Siliguri - Gateway To The North East

By Author: Nagma Biswas
Total Articles: 26
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A major town in West Bengal, Siliguri is one of the best and booming towns in the region boasting of the best literacy and fast paced growth. The moment you enter the town, the commercialization and modernization of the area is evident. Rapid growth in everything contemporary and invasion of huge shopping malls have changed the lifestyle here and has brought in a wind of lavishness in this otherwise sleepy town. Buzzing shopping malls and innumerable car showrooms make Siliguri comparable to any other big city in the country. However, for most tourists, Siliguri is nothing more than just a transit point, while on an excursion to Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Sikkim, Nepal or Bhutan.

The best thing about Siliguri is the synthesis of Bengali and North-Eastern culture it has come up with. Its location at this junction makes it an ideal shopping place too. The markets here are flooded with stuff like Darjeeling Tea, Tibetan paintings, woolen garments and wooden handicrafts. Tourists are however most attracted to the Hong Kong market. A mind boggling variety of gadgets are available here. The dirt cheap prices make them something ...
... you can't let go. However, visitors are advised not to go for unnecessary things for their cheap prices.

Apart from the shopping frenzy that Siliguri has to offer there are a lot many other things visitors can look forward too. The Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary is something most nature and wild life lovers would find interesting. The park is famous for its proud resident, the one-horned rhino. The river Torsa that drains the area makes the land around marshy, where rhinos thrive. Visitors would even stand chances of spotting Royal Bengal Tiger, leopard, spotted deer, elephants and gaurs here. Avian population is also good here. Bird lovers are advised to carry binoculars to enjoy bird spotting the most. The best way to enjoy the richness of the park is to take a guided tour of the park. While jeep safaris can take you to the drier areas, you need elephant safari to dive deeper into the marshes and get a closer look of the animals around.

One of the other major attractions in Siliguri is the Kali Mandir. Believed to be the abode of the living Kali, the temple is highly revered and is visited by locals as well as devotees from the region, most newly wedded couples in the region visit the temple to gain blessings.

Rapid modernization has brought a good number of malls to the city. The Sunflower Mall, the Cosmos Mall and the City Mall are the best known here. These are the best entertainment and eating options in town. With the city's latest multiplexes these malls have become entertainment hubs. They even offer the best of eating options too. A few upscale hotels have come up too, that double up as good eating out options and luxurious accommodations for tourists to the city.

Look forward to more from Siliguri when you make a business trip to the place or stop here while launching a tour to the North-East destinations.

Nagma Biswas is an author writing about travel and tourism in India and abroad. To book Hotels in Siliguri visit Sarovar hotels.