Kalimpong Village
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Kalimpong Village
Village in the head-quarters subdivision of Darjeeling District, Bengal, situated in 27 degree 4' N. and 88 degree 28' E., 3.933 feet above sea-level. Population (1901), 1,069. The village, which has given its name to the tract of hilly country formerly known as Dalingkot, is the established market for Tibetan wool and other exports, and contains a large bazar. The wool, which is brought in via the Jelep La from Tibet, is dispatched by carts along the Tista valley road to Siliguri on the Eastern Bengal State Railway. Since 1 89 1 a fair has been held annually in November at Kalimpong, at which agricultural produce and stock are exhibited and prizes are given both in cash and in the form of English poultry and selected seed ; this is the most successful agricultural show in Bengal, and is supported by subscriptions supplemented by a Government grant. More than 100 Tibetan mules are annually purchased here by Government for transport purposes at an average price of Rs. 150. A branch of the Church of Scotland Mission, established at Kalimpong, possesses a church, an Anglo-Hindi middle school with 4 masters and 55 pupils, and a hospital with 28 beds in connexion with the Government dispensary. The St. Andrew's Colonial Homes were instituted in 1900, under the auspices of the Church of Scotland, for the education of poor European and Eurasian children. The object of these homes is to give the children, in a healthy District and favourable environ- ment, such a course of training as will fit them for emigration to the Colonies, or make them more robust for work in India. The scheme is managed by an independent committee, and the system adopted is that of cottage homes, each cottage holding 25 to 30 children. Origin- ally 100 acres of land were granted by Government and an agricultural expert was appointed to superintend the outdoor work. The board of management have since obtained permission to acquire a tract of about 330 acres more and to hold it in the position of a ryot ; of this, about 200 acres have already been acquired. The first cottage was opened in 1901, and three other cottages and a central school have since been added.
