Algarah (also known as Algarah Bazar) is a town in Lava
CD block in the
Kalimpong subdivision of the
Kalimpong district
Kalimpong district is a district in the state of West Bengal, India. Originally known as Dalingkot tehsil, the region was alternatively under the control of Sikkim and Bhutan. In 1865, it was annexed from Bhutan by British India under the Treaty ...
of
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. The town lies on
National Highway-717A connecting
Bagrakote
Bagrakote (also known as Bagrakote/Bagrakot Tea Garden) is a village in the Mal CD block in the Malbazar subdivision of the Jalpaiguri district in the state of West Bengal, India. The main reason behind Bagrakote being called as a Tea Garden ...
to
Gangtok.
Geography
Location
Algarah is located at
It is located at a distance of 15 km east of
Kalimpong town on the way to
Lava
Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...
at an elevation of 1,780 m (5,840 ft). It has a population of about 3,000. Algarah lies on the historical Indo-Tibetan trade route via the
Jelepla Pass
Jelep La (; ) elevation , is a high mountain pass between Sikkim, India and Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It is on a route that connects Lhasa to India. The pass is about south of Nathu La and is slightly higher. It was frequently used for t ...
.
Area overview
The map alongside shows the Kalimpong subdivision, the sole subdivision of the Kalimpong district. Physiographically, this area forms the Kalimpong Range, with the average elevation varying from . This region is characterized by abruptly rising hills and numerous small streams. It is a predominantly rural area with 77.67% of the population living in rural areas and only 22.23% living in the urban areas. While
Kalimpong is the only municipality,
Dungra is the sole
census town in the entire area. The economy is agro-based and there are 6 tea gardens in the Gorubathan CD block. In 2011, Kalimpong subdivision had a literacy rate of 81.85%, comparable with the highest levels of literacy in the districts of the state. While the first degree college in the subdivision was established at
Kalimpong in 1962 the entire subdivision (and now the entire district), other than the head-quarters, had to wait till as late as 2015 (more than half a century) to have their first degree colleges at
Pedong
Pedong is a town in the Pedong CD block in the Kalimpong subdivision of the Kalimpong district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The town is very close to Resi-Sikkim border. Pedong lies on the National Highway-717A connecting Bagrakote t ...
and
Gorubathan
Gorubathan is a village in the Gorubathan CD block in the Kalimpong Sadar subdivision of the Kalimpong district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
History
Gorubathan was once ruled by Lepcha kings who built ''Dalim Fort'' on top of a hill ...
.
Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.
Demographics
According to the
2011 Census of India
The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house listing and population enumeration. The House listing phase began on 1 April 2010 and involved the collection of information about all buildings. Information ...
, Algarah Bazer DIF had a total population of 1,957 of which 982 (50%) were males and 975 (50%) were females. There were 182 persons in the age range of 0 to 6 years. The total number of literate people in Algarah Bazer DIF was 1,449 (81.63% of the population over 6 years).
Civic administration
CD block HQ
Headquarters of Lava CD block is at Algarah Bazar.
History
Algarah is famous for the remains of the ancient Damsang Gadi (Damsang Fort). It is said that the
Lepcha king
Gaeboo Achyuk (Gyalpo Ajok; ) built this fort in 1690 with the help of spirits who brought big round smooth stones from the Reshi river. And the remnants of the fort still exist. There have been many stories passed from generation to generation about King Achyuk. It was believed that he used to possess some kind of supernatural powers. There are stories about some hidden treasures guarded by some kind of supernatural forces and also tunnels built by Achyuk. The fort was initially built to fight the Drukpas of
Bhutan
Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainou ...
. There are many myths about Drukpas fearing to visit the place as it was believed that King Gaeboo Achyuk was killed by the Bhutanese by forgery. It is believed that any Drukpa visiting that place will be struck to death due to some supernatural force.
The fort was later used to ward off the forces of the
British East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...
. It into ruin after the 1864
Anglo-Bhutan War. Every year on 20 December, Lepchas from all the adjoining regions (Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Sikkim) come to Damsang Fort to celebrate the birthday of King Gaeboo Achyuk and to attend some auspicious rituals that is followed from generation to generation by the Lepcha tribes.
Healthcare
There is a
primary health centre, with 2 beds, at Algarah.
Transport
As Algarah lies on the
National Highway-717A connecting
Bagrakote
Bagrakote (also known as Bagrakote/Bagrakot Tea Garden) is a village in the Mal CD block in the Malbazar subdivision of the Jalpaiguri district in the state of West Bengal, India. The main reason behind Bagrakote being called as a Tea Garden ...
to
Gangtok which is extended by
NHIDCL.
[ ]
Taxis, Jeeps, Buses etc are available from Algarah to cities and towns like
Kalimpong,
Pedong
Pedong is a town in the Pedong CD block in the Kalimpong subdivision of the Kalimpong district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The town is very close to Resi-Sikkim border. Pedong lies on the National Highway-717A connecting Bagrakote t ...
,
Rhenock
Rhenock is a town in the Pakyong District in Sikkim, India, located on the border with the Kalimpong district of West Bengal. It lies 63 kilometres east of Gangtok, and 47 kilometres north of Kalimpong on the way to Jelepla Pass at an altitude ...
,
Labha,
Rongli,
Gorubathan
Gorubathan is a village in the Gorubathan CD block in the Kalimpong Sadar subdivision of the Kalimpong district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
History
Gorubathan was once ruled by Lepcha kings who built ''Dalim Fort'' on top of a hill ...
,
Siliguri
Siliguri, ) is a major tier-II city in West Bengal. It forms "Twin Cities" with the neighboring district capital of Jalpaiguri. The city spans areas of the Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in the Indian state of West Bengal. Known as the ' ...
etc. Three important road network meets at Algarah,
Rhenock
Rhenock is a town in the Pakyong District in Sikkim, India, located on the border with the Kalimpong district of West Bengal. It lies 63 kilometres east of Gangtok, and 47 kilometres north of Kalimpong on the way to Jelepla Pass at an altitude ...
- Resi-
Kalimpong Road, Algarah-
Labha-
Gorubathan
Gorubathan is a village in the Gorubathan CD block in the Kalimpong Sadar subdivision of the Kalimpong district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
History
Gorubathan was once ruled by Lepcha kings who built ''Dalim Fort'' on top of a hill ...
Road and
Rangpo
Rangpo is a Municipal town in Pakyong district in the Indian state of Sikkim. The town borders West Bengal's Kalimpong district and is situated along the Teesta river and Rangpo River. It is the first town of Sikkim lying on National Highway ...
-
Munsoong-
Pedong
Pedong is a town in the Pedong CD block in the Kalimpong subdivision of the Kalimpong district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The town is very close to Resi-Sikkim border. Pedong lies on the National Highway-717A connecting Bagrakote t ...
road.
Pakyong Airport
Pakyong Airport is a seasonal domestic airport serving Pakyong, Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, India.
Spread over , the airport is located at Pakyong about 31 km (22 mi) south of Gangtok. At 4,646 ft, Pakyong Airport is one of ...
is 55 kilometres away from the town, and
Bagdogra International Airport
Bagdogra Airport is a customs airport located in the western part of Siliguri, in Bagdogra in northern West Bengal, India.
It is operated as a civil enclave at AFS Bagdogra of the Indian Air Force. It is the gateway airport to the hill station ...
is 92 kilometres away.
The nearest railway station is
Malbazar Junction.
References
{{Kalimpong District
Villages in Kalimpong district