Destination India: Siliguri, West Bengal

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Siliguri, West Bengal

Siliguri to Kalimpong_rJB
Originally uploaded by Djuls.

Silguri is the main commercial city of North Bengal and its importance comes from its strategic location near International and State borders. It is situated on the banks of the river Mahananda. Spread around the foothills of the eastern Himalayas, the town is an important transportation, trading and educational center.

Siliguri is the gateways to Darjeeling, Sikkim, Nepal, Dooars, Bhutan and most of the North-East States of India. Although Siliguri by itself is not a tourist spot, it is more of a transit point with very strong road, rail, air links. The tourists have to come to Siliguri since New Jalpaiguri railway station (NJP), the main railhead of the Region, and Bagdogra Airport, the airport catering to the Region with connections to Calcutta, Delhi and Guwahati are near this city.

About Me

India has always fascinated me for different reasons. The vastness of its culture, the diversity of people’s opinions and the limitations of its vision. Despite our diversity, we need to have a collective vision. India is not a country of four metropolis or a couple of high-tech cities. This nation of a billion people has 29 states and 6 union territories. We have 35 state and territorial capitals. How much do we know about each of these important cities?

Professionally I am a graphic designer from Bombay, India. In 1987, I co-authored a book on Corporate India, but my desire to throw a wider net and pick up much more information remains intact. I want my people from every city and every state to write and photograph details and information that would be interesting to the viewers around the world. We have so much to talk about and so much to share - this medium and this technology can help fulfill our collective dreams.