<Next page>

The 600-m. high Ajodhya Hills form a part of the Dolma Hill Range on the Bihar-Puruliya border. The green hills are shrouded in stillness. Pine, shimul, saal, shirish and segun trees fill the landscape, which changes colour with the seasons. The area is full of small and big peaks, the highest being Gorga-buru, 855 m. in height. 

Elephants, deer, wild boars, wolves and cheetahs inhabit the 34,517-acre mountain forests. The animals can be spotted in a tour of the jungles. The Mayuri Hill peak offers a lovely view of the surrounding hills and forests. 

According to legend, Ram Chandra visited the Ajodhya Hills with his wife, Sita, during their banishment. This was where a very thirsty Sita drank water, when Ram created a fountain by piercing the ground with his arrow. On Disum Sendra, or the Hunting Festival, tribals from far and near, come and drink water from the Sita Kund, the legendary fountain. Only then do they go out on their hunting expeditions.

How To Get There
Ajodhya Hills can be reached from Puruliya town, which is the headquarters of the district. Trains and buses leave Calcutta for Puruliya from Howrah Station and Shahid Minar bus terminus, respectively.

From Puruliya, buses are available to Sirkabad, just 26 km. away. From Sirkabad, Ajodhya is only a 12-km. trek. Cars are also available from Puruliya town. There are buses that take one directly to Ajodhya, but these services are irregular. 

A less exhausting route is the Balarampur-Baghmundi trekking route, which is also accessible from Puruliya town. One comes across the Turga Dam and the Lake, and the charming waterfall created by the River Bamni. The Turga Dam site makes an ideal tourist spot. 

The Shushunia Hill, rising abruptly from the neighbouring plains, is older than the Himalayas. At a height of 440 m., it is an important peak in the district of Bankura. The green Hill, full of shaal, shegun and arjun trees, is dotted with red palash leaves during springtime. The peak, full of big and small rocks, is popularly known as Poppins Peak. The Gandheswari River flows by the Hill.Every year in November, the Hill becomes a centre for rock-climbing courses. After the Darjeeling hills, Shushunia is the most popular centre for rock-climbing in West Bengal. 

Seven kilometres south of Shushunia is Chhatna, known for the Vishalaxmi Debi Mandir.

Local handicrafts made of stone are popular souvenirs of Shushunia.
Buses go to Shushunia from Kharagpur, Bishnupur and Bankura town. Tourists can avail of the morning bus to Shushunia, make a tour of the surroundings and return by afternoon.

The hill station of Darjeeling is situated on the foothills of the Himalayas, at an altitude of 2,134 m. It stands on a long, narrow mountain ridge of the Sikkim Himalayas. It has Sikkim in the north and Bangladesh in the south, while Bhutan and Nepal flank it on the east and west, respectively. A small town spread over 11.4 sq. km., Darjeeling grew into a full fledged hill resort under British patronage, after two Englishmen, Lloyd and Grant, came here in 1828 and fell in love with it. 

The name Darjeeling originates from the Tibetan dorje ling, which means Place of the Thunderbolt. According to legend, the hill was struck by a thunderbolt. It was named by a lama who founded a monastery at what is today known as the Observatory Hill.

Darjeeling is nature at her beautiful best. There are lively springs sparkling down the mountain walls. Monkeys, wildcats, leopards and jackals form the animal fraternity. Forests of fir, pine and birch, orchids, about 4,000 varieties of flowering plants and 300 types of ferns, including the rare tree fern, make up the vegetation of Darjeeling. 

If Darjeeling is famous for its quaint charm, it is no less known for its exquisite quality of tea, on which the local economy is primarily based. In fact, about 25 % of India's total tea is produced in the 86 tea gardens in and around Darjeeling. 

How To Get There
Darjeeling has an airfield at Bagdogra, which is connected by direct flights to Calcutta and Delhi.

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, popularly known as the Toy Train, plies between Siliguri and Darjeeling. Though it takes nearly eight hours to complete the journey, the ride is a unique experience. The New Jalpaiguri Railway Station, which is the main railway station, is also at Siliguri. It has direct rail connections with other parts of the country. 

Buses, minibuses, taxis and landrovers are available from the main railway station as well as the Tenzing Norgay Central Bus Stand at Siliguri. Road links criss-crossing the whole of Darjeeling district connect it to other important towns and cities. 

More

Cradled between the Deolo and Durpin Dara Hills, Kalimpong is an ideal health resort. It's height is about 1250 - 1600 m. for the town area, while the countryside averages 1600 m. Rachela, at 3,152 m. is the highest spot. Kalimpong's area of 9 sq. km. houses a population of around 40,000, comprising Nepalese, Bhutias and Lepchas. Kalimpong is famous for its tradition of simple and sincere hospitality. 

<Next page>