Siliguri

The largest city in North Bengal, Siliguri (Bengali: শিলিগুড়ি Śiliguṛi, Nepali: सिलगड़ी Silgaṛī, Hindi: सिलीगुड़ी Silīguṛī) is a liberal and cosmopolitan city that is known for its vibrant music scene and strong youth culture. Located on the banks of the Mahananda River and the Teesta River at the foothills of the Darjeeling Hills, Siliguri is the third-largest urban agglomeration in West Bengal. It is known as the "Gateway of North-Eastern India" as it connects North-Eastern India with mainland India, making it a major trading and transportation hub. It borders Nepal on one side and Bangladesh on the other.

Understand


Siliguri (Bengali pronunciation: SHIH-lih-GOO-rih /ʃiliɡuɽi/) has a population of 728,000 (2024 estimate) (around 1,000,000 in the metropolitan area), making it the third-largest city in West Bengal.

With massive developments since the turn of the 21st century, the city has grown from a small regional town into one of the most important business centres in Eastern India. Sprawling and boisterous, it is a city whose periphery is dominated by modern condominiums, while the downtown is characterised by sprawling street markets, up-scale shops, and large shopping malls.

Due to its position as a commercial hub and centre of learning, the city enjoys a sophistication and range of shopping usually only associated with metro cities. Furthermore, as it has attracted a large number of young Nepalese, Sikkimese, Tibetans, and Bhutanese, it has developed into one of India's most liberal and cosmopolitan cities that is known for its vibrant music scene and strong youth culture.

Siliguri is the only city in West Bengal other than Kolkata to have international airport and, perhaps due to the high concentration of colleges, institutes and private schools, the city has the highest literacy rates in the state. Traditionally, Siliguri has been known for the four 'T's — tourism, timber, tea and transport — and is the gateway to Darjeeling, Sikkim, Bhutan and North-Eastern India.

Climate
Siliguri has a warm summer, cool winters and a severe monsoon. In summer, the temperature varies from a minimum of 18-22 °C to a maximum of 26-32 °C. The temperature in summer sometimes exceeds 35 °C. On the other hand, the winter maximum temperature hovers around 20-24 °C, and the minimum drops 6-9 °C. January is the coldest month with an average temperature of 16.1 °C. The minimum temperature in winter season sometimes drops 5 °C or below. On an average, Siliguri gets 3340 mm per year. Winters are mostly dry, with the summers being rainy. About 80% of the annual rainfall is felt between June to September, this period is known as monsoons or rainy season in the season cycle. Heavy showers are often felt in May, June, July, August and September. July is the wettest month (804 mm) and January is the driest month (12 mm).

Talk
Bengali, Hindi, and Nepali are respectively the most common languages spoken in Siliguri. However, as a major business and trading hub, the city has attracted numerous people from different ethnic groups, and so it is not uncommon to hear other dialects or languages spoken on the streets and in homes.

New Jalpaiguri Junction railway station


NJP is served by four Rajdhani Express trains, two Vistadome Express trains, two Humsafar Express trains, four AC Superfast Express trains, a Shatabdi Express train and a Vande Bharat Express train from this station. There is also an international train from Bangladesh, called Mitali Express. NJP also connects the mainstream broad-gauge line with the heritage narrow-gauge line.

NJP has two double-bedded air-conditioned (AC) retiring rooms, six double-bedded non-AC retiring rooms, one three-bedded dormitory and one twelve-bedded dormitory. Free high-speed Wi-Fi is available at this station. It has IRCTC and other private restaurants. There is also a decommissioned train coach that acts as a restaurant, and tea rooms that serve locally grown tea. The tourist office and pre-paid taxi booth are directly opposite the station main entrance.

Transport options to city centre:
 * By bus: North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) operates bus services from NJP to Siliguri city centre. There are private bus options as well.
 * By taxi: Ride-hailing services, such as Uber, Rapido and Ola, provide rides from NJP to various parts of the city. Apart from these, numerous private taxi operators provide pre-paid and post-paid taxi services to the city.

By bus


There are regular buses from Kolkata. The well-known and comfortable Siliguri Rocket, run by the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC), leaves Kolkata at 8PM arriving Siliguri at 8AM (₹245). Some private bus lines also ply the route. The 'Royal Cruiser' Volvo buses leaves Kolkata at 8PM arriving Siliguri at 9AM (₹745 AC/₹325 non-AC).

Under a joint understanding between Indian and Bangladeshi transport authority, there are regular bus services from Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh. BRTC (Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation) buses leave Dhaka every night at 8PM and reach India-Bangladesh border at Changrabanda post at early morning. These buses will not cross the border and the passengers have to clear customs, walk a few hundred yards to cross the border and board the waiting Indian buses for another three-hour ride to Siliguri. The buses are air conditioned, very comfortable and depart on time. One-way fare from Dhaka to Siliguri is between US$20-25, depending on conversion rates.

There is also a regular bus service from Phuentsholing, Bhutan. Buses from Phuentsholing leave at 7:30AM, and 2PM daily, with the journey taking approximately four hours. ₹300. A daily direct deluxe service (https://www.greenlineservices.in/index.html) links Siliguri to Kathmandu, with buses departing Kathmandu at 3PM and reaching Siliguri at 8AM the next day. ₹2,000. The border crossing at Panitanki near Siliguri is only open for Indian, Nepalese, and Bhutanese citizens (as of Feb 2024).

Get around
Moving in and around Siliguri is cheap. There are electric rickshaws (locally known as totos), shared vans, an efficient public bus service, and rental cars. App-based car services are also available on OLA Cabs and Uber, while shared e-rickshaws and vans run on established routes, charging ₹20 per person (as of 2023) per journey. The core areas can be covered on foot and is very safe.

Parks








Do
There are many places in Siliguri to visit and spend some quality time. You can tour the city yourself by renting a bike or a car. There are many places to watch movies. You can also visit tea estates for a tour where you can see the serene and spacious tea farms in and around the city. There are many exhibitions and sport events around the city.





Buy
Silguri sells its wares on three streets: Hill Cart Road, Bidhan Road and Sevoke Road. The former offers more traditional stores and is home to many of the city's hotels, Sevoke is home to several upscale shopping malls and is the centre of the city's banking, while Bidhan Road is primarily known for the street markets that span out from the thoroughfare.

As the centre of a tea-growing area, Siliguri is an excellent place to pick up some Darjeeling and other brands of the leaf.

Eat
Due to the large number of Nepalese and Tibetans living in Siliguri, the city offers an excellent selection of authentic Tibetan and Nepali delicacies. In addition, there are also several good quality restaurants specializing in Western and Chinese cuisine as well as a considerable number of US fast food outlets.









Coffee
As Siliguri is at the heart of a tea-growing area, it has traditionally been associated with tea. However, following the international trend, coffee culture has made inroads in the city and there are now numerous branches of cafe chains as well as a large number of independent coffee shops in and around Siliguri, and the quality of the coffee served is generally very good.

















Alcohol
With a young, educated, and liberal population, Siliguri enjoys a vibrant and lively pub scene. Planet Mall is the city's main watering hole, and there are a number of pubs and cafes throughout the mall.







Sleep
If you are using Siliguri as an overnight halt, you might consider your hotel options based on the convenience of traveling to your next destination. Bagdogra, Matigara and Darjeeling More areas are convenient for Darjeeling, Kurseong (route 110), and the airport (route 327), while Salugara, 2nd or 3rd mile Sevoke Road addresses are good for Kalimpong, Gangtok and Bhutan (route 10).

Splurge
Many of the modern, up-scale hotels are on Sevoke Road (2nd-3rd mile), near Vega Circle Mall.



Stay safe
As in all of India, travelers may find themselves falling victim to scams and touts. Be on guard for anybody trying to help you by giving you unsolicited directions or travel advice, and so do not openly show that this is your first trip to the city.

If you're arriving after midnight, it is advisable to have accommodation pre-booked and an arranged pick-up from the bus terminal or station.

In general, Siliguri is an extremely safe city with a very low crime rate, and violent crime against international travelers is unheard of.

Siliguri Metropolitan Police
The Siliguri Metropolitan Police is one of the most advanced police forces in North Bengal. There are police patrollers all around the city and can be asked for any help.

Connect
Cell phone coverage in the city is excellent. There are three major service providers offering a wide variety of plans. Among them are Airtel, VI (formerly Vodafone) and Jio. Airtel is the preferable one as it provides high quality calls and great internet speed all across the city.

To call Siliguri from abroad you will need to dial the international prefix for your country, followed by India's country code +91. If you want to dial a landline no. from a mobile, then you have to add the area code of Siliguri, 0353 before the number.

Internet services are unreliable in some parts of the city. Most stores have broadband connections. Both the railway stations have free high-speed Wi-fi services but you need an Indian mobile number to register and receive the One-time password.

Newspapers
Local newspapers can be handy and reliable sources for day-to-day updates about the city. The city has number of newspapers and other publication that list local happenings. There are different options for newspapers including daily, weekly and bi-weekly. Some of the popular newspapers are Uttarbanga Sambad, Bartaman, Anandabazar Patrika, The Statesman, Pratidin, Aajkaal and Times of India

Money exchange
There are several banks that offer foreign exchange and ATM service.



Go next

 * Darjeeling &mdash; one of the oldest hill stations in India with interesting sites as well as trekking opportunities.
 * Gangtok &mdash; this hill station is a popular site as a jumping-off point for treks, the home of the Banjhakri Falls, views of surrounding mountains and friendly atmosphere. ₹400 for shared taxi from Siliguri Bus Station (a little more from NJP Station).
 * Gompa Dara &mdash; a small village that is the site of Gompa Rock and meditation caves and the Ogyen Mindrol Samtenling (Buddhist monastery)
 * Jalpaiguri &mdash; a city with many historical links to the past
 * Jaldapara National Park &mdash; this national park is a 180-min drive from Siliguri. It's famous for its wildlife, in particular the Indian rhinoceros, bison, elephants, and peacocks.
 * Kalimpong &mdash; a hill station with many gardens and religious sites. Buses depart Tenzing Norgay bus station and NJP train station every 20 minutes until 4PM - ₹110-₹130 for the two and a half hour journey (little more from NJP). Shared and private jeeps also ply the route from the same locations - approx ₹300 and ₹2,800/₹3,000 respectively.
 * Kathmandu. The Indian border town of Panitanki is around one hour from Siliguri. From there, it is 1.7 km to the Nepalese border town of Kakarbhitta (rickshaws available). The border at Panitanki is closed for all nationals, except Indian, Nepali, and Bhutanese (as of February 2024). Green Line (https://www.greenlineservices.in/index.html) operates a daily overnight A/C Volvo bus service from Siliguri to Kathmandu. Departs Tenzing Norgay Bus Station at 3PM. Arrives Kathmandu at 8AM. ₹2,000.
 * Lava &mdash; a hamlet surrounded by beautiful natural forests. Home to the Lava Monastery and a spot to view Kanchenjunga peak at sunrise.
 * Loleygaon (Lolegaon) &mdash; a village noted for its Canopy Walk, Jhandi Dhara Sunrise Point, and Lolegaon View Point.
 * Mangpoo &mdash; a small village (hill station) with beautiful views was once known for its medicinal plant cultivation. It was the site where poet laureate Rabindranath Tagore wrote his famous poem Janmadine.
 * Mirik &mdash; a hill station with scenic views and tea gardens. The town is home to Sumendu Lake, several religious sites, and the international Bokar Buddhist Meditation Centre.
 * Phuentsholing &mdash; Buses depart for Phuentsholing (Dophu Transport +91 9832071965) at 7:30AM and 2PM every day from opposite Golden Plaza on Burdwan Road (behind Air View More). Tickets are sold at a counter near the bus - ₹300. There are more frequent Indian buses to the border town of Jaigaon from Tenzing Norgay Bus Station on Hill Cart Road. In addition, trains depart Silguri Junction at 7:45AM and 1PM (local - around 4 hours) and 8:15AM and 12:30PM (express - around 3 hours) to Hasimara, from where an auto (shared - around ₹30-50, reserved - around ₹300) can be taken to Jaigoan - 20 minutes. Foreign nationals need to complete Indian immigration formalities before entering Bhutan, and so need to alight the bus or auto at the immigration office in Jaigaon.