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Mirik
The latest addition to the tourism map of
Darjeeling is Mirik. This is a valley
on a mountain top with a nice lake and friendly people. Lying
at a distance of 52 kilometers from Siliguri
Mirik can be reached easily by vehicle. Many of naturebeyond
tours starts with Mirik as it is considered an ideal stop over
before moving on to more famous destinations such as Darjeeling.
The hill is covered with deep green forest
of 'Crypto Maria japonica' trees, a conical tree locally known
as 'Dhupi'. The trees were brought here by the British and has
adapted extremely well with local climate and terrain.
 Mirik
is situated at an altitude of 1768 meters above sea level. The
weather is pleasant here for most part of the year. The temperature
rarely comes close to 30 degrees centigrade in summer and during
the winter it may hover around 13-18 degrees. Yearly rainfall
here is 297 centimeters. The population of Mirik is about 25000
and most of them are of Nepali origin. Nepali and Hindi are
spoken by most people, in the tourist places Bengali and English
is also used.
What to See:
There are many tourist attractions around Mirik including
 Samendu
Lake: Situated at the middle of the Mirik valley, this is
the main attraction of Mirik. This is not a natural lake but
is created by the government to promote tourism in Mirik. The
area of the lake is 1.25 sq. kilometers. The lake with its boating
facilities attracts tourists. Limited angling is also allowed
in the lake. The Dhupi forests all around the lake increases
the natural beauty of the place. Swimming in this lake is neither
permitted nor suggested as the lake is used as sewerage by part
of the population.
The Helipad : It allows some of the best views the Mirik
lake and the town as well as a view of the majestic Kunchenjunga.
Devi Sthan : Devi Sthan or the temple of Singha Devi
is situated on the west bank of the Sumendu Lake. This temple
is one of the main attractions for the tourists. The places
of worship of Hanuman, Shiva and Kali Mata are on the other
sides of the lake. Another holy place for the tourists is Bokar
Gompa situated near these temples.
Rameetay Dara: This view point is famous for the scenes
of the sunset and sunrise.
Kawlay Dara: This is another place from where the whole
Mirik can be seen.
Thurbo Tea Garden & Factory: Mirik is situated in
the center of some of the best tea gardens of the state. The
tour of these tea gardens is one of the memorable events for
the tourists. |
