Kalimpong (West Bengal)

Kalimpong, the land of Orchids is nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas. It is located at 27.06° N 88.47° E and at an average elevation of 1,247 m (4,100 feet). The town is the headquarters of the Kalimpong subdivision, a part of the district of Darjeeling and the region administered by Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council.

Kalimpong is well known for its many educational institutions, which attract students from all over India, besides Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Kalimpong has today also become an important tourist destination owing to its temperate climate and proximity to popular tourist locations in the region. The town is famous for its flower market, especially the wide array of orchids. Several Buddhist monasteries which hold a number of rare Tibetan Buddhist scriptures known as Khangur are also present.

The precise etymology of the name Kalimpong however is still a mystery. In Tibetan language, Kalimpong means "Assembly of the Ministers", derived from kalon "ministers" and pong "assembly". It Lapche it means "ridges where we play". Further in Nepali Kalibong means ‘the black spur’

According to K.P. Tamsang, author of The Untold and Unknown Reality, the term Kalimpong is deduced from the name Kalenpung, which in Lepcha means "Hillock of Assemblage"; in time, the name was distorted to Kaleebung and later corrupted to Kalimpong.