Mangpu is a hill station in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. The place has been made famous by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore who visited Mangpu several times. Apart from the legacy of Tagore, Mangpu can be considered a nature retreat with its potential and attractions. At an altitude of about 3700 feet, the weather here is mild and comfortable throughout the year. Tourist destinations such as the Sittong area are within half an hour's drive from here making Mangpu an ideal base for local sightseeing as well.
Legacy of the great Bard
Rabindranath paid several visits to the little-known village of Mangpu.
Tagore used to stay here at the home of his protégé Maitreyi Devi. The house is presently known as Rabindra Bhavan and is maintained by the government of Bengal. It is a must-visit place for any fan of Tagore. Many well-known poetries were written by the famous bard when he was here.
There is another house nearby where Rabindranath stayed when he was in Mangpu for the first time in 1938. It is a British bungalow about 3 km further from Mangpu market in an area known as ’Surel’. This bungalow is in a dilapidated state. It is said that Rabindranath wrote his famous poem, Camelia, here.
Mangpu is also famous for its Cinchona plantation. Once the area was the hub of the Cinchona plantation. With the reduced economic importance of the herb, cinchona plantations are not very well maintained now but are still nice places to walk around amidst nature.
Mangpu and its surrounding area are also famous for oranges. The oranges are grown during the winter in the surrounding area such as Shittong, Shelphu, Reshop, and Labda area.
How to Reach
From NJP / Bagdogra, you have to travel through the Bengal – Sikkim, National Highway 10 to reach Rambi (45 km, 1 hour 30 minutes without traffic). From Rambi climb uphill for about 10 km (30 minutes) to reach Mangpu.
If you are coming here from Darjeeling, you may take Peshok road. From a place called 3rd mile on the Peshok road, take a diversion and you will reach Mangpu in about an hour from Darjeeling (26 km). A word of caution, this is a relatively less used road, and you should confirm the road condition before embarking on a journey through this route.
Activities
A visit to Rabindra Bhawan is a must here. Even if you are not an expert in Tagore’s writings and music, you would still find it worth a dekko. The small museum contains Tagore’s photographs, writing, and several memoirs.
You may visit the Dichen Monastery located at Nalidara. The monastery is built in recent years and offers a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains.
Drive 6 km from Nalidara to reach Jogighat on the Riyang river. It is a scenic spot with a bridge across the river Riyang. Across the river, you may also visit Shittong village which is famous for its Orange plantation.
Rishop village is about 5 km from Mangpo. From the forest village, you can get great views of the surrounding mountains including the Kanchenjunga massif.
For the adventurous one, a trek to Chatakpur can be organized from Mangpu. However, the area is forested with regular incidences of Bear attacks. Careful precautions are a must before embarking on this couple of hours trek.
Where to Stay
Mangpu does not have any decent tourist accommodation at the time of writing this. However several homestays are available or upcoming in the vicinity. The best accommodation nearby is in the Sittong area about 8 to 10 km away. Our homestays in the Sittong area are ready to welcome you. For more information about our Home Lodges, you may visit our other website Humro Home. For any further requirements feel free to contact our helpdesk team.
