54-566: Kurseong ( Nepali pronunciation: [ˈkʰʌrsaŋ] , Bengali pronunciation: [ˈkaɾʃi̯aŋ] ) is a town and a municipality in Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal . It is the headquarters of the Kurseong subdivision. Located at an altitude of 1,482.55 metres (4,864.0 ft), Kurseong is 32 kilometres (20 mi) from Darjeeling and has a pleasant climate throughout
108-488: A population of 1,846,823, roughly equal to the population of Kosovo . This gives it a ranking of 257th in India (out of a total of 640 ). The district has a population density of 586 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,520/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 14.77%. Darjeeling has a sex ratio of 970 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 79.56%. After Kalimpong district
162-676: A part of dominions of the Chogyal of Sikkim, who had been engaged in an unsuccessful warfare against the Gorkhas of Nepal. From 1780, the Gorkhas made several attempts to capture the entire region of Darjeeling. By the beginning of the 19th century, they had overrun Sikkim as far eastward as the Teesta River and had conquered and annexed the entire Terai . In the meantime, the British were engaged in preventing
216-502: A population of 94,347. Languages spoken in Kurseong (2011) All India Radio has a local station in Kurseong which broadcasts various programs of mass interest. It was established in the year 1962. Darjeeling district Darjeeling District is the northernmost district of the state of West Bengal in eastern India in the foothills of the Himalayas . The district is famous for its hill station and Darjeeling tea . Darjeeling
270-489: A province of British India, Kurseong was allowed to elect its own member to be the chairman, but the Raj continued to send ward commissioners until India gained independence. Nevertheless, between 1939 and 1942, Kurseong grew rapidly. As of today Kurseong has 20 commissioners. Kurseong is located at 26°52′40″N 88°16′38″E / 26.87778°N 88.27722°E / 26.87778; 88.27722 . The map alongside shows
324-460: A railway station where Toy Train runs to New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling. Kurseong Station is a part of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and comes under Katihar Division of Northeast Frontier Railway. There are three roads between Kurseong and Siliguri: National Highway, Pankhabari Road and Rohini Road. In 2011, the population of Kurseong Municipality was 42,446. The rural area in Kurseong Block had
378-477: A unique identity. Darjeeling Sadar subdivision Darjeeling Sadar subdivision is a subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal , India . Darjeeling district is divided into the following administrative subdivisions: Police stations in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision have the following features and jurisdiction: .* The total length of border with Nepal (Mechi River)
432-416: Is 101.02 km (62.77 mi) .**The total length of border with Sikkim (Rangit, Teesta and Rangpo Rivers) is 54.33 km (33.76 mi) Gram panchayats in Darjeeling Sadar subdivision are : Community development blocks in Darjeeling Sadar subdivision are: The following institutions are located in Darjeeling Sadar subdivision: Data in the table below presents a comprehensive picture of
486-413: Is a West Bengal Forest School near Deer Park and Victoria Boys School, Dowhill which also provides training for foresters as well. About 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north on the way to Darjeeling at Tung, there is an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) which offers various vocational course in plumbing, motor mechanics, and book binding. ICSE & ISC STREAM CBSE Stream WBBSE Stream Kurseong
540-525: Is also a sizeable population of Tibetans who arrived from Tibet since the 1950s. Over time, the ethnic distinctions between the hill people have blurred and today most identify as Gorkha and speak Nepali only as mother tongue. In the plains, the Bengalis and Rajbongshis are in majority while there are large numbers of Gorkhas and Adivasis , the latter of which migrated from Chotanagpur and Santhal Parganas during British rule as tea garden workers. Both in
594-736: Is considered as midpoint between Siliguri and Darjeeling. The nearest airport is the Bagdogra Airport and nearest major railway hub is New Jalpaiguri railway station . Kurseong is well connected to Siliguri , Darjeeling and Mirik . Several prepaid vehicles run from Kurseong to Darjeeling, Siliguri and Mirik. But Kurseong does not have a strong transport connection to Kalimpong and Gangtok . Only two vehicles to Gangtok and one vehicle to Kalimpong run from Kurseong every day. Taxis also run to Pankhabari, Ambootia , Mahanadi, Tindharia, Latpanchor. North Bengal state buses also run from Darjeeling to Siliguri and NJP Station via Kurseong. Kurseong also has
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#1732869123094648-581: Is denoted "Tajenglung", a Limbu language terminology that means the stones that "talk to each other", according to the historian Sankarhang Subba of Darjeeling. The name Darjeeling acclaimed from the Tibetan words Dorje , which is the thunderbolt sceptre of the Hindu deity Indra , and ling , which means "a place" or "land". The ancient inhabitants of Darjeeling are the Lepcha and Limbu . Most of Darjeeling formed
702-555: Is home to Singalila National Park , which was set up in 1986 as a wildlife sanctuary and converted to a national park in 1992. It has an area of 78.60 km (30.3 sq mi). Darjeeling district has three wildlife sanctuaries : Jorepokhri , Mahananda , and Senchal . Kalonunia rice was awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) status tag from the Geographical Indications Registry under
756-494: Is over 125 years old (one of the oldest in the country), is the main civic administration body for the town of Kurseong. It is located at 13 Dowhill Road. The Municipality is divided into 20 wards [originally 12 wards] and each of the wards has its own ward commissioner. The current Chairman of the Municipal Committee is Mr. Birga Gurung @Brigen Gurung, presiding office since 10 June 2021. The previous chairman, until 2008,
810-471: Is reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates. Matigara-Naxalbari constituency is reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates. Along with one assembly constituency from Kalimpong district and one assembly constituency from Uttar Dinajpur district , the five assembly constituencies of this district form the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency . According to the 2011 census Darjeeling district has
864-423: Is the district headquarters. Kurseong , Siliguri and Mirik , three major towns in the district, are the subdivisional headquarters of the district. Kalimpong was one of the subdivisions but on 14 February 2017, it officially became a separate Kalimpong district . Geographically, the district can be divided into two broad divisions: the hills and the plains. The entire hilly region of the district comes under
918-461: The Chogyal of Sikkim, Tshudpud Namgyal , provided them a strip of hill territory in Kurseong for an annual fee. As one of the hill stations on the road to Darjeeling, Kurseong began to develop. Kurseong is home to one of the oldest municipalities in the state of West Bengal. Established as an independent Municipality in 1879, it did not become a Sub-Division until 1890, when the District of Darjeeling
972-743: The Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council . However, the demand for full statehood within India has emerged once again, with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha as its chief proponent. The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration replaced the DGHC in August 2012 after the GJM signed an agreement with the government. The Darjeeling hill area is formed of comparatively recent rock structure that has a direct bearing on landslides. Heavy monsoon precipitation contributes to
1026-571: The Delimitation Commission in respect of the delimitation of constituencies in West Bengal, the area under Darjeeling municipality, Darjeeling Pulbazar block and eleven gram panchayats under Jorebunglow Sukiapokhri block, viz. Dhootria Kalej Valley, Ghum Khasmahal, Sukhia–Simana, Rangbhang Gopaldhara, Pokhriabong–I, Pokhriabong–II, Pokhriabong–III, Lingia Maraybong, Permaguri Tamsang, Plungdung and Rangbul constitutes
1080-684: The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration , a semi-autonomous administrative body under the state government of West Bengal. This body covers the three hill subdivisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Mirik and the district of Kalimpong. The foothills of Darjeeling Himalayas, which comes under the Siliguri subdivision, is known as the Terai . The district is bounded on the north by Sikkim , on the south by Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal, southwest by Kishanganj district of Bihar state, on
1134-416: The Lepcha language word for "small orchid", kurson-rip because of the little white orchids ( Coelogyne cristata ) dotting the valleys, or perhaps the term for a stick made out of a local cane .( O'Malley 1999 , p. 216) The original inhabitants were the Lepcha people , who named their home "Kurseong", because every spring it was alive and bright with Kurson-Rip orchids. In the remote past, Kurseong
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#17328691230941188-741: The Treaty of Titalia , the British East India Company reinstated the Chogyal of Sikkim, restored all the tracts of land between the Mechi and the Teesta rivers to the Chogyal of Sikkim and guaranteed his sovereignty. In 1835, the hill of Darjeeling, including an enclave of 138 square miles (360 km ), was given to the British East India Company by Sikkim. In November 1864, the Treaty of Sinchula
1242-530: The Union Government of India on 2 January 2024 (valid until 11 March 2034). It is a common and widely cultivated crop in disticts of Cooch Behar , Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar along with some parts of Darjeeling & Kalimpong districts of West Bengal. State Agricultural Management & Extension Training Institute (SAMETI) from Narendrapur , proposed the GI registration of Kalonunia rice. After filing
1296-538: The 1980s, the Gorkha National Liberation Front led an intensive and often violent campaign for the creation of a separate Gorkhaland state within India, across the Nepali -speaking areas in northern West Bengal. The movement reached its peak around 1986–1988 but ended with the establishment of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in 1988. The hill areas of Darjeeling enjoyed some measure of autonomy under
1350-508: The Gorkhas from over-running the whole of the northern frontier. The Anglo-Gorkha war broke out in 1814, which resulted in the defeat of the Gorkhas and subsequently led to the signing of the Sugauli Treaty in 1815. According to the treaty, Nepal had to cede all those territories which the Gorkhas had annexed from the Chogyal of Sikkim to the British East India Company (i.e., the area between Mechi River and Teesta River). In 1817, through
1404-988: The Nepali Medium Schools are affiliated to the State Education Board i.e. West Bengal Board of Secondary Education , Calcutta. Only one school Godwin Modern School is affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education , Delhi in Kurseong Town. Kurseong has one college Kurseong College which is affiliated to the University of North Bengal . It provides undergraduate studies - Bachelor of Arts (General and Honours), Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Commerce (General). Darjeeling Polytechnic College offers courses in Civil, Computer and Electrical. From 1889-1971 there
1458-617: The application in March 2021, the rice was granted the GI tag in 2024 by the Geographical Indication Registry in Chennai , making the name "Kalonunia rice" exclusive to the rice grown in the region. It thus became the third rice variety from West Bengal after Tulaipanji rice and the 26th type of goods from West Bengal to earn the GI tag. The GI tag protects the rice from illegal selling and marketing, and gives it legal protection and
1512-732: The blind and other handicapped persons, Anganwadi centres, reformatory schools etc. The table below (all data in numbers) presents an overview of the medical facilities available and patients treated in the hospitals, health centres and sub-centres in 2013 in Darjeeling district, with data for the year 2012–13.: .* Excluding nursing homes. Medical facilities in Darjeeling Sadar subdivision are as follows: Hospitals : (Name, location, beds) Rural Hospitals : (Name, CD block, location, beds) Block Primary Health Centres : (Name, CD block, location, beds) Primary Health Centres : (CD block-wise)(CD block, PHC location, beds) As per order of
1566-437: The district in line with rest of the country, unless specifically extended). From 1862 to 1870, it was considered a "Regulated Area". The phrase "Non-Regulated Area" was changed to "Scheduled District" in 1874 and again to "Backward Tracts" in 1919. The status was known as "Partially Excluded Area" from 1935 until the independence of India . On 14 February 2017, Kalimpong district was carved out of Darjeeling district. During
1620-549: The eastern portion of the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region and a small portion of the terai region in its eastern and southern fringes, all of it in the Darjeeling district. In the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision 61.00% of the total population lives in the rural areas and 39.00% of the population lives in the urban areas. In the Kurseong subdivision 58.41% of the total population lives in the rural areas and 41.59% lives in
1674-797: The education scenario in Darjeeling district, with data for the year 2012–13. Note: Primary schools include junior basic schools; middle schools, high schools and higher secondary schools include madrasahs; technical schools include junior technical schools, junior government polytechnics, industrial technical institutes, industrial training centres, nursing training institutes etc.; technical and professional colleges include engineering colleges, medical colleges, para-medical institutes, management colleges, teachers training and nursing training colleges, law colleges, art colleges, music colleges etc. Special and non-formal education centres include sishu siksha kendras, madhyamik siksha kendras, centres of Rabindra mukta vidyalaya, recognised Sanskrit tols, institutions for
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1728-433: The forest covers found in the lower hills are deciduous. Evergreen forest constitutes only about 6 per cent of the total forest coverage. Shorea robusta remains the most prominent species of tropical moist deciduous forest along with heavy undergrowth. Teesta , Rangeet , Mechi , Balason , Mahananda and Rammam are the important rivers of the district. Darjeeling District comprises four subdivisions: The district
1782-460: The hills and plains are various migrants from other regions including Biharis , Marwaris and Punjabis . Hinduism is the majority religion in both the hills and plains. Buddhism and Kirat Mudhum are almost entirely present in the hills. Christianity is primarily in the hills, although there are significant numbers among the tea tribes in the plains. Islam is almost entirely found in the plains. Languages spoken in Darjeeling district (2011) At
1836-468: The hills included Limbu , Tamang , Magar , Gurung , Rai , Sunuwar , Yakkha and Newar . Bengali is the official language of the district, with Nepali declared as co-official only in Darjeeling and Kurseong subdivisions. Nepali is the dominant language in the hill divisions, spoken by more than 90% of the people in Darjeeling, Kurseong and Mirik subdivisions, although most hill inhabitants are not from Khas communities. Several hundred of
1890-457: The landslides. Soils of Darjeeling hill areas are extremely varied, depending on elevation, degree of slope, vegetative cover and geolithology. The Himalayas serve as the source of natural resources for the population residing in the hills as well as in the plains. As human population expands in the hills, forests are being depleted for the extension of agricultural lands, introduction of new settlements, roadways, etc. The growing changes coming in
1944-417: The notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map. Kurseong is surrounded by a myriad of tea gardens. These include Castleton , Makaibari , Ambootia , although Castleton and Ambootia do not give tours. The tracks of the 'Darjeeling Toy Train' run the length of the town, and the station is the nucleus of the town. Kurseong Municipality, which
1998-512: The original hill inhabitants still speak their original languages although the vast majority now speak only Nepali. The main language of the Siliguri subdivision is Bengali. It is followed by a sizeable number of Kamatpuri or Rajbongshi speakers. Among the Adivasis, Sadri is the main language although some still speak their original languages like Kurukh, Mundari and Santali. Darjeeling district
2052-612: The plains of Bengal difficult, even on warm sunny days because of the mountains. Although a road was built from Kurseong to Darjeeling from Titalia in the 1770s and 1780s, its irregular maintenance soon made the new route, the Military Road , almost useless. The next route, Hill Cart Road (now Tenzing Norgay Road), opened in 1861 and fared better. Nevertheless, in 1835 the British decided that Darjeeling would make an excellent sanitorium and summer residence for their military and civilian officers along with their families. Negotiations with
2106-543: The post office. The timings are fairly convenient and there is a minimal fee. Housing a number of schools, Kurseong is popularly nicknamed as "the school town" due to the emergence of many new schools in the town. The schools can be classified into two distinct groups. The English Medium and the Nepali Medium. The English medium schools are mostly affiliated to the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education , Delhi while
2160-506: The southeast by Panchagarh district of Bangladesh , on the east by Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri districts, and on the west by easternmost Province No. 1 of Nepal . Darjeeling district has a length from north to south of 18 miles (29 km) and a breadth from east to west of 16 miles (26 km). As of 2011, it was the second least populous district of West Bengal (out of 19 ), after Dakshin Dinajpur . The etymological term of Darjeeling
2214-492: The time of the 2011 census, 39.88% of the population spoke Nepali , 26.51% Bengali , 10.95% Hindi , 6.17% Rajbongshi , 5.38% Sadri , 2.52% Kurukh , 1.50% Bhojpuri and 1.15% Santali as their first language. 1.04% of the population recorded their language as 'Others' under Bengali. According to 1951 Census, about 26% of the population in the three hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling district (including Kalimpong) spoke Nepali as mother language. Other languages formerly spoken in
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2268-500: The urban areas. There are 78 tea gardens/ estates (the figure varies slightly according to different sources), in the district, producing and largely exporting Darjeeling tea . It engages a large proportion of the population directly/ indirectly. Some tea gardens were identified in the 2011 census as census towns or villages. Such places are marked in the map as CT (census town) or R (rural/ urban centre). Specific tea estate pages are marked TE. Note: The map alongside presents some of
2322-455: The wake of urbanisation and industrialisation leave deep impressions on the hill ecosystem. The economy of Darjeeling hill area depends on tea production, horticulture, agriculture, forestry and tourism. The major portions of the forests are today found at elevations of 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) and above. The area in between 1,000 and 2,000 metres (3,300 and 6,600 ft) is cleared either for tea plantation or cultivation. About 30 per cent of
2376-490: The year. Kurseong is 34 kilometres (21 mi) from Siliguri and is connected to the city by road and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway . The nearest airport is at Bagdogra and the nearest major railway station is New Jalpaiguri , which is about 45 kilometres (28 mi) from the town. The economy is based primarily on education and tourism. The origin of the name is unclear; stories suggest it comes from
2430-585: Was 511 per km . The decennial population growth rate (1991–2001) was 23.79%. The hills have a population of 624,061 which is nearly 40% of the population. The original inhabitants of the Darjeeling Hills were the Lepcha and Limbu (the ravine people, as they prefer themselves to be known as). Other communities with a long history in the district include the Tamang , Yakkha , Rai , Gurung , Magar , Newar , Thami , Chettri , Bahun , Kami , and Damai . There
2484-632: Was Mr. P. C. Agarwal. But in early March 2008 his political party, the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), lost the control of the Committee in a no-confidence vote to the other Gorkha political party, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJMM). Since 2007, the GJMM has been campaigning for the creation of a separate state for the Indian Gorkhas , the original goal of the GNLF. Because of the no-confidence vote, Mr. Agarwal
2538-706: Was a part of the Kingdom of Sikkim , even before the British came to India. However, in around 1780 the Kingdom of Nepal conquered and annexed Kurseong and its surrounding areas. Then came the Gurkha War , which the Nepalese lost. The 1817 Treaty of Titalia restored Kurseong to Sikkim. With its mountains providing a cool and dry environment in the summer, Kurseong was a favourite of the British . Nevertheless, they found travelling there from
2592-540: Was established in the year 1913, as an initiative of the Indian Gorkhas to develop their culture, language and literature in the small town of Kurseong. It was probably the first Nepali public library project. This small initiative played a vital role in the development of Indian Gorkha culture, language and literature. The library still exists today, and among other things is used as a polling station in local elections. Bloomfield Library: A well stocked library opposite of
2646-586: Was even a theological college on St. Mary's hill (2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north on the way to Darjeeling) training the Jesuit seminarians to the Catholic priesthood until it was shifted to Delhi under the new name of Vidyajyoti College of Theology . The old Theologate's building now hosts the Eastern Forest Rangers College, which provides training courses to the would-be Forest Rangers of India. There
2700-526: Was executed in which the Bhutan Dooars with the passes leading into the hills and Kalimpong were ceded to the British by Bhutan . The Darjeeling district can be said to have assumed its present shape and size in 1866 with an area of 1234 sq. miles. Before 1861 and from 1870 to 1874, Darjeeling District was a "Non-Regulated Area" (where acts and regulations of the British Raj did not automatically apply in
2754-621: Was forced to resign and the Municipal Committee was suspended. Kurseong has its own Munsif Magistrate Court and has the Police Station and Town Out Post in P B Road. The S.D.O. (Sub Divisional Officer) is the head of the administration for the Town. Hospital and Health Care in Kurseong: Kurseong has a Sub Divisional Hospital and no private nursing homes or clinics unlike Kalimpong and Darjeeling. Gorkha Public Library or Gorkha jana pustakalay
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#17328691230942808-724: Was formed. Kurseong and the District were added to the Rajshahi Division (now West Central Bangladesh ) by the British Raj for the Bengal Presidency . In 1908, they were transferred to the Bhagalpur Division in the same Presidency. Before Independence from the British, there were 12 ward commissioners. Four of them were appointed by the British Raj and it also appointed its own man, the Sub-Divisional Officer (S.D.O.), as their chairman. In 1939, when Bengal became
2862-408: Was previously divided into six assembly constituencies . As per the order of the Delimitation Commission in respect of the delimitation of constituencies in West Bengal, the district had been divided into six assembly constituencies. Kalimpong has become a separate district from 14 February 2017, so the number of assembly constituencies in Darjeeling district is now five. Phansidewa constituency
2916-460: Was separated its population was 1,595,181, of which 671,1771 (42.11%) live in urban areas. The residual district has a sex ratio of 972 females per 1000 males. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 18.86% and 20.21% of the population respectively. In 2001, the population of the district was 1,609,172. The rural population was 1,088,740 and urban population was 520,432. Total males were 830,644 and females were 778,528. The density of population
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