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Ghum
Neighbourhood
Darjeeling to Ghoom Heritage Narrow Gauge Train
GhumLocation in West Bengal, India
Coordinates: 27°00′37″N 88°14′47″E / 27.0102°N 88.2465°E / 27.0102; 88.2465
Country	India
State	West Bengal
District	Darjeeling
Elevation	2,225 m (7,300 ft)
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	734102
Telephone code	0354

Ghum (also spelt Ghoom) is a small hilly neighbourhood in the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region of West Bengal, India. It comes under ward number one of the Darjeeling Municipality. Ghum railway station of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is the highest railway station in India. It is situated at an altitude of 2,258 metres (7,407 ft). The place is the home of the Ghum Monastery and the Batasia Loop, a bend of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.

Geography

Location

Ghum is located at 27°00′37″N 88°14′47″E / 27.0102°N 88.2465°E / 27.0102; 88.2465.

Area overview

The map alongside shows the northern portion of the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region. Kangchenjunga, which rises with an elevation of 8,586 metres (28,169 ft) is located further north of the area shown. Sandakphu, rising to a height of 3,665 metres (12,024 ft), on the Singalila Ridge, is the highest point in West Bengal. In Darjeeling Sadar subdivision 61% of the total population lives in the rural areas and 39% of the population lives in the urban areas. There are 78 tea gardens/ estates (the figure varies slightly according to different sources), producing and largely exporting Darjeeling tea in the district. It engages a large proportion of the population directly/ indirectly. Some tea gardens were identified in the 2011 census as census towns or villages. Such places are marked in the map as CT (census town) or R (rural/ urban centre). Specific tea estate pages are marked TE.

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.

War memorial

Darjeeling hills has a high concentration of Indian Army servicemen and ex-servicemen. Since independence in 1947, seventy-six soldiers of the Darjeeling area have died in service. In 1976, Manish Gupta, then Deputy Commissioner of Darjeeling, took the initiative to build a War Memorial and a committee was formed. In 1984, Batasia was selected as the site of the war memorial. In 1991, Subhas Ghising, chairman of Darjeeling Gorkha Autonomous Hill Council, agreed to finance the construction of the war memorial.

The war memorial consists of a sanctified raised oval platform, 37 by 24 feet (10 by 7 m), with a 9-foot (3 m) high bronze statue and a 30-foot (9 m) high triangular granite cenotaph, on a 3-foot (0.9 m) octagonal base, with the Roll of honour engraved on it. The bronze statue was sculptured by Gautam Pal of Krishnanagar.

Monasteries

Yi Gha Choling Gompa is more popularly known as Ghum Monastery. located opposite to the Ghoom Post Office is a road called Monastery road which leads to Yiga Choling Monastery. Many travel guides and taxi drivers take tourist to the monastery located below Hill Cart road and Ghum Railway station which is Samten Choeling monastery and called it old Ghoom monastery as it is on the main road and easier for them. Yiga Choling Monastery is at an elevation of 8000 feet and is situated 8 km (5.0 mi) from Darjeeling . It was established in 1850 by the famous Mongolian astrologer and monk Sokpo Sherab Gyatso. He was later succeeded by very venerable late Khabje Domo Geshe Ngawang Kalsang Rinpoche. It was during Domo Geshi Rinpoche's tenure that the 15 feet high image of the great Maitreya Buddha was commissioned. It still stands majestically inside the main monastery for all to glimpse and pay respects. There are three other gompas in Ghum: Samten Choeling, the Sakyachoeling, and the Phin.

Ghum Hill

On the Ghum-Sukhiapokri road, at an altitude of 7,900 feet (2,400 m) stands a huge detached rock offering a grand view of the Balsan Valley and the hills beyond. Garg World, an amusement park is the latest attraction.

Transport

Ghum is the meeting point of several roads. The Hill Cart Road from Siliguri to Darjeeling runs through the town. It is 6 km (3.7 mi) from Darjeeling, 24 km (15 mi) from Kurseong via Sonada, and about 45 km (28 mi) via Lopchu. Another road leads to Mongpu and thence to the Kalimpong-Siliguri road. There is a road to Kurseong via Dow Hill. Sukhiapokhri, almost on the India-Nepal border, is 11 km (6.8 mi) on the road to Mirik.

Education

Ghoom Jorebunglow College was established in 2004 at Ghum. It offers honours courses in Nepali, English, history, geography, political science, economics, sociology, education and a general course in arts.

Ghoom Boys School is a private boys only higher secondary school.

Ghoom Girls Higher Secondary School is an English-medium girls only institution with facilities for teaching from class V to class XII.

Healthcare

There is a primary health centre, with 6 beds at Ghum.

Ghum picture gallery

• Yiga Choeling Monastery
• Ghoom Monastery, Darjeeling, 2017
• Buddha statue in Samten Choling Monastery
• Batasia Loop War Memorial
• View from Batasia loop
• Ghum railway station
• Darjeeling Himalayan Railway - toy train

References

1. Agarwala, A.P. (editor), Guide to Darjeeling Area, 27th edition, pp. 53–55, ISBN 81-87592-00-1.
2. Gurung, H. & Shrestha, R. K. (1994). Nepal Himalaya Inventory. Kathmandu: Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation.
3. "Sandakphu-Phalut Trek". Himalayan High. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
4. "Darjeeling". District Profile - General Information. District administration. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
5. "District Statistical Handbook 2013 Darjeeling". Tables 2.2, 2.4b. Department of Planning and Statistics, Government of West Bengal. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
6. "Darjeeling Tea". District administration. Archived from the original on 11 September 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
7. "2011 Census – Primary Census Abstract Data Tables". West Bengal – District-wise. Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
8. ^ Agarwala, A.P., p. 48
9. "Darjeeling Tourism".
10. "Sight-seeing". West Bengal cities. travel-westbengal.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-13.
11. A Road Guide to Darjiling, p. 10,
12. A Road Guide to Darjiling, map on p. 16, TTK Healthcare Ltd, Publications Division, ISBN 81-7053-173-X.
13. "Ghoom Jorebunglow College". GJC. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
14. "Ghoom Jorebunglow Degree College, Darjeeling". Careers 360. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
15. "Ghoom Boys High School". Target Study. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
16. "Ghoom Girls Higher Secondary School". ICBSE. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
17. "Health & Family Welfare Department" (PDF). Health Statistics – Primary Health Centres. Government of West Bengal. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2020.

v t e Cities, towns and locations in Darjeeling District
Cities, municipal and census towns	Darjeeling Sadar subdivision Badamtam Tea Garden Chongtong Tea Garden Darjeeling Ging Tea Garden Mangarjung Tea Garden (Nagri) Rongmook Ceder Tea Garden Singtam Tea Garden Sonada Sukhiapokhri Kurseong subdivision Cart Road Kurseong Mirik subdivision Mirik Siliguri subdivision Bara Mohansingh Bairatisal Bhimram Dakshin Bagdogra Dumriguri Geni Jitu Kalkut Kharibari Lalman Mathapari Shyamdhan Siliguri Tari Uttar Bagdogra
Locations other than cities and towns	Darjeeling Sadar subdivision Bijanbari Chamong Tea Garden Dhajea Tea Garden Ghum Jorebungalow Lebong & Mineral Spring Tea Garden Lodhoma Manebhanjyang Mariabong Tea Garden Nagri Farm Tea Garden Orange Valley Tea Garden Peshok Tea Garden Pokhriabong Poobong Tea Garden Pattabong Tea Garden Rangli Rangliot Rimbick Rishihat Tea Garden Sandakphu Singla Tea Garden Soom Tea Garden Sungma Tea Garden Takdah Teesta Valley Tea Garden Tonglu Tumsong Tea Garden Tukvar Tea Garden Kurseong subdivision Ambootia Giddapahar Gayabari Longview Tea Garden Mangpu Monteviot Tea Garden Rohini Tea Garden Simulbari Tea Garden Sittong Sukna Tindharia Mirik subdivision Panighatta Singbulli Tea Garden Soureni Siliguri subdivision Bagdogra Batasi Bengdubi Matigarahat Mohorgon Tea Garden Naxalbari Panitanki Phansidewa
Tea estates	Arya Tea Estate Avongrove Tea Estate Badamtam Tea Estate Balasun Tea Estate Castleton Tea Estate Glenburn Tea Estate Gopaldhara Tea Estate Goomtee Tea Estate Happy Valley Tea Estate Jungpana Tea Estate Lopchu Tea Estate Makaibari Tea Estate Margaret's Hope Tea Estate North Tukvar Tea Estate Okayti Tea Estate Phoobsering Tea Estate Phuguri Tea Estate Pussimbing Tea Estate Puttabong Tea Estate Thurbo Tea Estate
See also	Darjeeling related topics Bagdogra Airport People from Darjeeling district Villages in Darjeeling district
India portal

• Tourist attractions in Darjeeling
• Geography of Darjeeling district