431. It's a domed brick…
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West Bengal
The vast Adina Masjid, just west off NH12 (old NH34), 19km north of Malda, was India’s largest mosque when constructed by Sikandar Shah in the 14th…
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West Bengal
The 'twin hut' structure of Jor Bangla is covered in particularly exquisite terracotta ornamentation.
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Darjeeling
The hill rising above Chowrasta is home to several much-visited temples, approached through a flurry of colourful prayer flags and hanging bells. The main…
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Himalayan Mountaineering Institute
Darjeeling
Within the zoo precinct, the prestigious HMI was founded in 1954 and has provided training for some of India’s leading mountaineers. Its fascinating…
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Tibetan Refugee Self-Help Centre
Darjeeling
Established in 1959, this refugee centre includes a Tibetan Buddhist temple, workshops producing carpets, woodcarvings, wool and woollen items, plus a…
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Darjeeling
Perched on a hillside 2km south of the town centre, the gleaming white, 28m-high Peace Pagoda is one of more than 70 pagodas built around the world by the…
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West Bengal
This tree-shaded complex on the northern edge of the tiger reserve acts as the reserve's official gateway and contains the forest range office (where park…
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Darjeeling
Yiga Choeling Gompa, the Darjeeling area's most famous monastery, founded in 1850, houses up to 40 monks of the Gelugpa school. The serene temple has…
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Darjeeling
This well-thought-out museum (one large room) is a good, colourful introduction to Tibet and its culture. The attractive displays introduce the Dalai Lama…
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West Bengal
About 6km north of Bandel, Bansberia is home to the imposing Hanseswari Temple, devoted to an avatar of the goddess Kali. With 13 pinnacled sikharas …
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West Bengal
Between Chinsurah and Bandel, you can climb the lofty clock tower of the romantically crumbling Imambara, which has breathtaking views of the Hooghly…
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West Bengal
On the east side of Murshidabad, the handsome, pink-brick Katra Mosque features two tall corner towers and multiple domes (some now fallen in)…
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West Bengal
In the old French governor's mansion on Chandannagar's riverfront road, the Institut has an interesting museum telling the story of colonial history on…
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West Bengal
The extensive mansion of a Jain family that achieved high influence under both the nawabs and the British, the House of Jagat Seth is home to an eclectic…
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West Bengal
Built by Sultan Nasrat Shah in 1526, the Baradwari Mosque once had 44 golden domes. The dignified stone arcade of its eastern corridor is still intact.
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West Bengal
Bishnupur's small museum is worth a look for its collection of painted manuscript covers, stone friezes, musical instruments and folk art.
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West Bengal
The fortress-like Dakhil Darwaza gate, constructed in 1425, was the northern entrance to the fortified citadel at the heart of old Gaur.
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West Bengal
The squat, square Rasmancha has an unusual plan of three concentric arched galleries surrounding the inner shrine.
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Darjeeling
To watch the dawn light break over a spectacular 250km stretch of Himalayan horizon, including Everest (8848m), Khangchendzonga (8598m) and two more of…
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Darjeeling
This 1854 estate on the northwest edge of town is a good place to learn about tea, especially when plucking and processing are in progress (March to…
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West Bengal
The chief reminder of the Portuguese presence on the Hooghly River is the Bandel Basilica, Bengal's oldest and perhaps most loved church, built in 1599…
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Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park
Darjeeling
This zoo, one of India’s better ones, was established in 1958 to study, conserve and preserve Himalayan fauna. Housed within its rocky and forested…
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Darjeeling
This temple originally stood on Observatory Hill, but was rebuilt in its present location in the 19th century. It houses fine murals depicting the life of…
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Darjeeling
The scenic Rangit Valley cable car was out of action at research time due to maintenance and an administrative/legal hiatus. Ask at your accommodation…
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Darjeeling
If you’re travelling on the toy train, look out for this famous railway loop that goes around an open-air war memorial, erected in honour of the brave…
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Darjeeling
This century-old Nyingma-school monastery is run by people from Yolmo in Langtang, Nepal, who emigrated here 150 years ago. The atmospheric upper-floor…
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Darjeeling
This museum inside Ghum station has a collection of memorabilia and photos from the bygone days of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. In an outer courtyard…
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Darjeeling
About half way along the road between Darjeeling and Ghum is the huge Druk Sangak Choeling Gompa, inaugurated by the Dalai Lama in 1993. Known for its…
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West Bengal
Covering 216 sq km of lush forests and grassland on the western floodplain of the Torsa River, Jaldapara National Park is a refuge for about 200 Indian…
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West Bengal
Within the tree-shaded Kathgola Gardens are the interesting mansion of a Jain trading family originally hailing from Murshidabad, dating back to 1873; an…
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Darjeeling
These half-hidden gardens contain an impressive collection of Himalayan plants, most famously orchids and rhododendrons. Follow the signs down Loch Nagar…
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Darjeeling
This fortress-style Sakya-school monastery, established in 1909 and with a big new temple consecrated in 2015, conducts prayer sessions between 5.30am and…
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Darjeeling
The active Tibetan-style Samten Choeling Gompa has the largest Buddha statue in West Bengal, a chorten containing the ashes of the German Buddhist mystic…
