Mongpu
If you are planning a vacation in Darjeeling, then you can include this lovely day trip to Mongpu as part of your itinerary. Mongpu, also spelt as Mungpoo is a small mountain village in Kalimpong district. It’s located at an average altitude of about 3,700ft and about 35kms from Darjeeling.
From Darjeeling town you will go towards east and take the Peshoke road from Jorebunglow area towards 6th Mile and Takdah. You will pass through lovely scenic spots on the way, lush tea gardens and areas that are famous for the flowering orchids and Cinchona plantations.
As you approach Mongpu, you will pass through colorful flower nurseries, tea gardens and crystal clear water streams. Mongpu is well known for Cinchona plantation and cultivation of other medicinal plants. Barks of Cinchona plants are used for extraction of quinine, a medicinal element used for curing malaria.
The first such Cinchona plantations started in 1864 when a Government Quinine Factory was also set up here. Majority of Mongpu’s population (around 20,000) depended on Cinchona plantations for livelihood. However with advent of artificial quinine, natural extraction of quinine from Cinchona has come down over the years. However it still remains an active source of income for many residents.
One of the features of Mongpu is its several schools. Before entering the Mongpu locality you will come across a beautiful school (known a Agramsingh Giri Jr. High School) which is perched in the hill. As you drive along you will first see it from high above and then the road winds around and passes by the school.
As you come close to Mongpu area, you will see several large constructions on both sides of the road where cinchona plants are dried before the quinine extraction.
Mongpu is also famous for being the summer residence of the great poet & Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. The poet came to this place for its soothing and quiet ambience, and of course for its beauty of Cinchona plantations. Although the place doesn’t have views of the great snow peaks, it has a charm of its own.
It is here where the poet wrote his famous poem ‘Janmadin’. The house known as Rabindra Bhavan has been now converted into a museum (known as Ranbindranath Tagore Museum). Tagore came to this house four times between 1938 and 1940. During his last visit he fell seriously ill and had to be shifted to Kolkata.
Very few know that Tagore frequented this place for another reason as well. He came here to meet with Maitreyi Devi, the daughter of his friend Surendranath Dasgupta. He had a special relationship with her. Maitreyi Devi herself published this in one of her own books.
The bed on which Tagore slept and the mahogany desk he used are still there. You will also find several original paintings of Tagore here as well as several of his handwritten verses and poems. The museum is a must visit during this tour. It’s open on all days except Sunday. Timings: 9am to 4pm (lunch hour is from 12:30pm to 1:30pm).
You should also visit the Government Quinine Factory which holds demonstration of quinine extraction from Cinchona for students. The adjoining garden has many types of medicinal plants and shrubs including Cinchona. The factory is located right opposite to Ravindra Bhavan. There is no entry fee and the guards will let you go in.
What else can you see in Mongpu? Actually the place doesn’t have many typical tourist attractions. If you like nature, lovely valleys & medows, flowering orchids & nurseries, gardens & plantations, you will love the drive from Darjeeling to
Mongpu. There is a local market (bazaar) here at Shanti Chowk.
This is a typical local bazaar area where small shops and stalls are set up selling daily essentials. This is the main hub of Mongpu and this is where the locals meet and chat with each other.
Adjacent to the bazaar area and perched on a hillock is a Buddhist monastery. It’s known as Dinchhen Sherap Chhoeling Gumba . The atmosphere inside is serene although it’s located right next to a noisy area. There is a stairway right from Shanti Chowk which leads up to the monastery.
From the bazaar area another seven kilometers away there is a nice orchid center which cultivates different types of orchids. A great place to visit.
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