Kalimpong

Kalimpong began as a trading post on the Tibet to India route. Then, from the early 18th to the mid-19th century, the town was successively ruled by the Sikkimese and Bhutanese kingdoms. After the Anglo-Bhutan War in 1864, the Treaty of Sinchula (1865) was signed, in which Bhutanese-held territory east of the Teesta River, which included Kalimpong, was ceded to the British East India Company. After falling under British control, the town was developed as a local administrative centre, and a number of missionary schools opened in the area. The town is populated mostly by Nepalese-speaking people, with a large minority of Tibetans. There are several Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, private schools, and colleges scattered throughout the town and surrounding hills. At around 1,250 metres, the town enjoys a moderate climate, which attracts people from towns at higher altitudes in the winter and from the Northern Plains in the summer.