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Kurseong
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kurseong | |
  Kurseong
|
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| State - District(s) |
West Bengal - Darjeeling |
| Coordinates | |
| Area - Elevation |
5.05 km² - 1,500 m |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Population (2001) - Density |
80,377 - |
| Codes - Postal - Telephone - Vehicle |
- 734 203 - +0354 - WB-? |
Kurseong is a hill station (and sub-divisional town) situated in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India. Located at an altitude of 1458 metres (4864 ft), Kurseong is just 30 km from Darjeeling. It has a pleasant climate throughout the year and the winters are not as severe as Darjeeling.
The local name of Kurseong is called "Kharsang" which in the Lepcha language means "Land of the White Orchids". Kurseong is 47 km from Siliguri and is connected to the city by road and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. The nearest airport is at Bagdogra.The nearest major railway station is New Jalpaiguri [NJP], which is about 53 kilometers from Kurseong. The town is based mainly on schools and tourism. The best times to visit Kurseong are between March end and May and between the end of August and October.
Kurseong was ceded to the British Empire by the chogyal (monarch) of Sikkim in 1835. Later in 1880, the small hamlet became a tourist destination for the colonial authorities and was a preferred place for sanatoriums where the sick would recuperate.
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Kurseong Municipality, which is over 125 years old is the main civic administration body for the town of Kurseong. It is located at 13, Dowhill Road. The current Chairman is Mr P C Agarwal while Mr Robin Kumar Pradhan was his predecessor.
Among the towns of Darjeeling District, Kurseong was nicknamed as "the school town" due to the emergence of many new schools in the town. Like the other hill stations within the District of Darjeeling, Kurseong also has its fair share of renouned schools established during the British Rule in India viz St Helens Convent, Goethals Memorial School, Dowhill Girls School and Victoria Boys School.
The schools can be classified into 2 distinct groups. The English Medium and the Nepali Medium. The English medium schools are mostly affiliated to the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education [ICSE], Delhi while the Nepali Medium Schools are affiliated to the State Education Board ie West Bengal Board of Secondary Education [WBBSE], Calcutta. Some of the schools are also affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education [CBSE], Delhi
Popular English Medium Schools
ICSE -- St Helens Convent, Goethals Memorial School, Dowhill Girls School, Victoria Boys School, Himali Boarding School1, Glen Hill Public School1, St Anthony's School, Little Flower School, Dawn Boarding School.
CBSE -- Daisies Boarding School, Godwin Modern School
Popular Nepali Medium Schools
WBBSE -- St Alphonsus School1, St Joseph's Girls School1, Pushparani Boys High School1, Scottish Mission Girls School, Rama Krishna Girls School
1 Schools that provides secondary [year 10] as well as higher secondary education [year 12]
On May 16, 2005 Himali Boarding School has been appointed as the first Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) centre in north-east of India. The students have the option of sitting for the globally recognised, A and AS [equivalent to year 12 school board examination] level examinations of CIE or the school's own year 12 school board examination [ISC].
Kurseong has one college "Kurseong College" which is affiliated to the University of North Bengal. It provides undergraduate studies - Bachelor of Arts [General and Honours], Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Commerce [General]. There is a polytechnic college "Darjeeling Polytechnic" which offers Diploma in Civil Engineering,Computer Science & Engineering, Diploma in Electrical Engineering, Diploma in Mechanical Engineering.
Two kilometers north on the way to Darjeeling, at St Mary's Hills, "Eastern Forest Rangers College", provides training courses to the would be Forest Rangers of India. There is a "West Bengal Forest School" near Deer Park and Victoria Boys School, Dowhill which also provides training for foresters as well. About 6 kilometers north on the way to Darjeeling at Tung, there is an "Industrial Training Institute" [ITI] which offers various vocational course in plumbing, motor mechanics, book binding etc. Also in St Mary's Hills, "Holy Cross Institute" offers higher secondary course in Commerce via the vocational stream.
Bagdogra Airport, Siliguri, is 60 km away. Taxis/buses are available at the airport for transit to Kurseong.
Siliguri, 50 km and New Jalpaiguri, 57 km are the nearest main stations. It is an important station on the toy train route from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling. The Toy Train takes a little over 5 hrs from New Jalpaiguri to Kurseong.
Kurseong is also well connected by roads.
As of 2001 India censusGRIndia, Kurseong had a population of 40,067. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Kurseong has an average literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 88%, and female literacy is 80%. In Kurseong, 6% of the population is under 6 years of age.
- Kurseong Online @ KURSEONG.COM
- Information about Kurseong
- Photographs of Kurseong
- Discussion Forum for Kurseong
- Kurseong Map
- Kurseong Discussion Board
| Cities and towns in Darjeeling district |
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