Lava (also known as Lava Bazar) is a town in the Kalimpong II CD block in the Kalimpong subdivision of the

Kalimpong district Kalimpong district is a List of districts in India, district in the state of West Bengal, India. In 2017, it was carved out as a separate district to become the 21st district of West Bengal. The district is headquartered at Kalimpong, which g ...

in the

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

n state of

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

. As it lies in the high altitude, so it is also visible from high altitude towns and villages of East Sikkim, high areas of

Bhutan Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...

and also from Pakyong Airport. The climate of the town is usually very cold because of high altitude making it a perfect place for tourists during summer season.

Geography

Location

Lava is located at .

Area overview

The map alongside shows the Kalimpong Sadar subdivision of 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 Kalimpong is a town and the headquarters of an eponymous district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located at an average elevation of . The town is the headquarters of the Kalimpong district. The region comes under Gorkhaland Territo ...

is the only municipality, Dungra is the sole

census town In India and some other countries, a census town is designated as a town that satisfies certain characteristics. India In India, a census town is one which is not statutorily notified and administered as a town, but nevertheless whose population ...

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

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 and Gorubathan. 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.

Description of the place

Lava is a small hamlet situated east of the town of

through Algarah in

of the state of

. Lava is situated at an altitude of . It is one of the few places in West Bengal to receive snow in winter. It is the entry point to the Virgin Neora Valley National Park from

. The route to Lava is scenic with the change in vegetation from

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

to the wet alpine trees of

fir Firs are evergreen coniferous trees belonging to the genus ''Abies'' () in the family Pinaceae. There are approximately 48–65 extant species, found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Eurasia, and North Africa. The genu ...

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

and

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...

. The verdant forests are a popular spot for picnicking, trekking and bird-watching. Lava has gradually become a favorite tourist destination. Temperature decreases below Zero Degree in Winter and increases up to Maximum 30 Degree Celsius in Summer. It is situated on the trade route to Tibet via the

Chumbi Valley The Chumbi Valley, called Dromo or Tromo in Tibetan, is a valley in the Himalayas that projects southwards from the Tibetan plateau, intervening between Sikkim and Bhutan. It is coextensive with the administrative unit Yadong County in the T ...

. Lava can be reach through Gorubathan from Damdim or

Malbazar Malbazar, also known as Mal, is a town and a municipality in Jalpaiguri district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Malbazar subdivision. It lies about 65 km from Jalpaiguri and 55 km from Siliguri. It li ...

Jalpaiguri District Jalpaiguri district () is a district of the Indian state of West Bengal. The district was established in 1869 during British Raj. The headquarters of the district are in the city of Jalpaiguri, which is also the divisional headquarters of Ja ...

. Distance from Gorubathan is 50 kilometres. The Road is Wide, Smooth and full with Scenic Beauty in every turn. The new Road is Built by

Border Roads Organisation The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is a statutory body under the ownership of the Ministry of Defence of the Government of India. BRO develops and maintains road networks in India's border areas and friendly neighboring countries. This include ...

(B.R.O.) of Defence Ministry of Government of India. Wild animals such as the

Himalayan black bear The Himalayan black bear (''Ursus thibetanus laniger'') is a subspecies of the Asian black bear. It is distinguished from '' U. t. thibetanus'' by its longer, thicker fur and smaller, whiter chest mark. The species is considered an ecological ind ...

, Leopard, Wild Boar, Red Panda and barking deer are found in these parts. Some Royal Bengal Tiger was found and captured in Camera here in the Year 2015. A Buddhist Monastery is present on one of the hills of Lava. Notable sites include Changey Waterfalls, Rache-La, Kolakham and Kagyu Thekchen Ling Monastery.

Demographics

According to the 2011 Census of India, Lava Bazar DIF had a total population of 1,836 of which 945 (51%) were males and 891 (49%) were females. There were 195 persons in the age range of 0 to 6 years. The total number of literate people in Lava Bazar DIF was 1,283 (78.18% of the population over 6 years).

Tourism in Lava

One of favoured destinations from Lava is Neora Valley National Park. Lava and surrounding area is also a popular destination for bird watchers and butterflies. Because of cold climate in the town and nearby areas, it is a perfect destination for tourists during summer season. The beautiful National Highway 717A passing through forests, deep valleys, rivers, and top of the hills, Ambiok and other Tea Gardens, Many sunrise view points, Local Homestay, Kafer etc are the places of interest in lava.

Transport

Lava lies on National Highway-717A connecting Bagrakote to

Gangtok Gangtok (, ) is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Sikkim. The seat of East Sikkim district, eponymous district, Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayas, Himalayan range, at an elevation of . The city's population of 100 ...

via Pakyong Airport. Taxis, Jeeps, Buses etc are available from Labha to cities and towns like

, Pedong,

Rhenock Rhenock () is a town, just 29 km from Pakyong, Pakyong City 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 ...

, Algarah,

, Gorubathan,

Siliguri Siliguri (, ; ), also known as Shiliguri, is a major Tier ii cities in india, tier-II city in West Bengal. It forms the twin cities, Twin Cities with the neighbouring city of Jalpaiguri. The city spans areas of the Darjeeling district, Darjeel ...

etc. The nearest railway station is Malbazar Junction 58 kilometres away, and the nearest airport is Pakyong Airport about 75-80 kilometres and Bagdogra International Airport around 110 kilometres.

Gallery

File:Lavatown.jpg, View from the town of Lava File:Buddhist Monestry in Lava, West Bengal.png, Buddhist Monastery in Lava File:Raw28-Lava-Lava Birds DSC0217 Chestnut bellied Nuthatch.jpg, Chestnut bellied Nuthatch File:Flowers planted in Lava Monastery, Darjeeling.jpg, Flowers in Lava Monastery File:Holy Child at Kagyu Thek Chen Ling Monastery Year- 2009.jpg, Holy Child at Kagyu Thek Chen Ling Monastery Year- 2009 File:Curious Tourist at Lava, Kalimpong, Darjeeling photo by Sandipan Raha, Jalpaiguri 2010.jpg, Curious Tourist on the Roof of NBSTC Bus at Lava File:Rache La from Kagyu Thek Chen Ling Monastery Year- 2009.jpg, Rache-La from Kagyu Thek Chen Ling Monastery Year- 2009 File:The smoky weather at Lava in Kalimpong district 16.jpg, The smoky weather at Lava in May 2025

References

External links

*
About Changey Falls
North Bengal Tourism {{Kalimpong District Hill stations in West Bengal Villages in Kalimpong district