SILIGURI is a burgeoning town or more aptly a cosmopolitan city with a rhythm of unity in diversity...:) owing to its strategically important location,it is aptly called "The Gateway to North-East India"..It connects to magnificent tourists spots....Darjeeling, Gangtok, Sikkim, Dooars to name a few..It is popularly known for its 4 T's - TEA,TIMBER,TRADE & TOURISTS...the road to Siliguri is flanked by tea gardens on either sides..the city itself presents a picturesque glimpse of Himalayan ranges...as the sun shines in all its glory,the clarion hills presents an awe-inspiring view... one can only gape at wonder at the puissance of the majestic hills...Siliguri is undoubtedly a paradise of scenic beauty and also a shutterbug's delight :)
On a fortuitous clear day,the snow-capped Kanchenjunga peak presents an image not so much of a mountain but of a meticulously drawn painting by an adroit painter.... The view can instantly invigorate any languid soul.. :) such is the power of nature!!! the reddish hue produced by the setting sun at dusk is a treat to the eyes...while the sun hides itself behind the mighty blue mountains..its rays adorns and illuminates the evening sky...a spectacular view!!! a number of hamlets find their abode in the mountains..at night when the lights of these houses are lit,the view of the mountain from a distant is just so captivating...It is akin to a palace being decorated with candles on a Diwali night :) I reiterate my point... a shutterbug's delight :)
The best part of Siliguri (given the fact that i am a shopaholic) is its market! situated in the heart of the city it houses an eclectic collection of foreign goods as well as native items,with a blend of ethnicity and modernism.....goods here are a confluence of items from Nepal,Bhutan,China and of course our very own country :) besides,who has not heard of the famous "Hong-kong market" :D such is the importance of the local market that even the mushrooming malls cannot draw as many consumers as drawn by the local markets...
coming to the climate,the salubrious weather really makes Siliguri a piece of heaven on earth.....I bet any visitor will fall in love with the eternal beauty of this place :)
On a more subjective note, Siliguri to me is my home town and the mountains my neighbourhood.. :) I have grown up witnessing the majestic mountains,the gorges cutting through them and the tiny rivulets adorning the hills...many a times have I seen such bright sunny days,when the cumulus clouds appeared as white beds of cotton nestled atop the mountains...many a times have I felt the cool Himalayan zephyr caress my face...many a times have I wondered at the immanent ethos of the people here...these mountains seemed to have answered my unanswered questions and pacified me at times of distress... nature has always intrigued me and still does...this intangible feeling will dwell in my heart till my last breath... no wonder I have grown up to be a nature lover :) now that I stay in a "metro city" I know the difference between the fast paced city life and the simple town life and also the difference between the claustrophobic feeling rendered by unscrupulous mushrooming of buildings in a metro city and the enlivening feeling rendered by a smaller city where people exist in close communion with nature...whenever I return to this place I realise that it was not the home that I missed but the simplicity of my childhood...
This apparently is my last visit to this place.. the very thought of departing from this place saddens me.. :( Nevertheless ,the memories of this place of my adolescent years will always be engraved in my heart...The imprint of the absorbing panorama of the distant hills spreading out into the blue horizon will continue to enchant me...I may travel the world,but this place for me has been my world for years :) I conclude by quouting my favourite lines "A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it..." :)
