All About Takdah Tour – Hidden Treasure of West Bengal

Takdah Tour – Hidden Treasure of West Bengal

Those who love the mountains, but do not like the noise of popular spots, can visit Takdah. Takdah is a mountain village near Darjeeling. Takdah was one of the addresses of the British colony in the early 1900s. If you visit the British Military Cantonment, you will still see the beautiful bungalows built by the British.

The word ‘Takdah’ or ‘Tukdah’ in the local language means ‘covered with clouds’. This green hill village is really covered with clouds.

Why To Go Takdah?

• Kanchenjunga is not visible from here, but the horizon is covered with dense greenery and tea gardens of all the famous companies. One of the best places for rural tourism in North Bengal. Stunning natural beauty is one of the attractions of Takdah. Tourist accommodation here is at the top of the hill and those who work in the tea garden live at the foot of the hill. At night, when the lights are on in their house, it seems that the stars of the sky have come down on the earth. That feeling is wonderful.
  
• The village of Takdah was a cantonment of British officers before independence, so old British bungalows can be seen in Takdah which bears a historical significance. It also describes the natural beauty of the place, which is very beautiful, surrounded by green tea gardens, the succulent sound of different birds, different species of orchids of different colors, the quiet secluded environment, etc.
  
• On the way up the hill, you will want to get lost in the middle of the green-surrounded tea garden. In the rainy season, this beauty is doubled. So more or less travelers come here throughout the year. Darjeeling’s most beautiful, well-arranged tea garden on a hillside is the Rangli-Rangliot tea garden. It’s hard to believe without seeing the beauty of this tea garden from the front. It seems that the artist has carefully painted this beautiful hill princess with the stroke of his brush.

How to Reach Takdah?

• By Train: To reach Takdah by train, you can board a train to New Jalpaiguri Junction (NJP to Takdah Distance 63.5 Km). From the stations, you can book a cab which takes about 2.30-3 hours to reach depending on the road condition.
  For Your Information:
  The Darjeeling to Takdah distance is 28 km.
  Kalingpong to Takdah Distance is 40km.
  Siliguri to Takdah Distance is 58.9 Km.
  
• By Flight: To reach Takdah by flight, you can board a flight to Bagdogra Airport (Bagdogra to Takdah Distance 67.8 Km). You can rent a car from Bagdogra to Takdah.
• By Road: To reach Takdah by road, you can rent a cab or taxi which are available to hire from any nearby locations like Siliguri, Bagdogra, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, etc.

Things To Do in Takdah

• The most famous place in Takdah is Orchid House. One of the best orchids in the subcontinent can be found here. It will take time to explore the entire orchid garden and everyone will love to see unseen, unknown orchids in the middle of a huge green canvas. It’s about half a kilometer from the market area towards the 6th mile. Many tourists come to Takdah particularly to visit the Orchid Center.

• Some of the most beautiful tea gardens in the Darjeeling district are located in Takdah. You can walk down or take a local taxi ride and enjoy the tea gardens in the rolling hills. The main tea gardens of Takdah are Rungli Rungliot, Gielle, Namring, Jinglam, Poomong, and Teesta Valley estate. It’s hard to believe without seeing the beauty of this tea garden from the front.

• You can also visit the Takdah tea estate factory and see the tea processing (factories are usually closed in winter). There is a saying that a monk had apparently named this tea garden when he was looking for the best tea in the Darjeeling district. In fact, the name Rungli Rungliot literally means ‘Thus far and no further.

• There is a small monastery in Takdah whose real name is Dechhen Pema Tshoiling Monastery. To reach the monastery you have to climb several flights of stairs. From there you can get a clear view of Rungli Rungliot Tea Garden, Teesta Valley Tea Estate and Durpin Dara View Point, Kalimpong, etc.
  The monastery was built in 1985 and follows the Buddhist Nyingma community.

• A great place to visit by car is Lovers Meat Viewpoint, located on Peshok Road, about 10 kilometers below Lamahatta. At the confluence of the Teesta and Rangit rivers, you will see the magnificent view of Tribeni.

• Tinchuley is 3km away from Takdah. Apart from Takdah, Lamahatta, Durpin, Peshak, Mongpu, Chhota Mangawa are all within 12-14 km. You can also plan for these destinations with Takdah sightseeing.
  For Your Information:
  Takdah to Tinchuley distance: 3 Km.
  

• There are 10-12 heritage bungalows of the British period. Each one is over a hundred years old. Front lawn, long porch. There are arrangements to stay in it. You will find all the furniture of the old days inside. Takdah was once the favorite place of British Army officers.

• Takdah is also very beautiful at night. Darjeeling in the distant light under the starry sky will also look magical from this Takdah. The view of Kanchenjunga is also remarkable on a full moon night.

• Just below the Pubang Tea Garden, you will find a 100-year-old cable-stayed suspension bridge built in 1916. If you try to figure out the capacity of this bridge, you will find a plaque on the top of the main pillar. No weight unit was mentioned there. The following words are engraved on the metal plate. “Weight limit – no more than 10 ponies”. Think a bit and you will get a clue to walk down 100 years back.

Where to Stay in Takdah?

Takdah is a small hilly village, so you won’t find a hotel to stay in. You can spend the night in the Takdah heritage bungalows built during the English period. Takdah Bungalow is now available with a new look, with lots of opportunities to get lost in nature sitting on the green lawn in front of the bungalow. After independence, these abandoned old British bungalows were acquired by the locals and modernized, using them as a homestay for tourists.

You will get all kinds of benefits in homestays. You will find hot water, breakfast, lunch, and a clean bathroom. At the same time, you will get the hospitality and love of the people there.

Cost To Travel Takdah

From NJP- From NJP you can reach Takdah in two ways.
i) You can rent a private car from NJP to Takdah. In that case, your estimated cost will be 3000-3500 rupees. These fares may vary depending on the season.

ii) If you have a low budget then you can go to a share jeep. In that case, your cost will be reduced a lot. In this case, you need to reach Jorebunglow first. You can take a shared car from Darjeeling or Siliguri to Jorebunglow. It will cost around 200 to 250 rupees per head. From Jorebunglow you have to reach 6th Mile. From 6th Mile take a right towards Takdah.

From Bagdogra:
You can reach Takdah from Bagdogra same as From NJP. You can rent a private car from Bagdogra also. Or you can rent a shared zip from there.

Best Time To Visit Takdah

Takdah is situated at an altitude of 4000 feet above sea level. Takdah can be visited throughout the year. October to March is the best time to visit Takdah and the surrounding area.

Things to Carry While Travelling To Takdah

• A travel bag.
• A torch.
• A slipper.
• Travel shoes
• Plastic for keeping wet things.
• Dry food as needed
• Soap paper
• Clothes according to the weather.
• Necessary Medicines.
• Camera For Taking pictures of Breathtaking beauty.

Important Information About Takdah

Although homestays serve plenty of food, you can keep dry food like cakes and biscuits with you.
Credit or debit card payments cannot be made at most homestays, so keep enough cash with you.
It is better to keep the necessary medicines with you but if you feel ill suddenly, the doctor is available there.
A Mobile Network is available there.
Carry at least one ID proof with you.

Frequently Asked Question

Final Words

Takdah is a hill village in the Darjeeling district. Suppose you are standing under a clear sky and suddenly a cloud comes and grabs you, tell me how it will be! The fog comes down from time to time here. And this is why this place is called Takdah. In the Lepcha language or the word, Takdah means clouded or surrounded by fog.

Low in altitude from Darjeeling, but quite cold surroundings. There is no hustle and bustle of the people, and there is no fair crowd in the market. The natural beauty of this place is very beautiful, the tea garden surrounded by greenery, the succulent sound of different birds, different species of orchids of different colors, the quiet secluded environment, etc., describe the natural beauty of Takdah.

Takdah can be chosen as a hilly village in a quiet environment for a weekend getaway with family or after office work. As Takdah is not known as a tourist destination, you will not get much crowd here so you will be able to enjoy nature in a very quiet environment.

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