Mirik

For the village in Azerbaijan, see Mirik, Azerbaijan.

Mirik
—  town  —
Mirik town with a view of Sumendu Lake
Mirik Location of Mirik in West Bengal and India
Coordinates	26°32′N 88°07′E / 26.53°N 88.11°E / 26.53; 88.11Coordinates: 26°32′N 88°07′E / 26.53°N 88.11°E / 26.53; 88.11
Country	India
State	West Bengal
District(s)	Darjeeling
Parliamentary constituency	Darjeeling
Assembly constituency	Kurseong
Population	9,179 (2001[update])
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	• 1,495 metres (4,905 ft)

Mirik (Nepali: मिरिक) is a picturesque tourist spot nestled in the serene hills of Darjeeling district in West Bengal, India.^[1] The name Mirik comes from the Lepcha words Mir-Yok meaning "place burnt by fire".

Mirik has become a tourist destination for its climate, natural beauty and accessibility. The centre of all attraction is the Sumendu lake made by surrounded by a garden on one side and pine trees on the other, linked together by an arching footbridge called Indreni Pull (Rainbow Bridge). A 3.5-km-long road encircles the lake and is used for walks with the view of Kangchenjunga on the far horizon. Boating on the quaint shikaras and pony riding are available.

Geography

Mirik is located at 26°54′N 88°10′E / 26.9°N 88.17°E / 26.9; 88.17.^[2] It has an average elevation of 1495 metres (4904 feet). The highest point is 5800 feet and the lowest point (Mirik Lake) is 4900 feet.The Boker Monastery is the highest point which is 5800 feet from the sea level.

Climate

The climate is pleasant all the year round with temperatures of a maximum of 30°C in summer and a minimum of 2°C in winter.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census,^[3] Mirik (urban unit) had a total population of 9141. Males numbered 4619 and females 4522. Mirik had an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. The density of population was 1406 per square km. The decadal growth rate of population (1991–2001) was 30.18.

Mirik (rural unit) had a total population of 42237. Males numbered 21112 and females 21125. The density of population was 354 per square km. The decadal growth rate of population (1991–2001) was -1.33.

Administration and Health Care

Mirik is a community development block in the Kurseong subdivision of Darjeeling district. The urban hub at Mirik is looked after by a Municipality having 9 wards while the outlying villages fall under 6 Gram Panchayats^[4]: Chenga Panighata, Pahilagaon School Dara–I, Pahilagaon School Dara–II, Soureni–I, Soureni–II and Duptin. There is long-standing demand for making Mirik a separate subdivision in Darjeeling district. A Taluka Court, which has a Civil Judge and a Judicial Magistrate, operates in Mirik.

There is a Government Hospital at Mirik which has 6 general physicians and one dentist. There is no specialist doctor but for eyes there is an optometrician. There are two medical shops at Krishnanagar and one pathological lab cum optical shop. There are few more medicine shops at Mirik Bazar.

Legislative segment

As per order of the Delimitation Commission in respect of the delimitation of constituencies in West Bengal, the whole area under Kurseong subdivision, viz. Kurseong municipality, Mirik municipality, Kurseong block and Mirik block will be part of the Kurseong Assembly Constituency of West Bengal. Kurseong Assembly Constituency is an assembly segment of the Darjeeling Lok Sabha Constituency.

Transportation

Mirik is 41  km from Darjeeling more of Siliguri and around 50 km from Darjeeling. The nearest airport is at Bagdogra (52 km) and the nearest railway station at New Jalpaiguri (50 km).

Sumendu Lake at Mirik.

There are few buses that ply from Mirik to Siliguri and from Mirik to Darjeeling. Shared taxis operate from Mirik to Siliguri and the current fare per head is Rs. 60. One can hire a taxi at a cost of Rs 800 to 1200. Shared taxis also operate from Darjeeling Motor Stand to Krishnanagar,Mirik (just beside the Mirik Lake) and the fare is 60/head. It is operated by Mirik Tour & Travels (Darjeeling Office at Darjeeling Motor Stand,Contact No: [phone],[phone]) For internal transportation, there are shared taxis available. It costs Rs 5 per head to travel from Mirik Lake to Mirik Bazar.

Accommodation and Fooding

Mirik consists of few localities namely Mirik Bazar, Thana Line, Krishnagar, Dewsidara, Thurbo, Mirik Busty,Byapary Gola etc but most of the hotels and restaurants are at Krishnanagar area.

There are a number of hotels and lodges in Mirik. Hotel Jagjeet is the best. The motel of Mirik, run by the DGHC, is situated at a hilltop near the helipad at Allay. There are other good hotels in Krishnanagar such as Sadbhavna, Ratnagiri, Mhelung, The Park Hotel, Viraz, Parijat and Blue Lagoon. There are some hotels in Mirik Bazar such as Boudi Hotel and Hotel Payal. There are many lodges and private guest houses such as Nigha, Ashirvad and Buddha. There is a beautiful Forest Rest House in Mirik that can be booked from the District Forest Office, Kurseong. A tourist lodge, run by the D.G.H.C., is located very near the lake. There is also a P.W.D. Inspection Bungalow near the lake that can be booked from Siliguri P.W.D. office. Rangbhang Homestay is the first homestay in the Mirik Valley and offers one of a kind experience.

There are numerous eateries catering to different tastes. Kolkata Hotel serves pure Bengali food. T Plus is an ideal fast food center. Geetanjali Nepali Hotel and Hills Restaurant are other restaurants. There are some foreign liquor off-shops and bars. Hotel Lohit Sagar and Tejashwee Fast Food serves pure vegetarian food, including South Indian dishes. There is a departmental store for foodstuffs and soft drinks attached to Mirik petrol pump. Near Mirik Lake there are many food stalls that serve hot fast food but they are available till sunset.

Getting around

Mirik Motel.

• Sumendu Lake^[5] - It is the heart of Mirik. There is an 80-ft (24-m) long footbridge over the lake. One can boat in the lake or take a horse ride around the lake.
• Rameetay Dara - A viewpoint near the town from where one can see the surrounding mountains and the vast plains below.
• Bokar Monastery^[6] - It is located on the way to Rameetay Dara and is famous as a Buddhist meditation center.
• Rai Dhap - Source of drinking water for Mirik and a picnic spot.
• Debisthan - A temple of a Hindu goddess located on a hillock near the Sumendu lake.
• Tingling View Point - A panaromic view of the tea gardens can been seen from here.
• Tea Gardens - A number of tea gardens producing the famous Darjeeling tea are located in and around Mirik.

Tourist vehicles at Mirik.

• Orange Orchards - Mirik is famous for its high-quality oranges.^[7] These are grown in Mirik Busty, Murmah and Soureni Busty.
• Orchids - Mirik has one of the best climate for a typical orchid called Cymbidium orchids, which fetches one of the highest prices in the world flower markets. One such Cymbidium orchid garden is "Darjeeling Gardens Pvt. Ltd." located in Rato Mate in Mirik.^[8]
• Bunkulung (Jayanti Nagar) - Ecotourism is being promoted here and home-stay facilities are available here. Rangbhang Homestay, Mirik Busty also promotes eco-tourism.
• Pasupati Nagar - This border market with Nepal^[9] is a commercial center for trade in clothes, electronic and household goods.
• Mirik Church - It is located near Don Bosco School.
• Swiss Cottage (also known as Motel) - an exotic lodging at the highest altitude of Mirik, far from the crowds of the town.
• Sunrise Point - Scenic views of the sun rising in the east and its reflection on Kanchanjunga in the north. The plains of North Bengal can also be seen from here.

Banks and ATMs

There are three banks in Mirik, namely, State Bank of India (SBI), United Bank of India and Central Bank of India. There are three ATMs, one of SBI, one of HDFC Bank and the other of Axis Bank, all located at Krishnanagar.

High schools and colleges

Buddhist Monastery in Mirik.

• Orange Lake School (English medium) ICSE and ISC
• Lewis English School (English medium) ICSE
• Don Bosco School (English medium) Madhyamik (WBBSE)
• Mirik Higher Secondary School (English medium) Madhyamik (WBBSE) and Higher Secondary (WBCHSE); Vocational Education Travel and Tourism course (affiliated to W.B.S.C.V.E.T.)
• Soureni Rabindranath High School (Nepali medium) Madhyamik (WBBSE) and HS (WBCHSE)
• Phuguri High School (Nepali medium) Madhyamik (WBBSE) and HS (WBCHSE)
• Woodland Academy (English medium) ICSE
• Glenmore International School^[10] (English medium) ICSE
• Pine Hall Academy, Soureni (English medium) ICSE
• Temple of Wisdom, Soureni (English medium) ICSE
• Green Lawn School, Soureni (English medium) ICSE
• Thurbo High School, 9th Mile (Nepali medium) Madhayamik (WBBSE) and HS (WBCHSE)
• Cambridge English School (English medium) ICSE
• Rasdal Gaon Junior High School (English medium) Madhayamik (WBBSE)
• Murmah Prem Sundar High School (Nepali medium) Madhayamik (WBBSE)
• Sophies Academy (Nepali and English medium), Secondary and Senior Secondary (NIOS)
• Snowdrops School (English medium)
• Mirik College (affiliated to North Bengal University)

External links

• Information of Mirik from Jagjeet Hotel
• Hotel Ratnagiri
• Don Bosco School
• Glenmore School
• Eco-Tourism at Rangbhang Homestay

References

1. ^ SikkimInfo, About Mirik.
2. ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Mirik
3. ^ West Bengal Census, Census of India 2001.
4. ^ Mirik Factfile, Jagjeet Hotel.
5. ^ Darjeeling Forum, Sumendu Lake History.
6. ^ Ven. Bokar Rinpoche, Bokar Monastery.
7. ^ Darjeeling News, Mirik oranges.
8. ^ Rato Mate, Darjeeling Gardens Pvt. Ltd.
9. ^ Shopping at Pasupati, Pasupati Travel.
10. ^ Glenmore Int. School, Glenmore International School.