There are several hills named Jhandidara. The word “Dara” in Nepali means a hill and the word “Jhandi” originates from the word Jhanda or the flag. It is common practice for villagers to put up a religious flag on top of the nearby hill and hence many places bear the name of Jhandidara.
The popular Jhandidara (also often called only Jhandi) tourist destination is a small and beautiful village nestled in the Himalayan mountain in the Kalimpong district of West Bengal. Situated at an altitude of 6200 feet, Jhandi offers an amazing view of the surroundings and a relaxing serene atmosphere to the tourists.
In the offbeat tourism circuit of West Bengal, Jhandidara has a special place. Surrounded by the lush green forest, vast mountain range, valleys soaked in fog and clouds, and picturesque tea gardens, Jhandi is getting popular among tourists for its sublime beauty. The village provides an excellent opportunity for travellers to watch the enchanting view of the Kanchenjunga massif. Jhandi is an ideal destination for photography.
Tea Gardens Around Jhandi
Although Jhandi Dara itself is a forested area, there are several tea gardens in the nearby area. In the Dooars region south of Jhandi there are tea gardens such as Pathorjhora and the Fagu tea garden. Just North of Jhandi is the Samabeyong tea garden which offers a beautiful tea bungalow for tourists.
Birding nearby
Jhandi area is well forested and is close to the Neora Valley National Park area. The entire region known as Nim Khasmahal is quite popular for bird watching. The village is surrounded by sal, pine, and a few other trees that provide ideal habitat for the hill avifauna population. The forest area is home to several species of birds.
Places nearby
Jhandi has some other picturesque places nearby. Gorubathan, also a tourist destination of its right, is just half an hour's drive away. The famous hill station of North Bengal, lava is just 9 km from Jhandi. Tourists who wish to make Jhandi their base could visit both Lava and Gorubathan separately in the daytime and return to Jhandi by evening. Gitdubling and Nok Dara area is also nearby and is easily accessible by vehicle.
How to reach
Njp is the nearest major railway station. By road, it takes around three hours to reach Jhandi from Njp (72 km). Bagdogra is the nearest airport about 80 km away.
