PEDONG: The undisclosed village

Mt kanchenjunga

Pedong though this name is not familiar to everyone this place should definitely need to be acknowledged. Pedong which is a small town in Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal, located 22km North of Kalimpong at an altitude of 3970 feet above sea level. It is situated on Damsang Fort ridge. It is very near to Kalimpong which is one hour drive by car there are also other places to visit around pedong. You can visit the old historic fort, heritage sites, and other lovely nearby villages.

tea

 

The yummy breakfast

Things to do:

Start your day with a cup of hot tea and a plate of handmade “Puri Sabji”. Then reserve a car or cab from the local Taxi stand where you can easily reach by asking g the locals. Then start your drive to Damsung Fort. This fort is one of the oldest forts of the region. The Fort is located on a hilltop. Then the next visiting spot will be Pedong Monastery. This monastery is considered to be holly by the Bhutanese Buddhists. This monastery was built up in the year of 1873 by Bhutan’s King. The monastery showcases large numbers of old historic paintings.

The next spot to visit is Cross Hill. This place is named as cross hill because of the holy cross that adorns the hill. The Cross Hill was made by the Christian Missionaries who built this during the 19^th century. The other attractions near Pedong are Sillery Gaon, Rishi River, silence valley, Tinchuley.

Silent valley

 A small local market is also available in the village where you can get your required stuff and the price rate of everything is also reasonable as compared to other hilly villages.

Just where the market ends there is common car parking area where you will be encountered with an open playing ground. 

Car parking area

The majestic ground

This playing ground is quite exceptional for its enchanting visibility. You definitely would be astonished by the sight of it. As the ground is encircled by the panoramic view of the Mount Kanchenjunga. This is the ground where the famous agricultural fair commonly known as Pedong Mela  is held annually in the last week of February. During the week of the fair, villagers from the surrounding hills come and participate in the fair. They sell their farming produces and handcrafted products.

The view of the rainbow

The next time when I got amazed in the trip is when I saw a rainbow covering the visible range of Mount Kanchenjunga. Though I have a picture of that it does no justice to the real vision.

Why Pedong:

A view from the top

 Pedong which in Bhutia means “a place full of fir trees”. The main livelihood of the villagers is farming, but now they have also started participating in ecotourism. They have introduced some nicehomestayss which are quite cheap and clean. The main problem of this area is that there is no permanent electricity available here but you will be provided with lantern even generators.

This little picturesque hamlet surrounded by pine forest and encircled with the snow cladded mount Kanchenjunga is a perfect to visit in your holidays to get a gleeful experience. The weather of this place quite pleasurable throughout the whole year.

Where to stay:

There are many home stays and guest house available which are quite a affordable. You can search about them in Google.

How to reach:

The nearest Railway station is NJP and the nearest Airport is Bagdogra. From there you can reserve a Car or a cab to Pedong via Kalimpong. It is a three hours journey. The general taxi fare is about Rs.2500 but it depends on your negotiating skills. You can also take the option of shared taxis from Shilliguri stand.