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Bonamargy Friary is situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, off the Cushendall Road on the approach to Ballycastle. The name Bonamargy means ‘foot of the Margy River’, the river formed by the joining of the Cary River and Shesk Rivers.
It is a late Franciscan foundation established in 1485 by Rory MacQuillan. It is said that the first battle between the warring MacDonnell and MacQuillan clans was fought on nearby land. At the main entrance to the friary is a small, two storey gatehouse which opens into a store and workroom. Well worn steps lead directly to the dormitory above. Traces of an altar can still be found in the adjoining church, and the locked vaults hold the remains of the celebrated chieftain, Sorley Boy MacDonnell, and several of the Earls of Antrim.
His grandson Randall, 1st Marquess of Antrim, noted for his role in the War of the Three Kingdoms, is also buried there.
Perhaps the friary's most famous resident was the 17th century prophet and recluse Julie MacQuillen.
Known as "The Black Nun", MacQuillen wished to be buried at the entrance of the chapel so that she might be trodden under the feet of those who entered. A worn Celtic cross (rounded with a hole in the centre) marks her grave at the west end of the main church.
Around 1822 four manuscripts were found in an old oaken chest in the ruins of Bonamargy Friary. One of these manuscripts is described as "Saint Bonaventures Life of Christ" and/or "A History of the Blessed Scriptures". Another manuscript contained a large portion of one of the principal theological works of Saint Thomas Aquinas, written on vellum, in very contracted Latin and extending to about 600 quarto pages. The earliest date appearing on it is 1338 and the latest 1380. It originally belonged to the Monastery of Saint Anthony, of Amiens in France.
Livro manuscrito em sânscrito.
Nepal
................................
Handmade rice paper, hand written letters, handpainting too.
Book (traditional) writthe in sänscrit language (Language ancient about 3000 years) telling about Buddha's Life and His Teachings).
Bought in Nepal - it came with me :)))
Palm-leaf manuscripts are manuscripts made out of dried palm leaves. Palm leaves were used as writing materials in Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia dating back to the 5th century BCE and possibly much earlier.
The palm leaves are first cooked and dried. The writer then uses a stylus to inscribe letters. Natural colourings are applied to the surface so the ink will stick in the grooves. This process is similar to intaglio printing.
the entire orginal manuscript for Neal Stephenson's "Baroque Cycle".
Excerpt from a note at the end of the "Quicksilver":
"The manuscript of the Baroque Cycle was written by hand on 100 percent cotton paper, using three different fountain pens: a Waterman Gentleman, a Rotring, and a Jorg Hysek. It was then transcribed, edited, formatted and printed using eMacs and TeX. When it was totally finished, the TeX version of the manuscript was converted to Quark XPress format using an eMacs LISP program written by the author."
I had forgotten that the manuscript was kept here until I came across the display, and my jaw dropped. Neal Stephenson is one of my favorite authors, and this alone was worth almost the entire trip for me, because I am big goddamn nerd.
chinguetti, a medieval trading center founded in the 13th century is now home for some libraries full of ancient manuscripts. here the library of the Fondation Ahmed al Mahmoud
chinguetti, mauritania
africa2007 trip
As a kid reading the titles in the old mans book collection, I never understood why Steinbeck would write about a bit of driftwood.
As an adult I understand the title but why photograph such?
Fuji X-T1, Samyang 12/2.0, 25 secs at f/11, ISO 400
rather than chocolate, tulips or gin, i bought some old manuscripts in Amsterdam (most are in french)...the earliest date on them is 1629....Rembrandt would have been 23...
that memory stick won't last more than a few months.....
Temple University Library.
The tables and the manuscripts and books created an appealing pattern. Add a wide angle lens to give the perspective. Unfortunately walking around with a camera and taking pictures creates all sorts of questions by security guards and evil eyes of students and staff.
Ancient Pandulipis (Manuscripts) displayed in the Payana Car Museum, Srirangapatna, Karnataka.
Max Muller (1823-1900) has written in his book that " India is the only country of learned people and scholars in this entire world , where the vast wealth of knowledge is preserved in the form of handwritten texts".
Orality - Manuscripts- Print- Electronic
The Plymouth Methodist Church on Buffalo's Lower West Side, for a decade a focus of preservation concern, has been taken off the critical list by a combination of hard work and its residue, luck. But at the same time, some voices are being heard calling for the total or partial demolition of adjacent Grover Cleveland High School, the former State Normal School. Both buildings are on Porter Avenue, which, as part of Frederick Law Olmsted’s park system, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
For We're Here - Manuscripts
Working on “Wearing Skin,” one of five or six manuscripts that I occasionally bring out and poke at. This particular one would make a better stage play than a novella, but I’ll probably never get around to rewriting it as a play. Sasha basks under my grandfather’s lamp.
Put some zing into your 365! Join We're Here!
Another of this year's Fourth of July celebration using action on the medium telephoto-zoom. It looks like opening pages of an ancient yellowed but well worn manuscript. I've gotten golden veils like that before with zooms. I do like these hand-held telephoto traces. This EXIF reports 200mm but I probably used more zoom range than shows of the red and gold explosions at different times and during different parts of the visible zoom.
I was in the good spot I used last year although I took shelter under a Roger's Grove tree during the heavenly sprinkle. I ran into the same problems with procedures shooting fireworks at night as I did last year. Maybe I'll get it right before long. This year was a chore: I had to buy my fifth for the fourth on the third! What else could go wrong on my long walk to the fourth venue from the Golden Ponds parking.
The most prominent problem is tracking the action when triggering the exposure: the display and eyepiece go blank and alternate tracking strategy is needed. I am coming up with an apparatus that could overcome the problem, I had trouble with accurately tracking the action while using the monopod so I ditched the monopod this year. Why would I need steady? I have conferred with several psychiatrists about the many people with explosive personality defects even though psychiatrists have little to do with the study of science. There is a marked difference between psychiatrist's study of explosive personalities and the study of psychotics like the Koch Brothers and con-servatives. It's a cause and effect study. The Broes have taken major revenge upon my region of Kochistan with a couple days at 102 degreess and idiots from Alabama, on the run from the South, starting forest fires near Nederland. They probably didn't like their mountain retreat camp. The scoflaws were found at the refuge center. Go figure! Don't take a dump where you dance!
I am adding these "action" shots to my stash, all of the fiery kind. Although I still have a pile to clean up, I dumped even more into storage this year. This one was taken at an opportune time that revealed there were multiple eruptions during the 2 1/2 second exposure. The EXIF reports only the start of zooms. Apparently there was good motion and the usual shakes as the fireworks erupted. I remained impressed with how these can appear stable at all at these slow exposures. The colors: I thought of how to react to the mass of colors.
The Puccini museum in Lucca, Italy contains many of his manuscripts. Photos available for purchase at Wits End Photography. Follow my blog Traveling at Wits End for ways to create travel adventures everyday.
Detail from an old manuscript at the exhibition “From Albrecht Dürer and Thomas à Kempis” at Museum De Fundatie Zwolle, the Netherlands. This book, the Zwolle Bible, is 550 years old.
歌 無孤苦古 ⚡❄
2021 答 Big Dream 1993
♩ ♩ ♫ ♩
6 71 2 7♭65
4 56 1 7♭65
Big enough to share
only I can make
123 5 654
making it come true
making me feel new
5 32
Maybe
©《Big Dream》 (The Thing Called Love)
#Vegan↓ #WeWillRiseTogether↑
At long last! Yesterday I received my author's copy of Vol. 17 of the Flora of North America. The Castilleja treatment is 101 pages (p. 565-655) and covers all the species found in North America north of Mexico. I first began work on the Castilleja manuscript in 2008, so it's really great to finally see it in print! Also covered in this volume are the rest of the Orobanchaceae, the Phrymaceae (monkey-flowers), the Plantaginaceae (Penstemon, Collinsia, Veronica, etc.), and other great plants, as well as Scrophulariaceae. The entire volume is 737 pages!
Free download under CC Attribution (CC BY 4.0). Please credit the artist and rawpixel.com.
Remarkable 16th century botanical calligraphic artwork by two masters of the past: Georg Bocskay (1510–1575), court secretary to Ferdinand I, and Joris Hoefnagel (1542–1601). First created by Georg Bocskay to demonstrated the different styles of calligraphy of the era, the book was later ornamented with intricate fruits, flowers, and insects by Joris Hoefnagel and commissioned by Emperor Rudolph II, Ferdinand’s grandson. This unusual artistic collaboration between scribe and painter disrupted the history of manuscript illumination and gave us one of the most fascinating and beautifully crafted manuscripts of all time. Complement your designs, posters, and wallpapers with these enchanting CC0 illustrations from the past. We have digitally enhanced these spellbound hand-drawn calligraphy into high resolution printable quality. They are free to download under the CC0 license.
Higher resolutions with no attribution required can be downloaded: https://www.rawpixel.com/board/1286070/model-book-calligraphy
The Romans dubbed the city Palmyra, city of the Palms -
the locals retains the name of Tadmor, city of the dates -
Tadmur in the Bible
oasis (6 km2) on the northern edge of the syrian desert Badiet es Sham - 240 km N E of Damascus
according to the tradition, was founded by Salomon King of Israel - in the Bible it is called Tadmur,
mentioned in assyrian manuscripts back to the XXth century BC
prosperous caravan center (water supplies), important link on the old "silk road" in the 2nd cent. BC, became roman outpost in the desert - major "city state" within the roman empire in the Ist cent. AD
Odenathus earned gratitude of Rome by freeing the emperor Valerian from capture by the Persians, & regained in 267 roman possessions lost to Zhapur I (241-272) of Persia
Palmyra's downfall began in 266, upon the assassination of Odenathus. His 2nd wife, the famous half-Greek/half Arab Zenobia, took over in the name of her minor son.
Claiming to be descended from Cleopatra, woman of ambition & ability, fluent in Greek, Latin, Aramaic & Egyptian, she effectively turned Palmyra into an independent empire, in 270 invaded Egypt, had coins minted in Alexandria, bearing her image and that of her son.
The Emperor Aurelian defeated her forces In Antioch & Emesa (Homs) in 271, he besieged Palmyra itself. In 274,
Zenobia was carted off to Rome as Aurelian's trophy & was paraded in the streets, bound in gold chains, bearing all her jewels. She spent the rest of her days in Rome, some say she chose to starve to death rather than remain captive
The city fell to the Muslims in 634 & was finally & completely destroyed by a devastating earthequake in 1089.
Les romains lui donnèrent le nom de Palmyre "la ville des Palmes"
les habitants gardent le nom de Tadmor "la ville des palmiers(dattiers)" Tadmur dans la Bible
oasis de 6km2 localisée à 240 km au NE de Damas, à la lisière nord du désert syrien Badiet es Sham, elle fut, selon la tradition, fondée par Salomon, Roi d' Israël, dans la Bible mentionnée sous le nom de Tadmur, et
au XXème siècle avant JC dans des manuscrits assyriens,
étape idéale pour les caravanes, dès le 2ème siècle avant JC, prospère car l'on pouvait se ravitailler en eau, sur le chemin de la Route de la Soie, poste avancé dans le désert sous les romains au 1er siècle de note ère
l'empereur Hadrien la déclara "cité libre"
Odeinat, gouverneur arabe de Palmyre, parvint à contenir les armées perses, libéra l'empereur Valérien, défit en 267 Zapour 1er (241-272) de Perse ce qui permit aux romains de récupérer les territoires perdus.
Malheureusement la chute de Palmyre fut amorcée l'année suivante avec l'assassinat mystérieux d'Odeinat. Sa 2ème épouse Zénobie, mi arabe-mi grecque, se réclamant être de la descendance de Cléopatre, voulut se libérer de l'hégémonie romaine, et prit le pouvoir au nom de son fils mineur. Très éduquée, elle parlait couramment l'araméen, le grec, le latin et l'égyptien. Ayant un sens politique aigu, ambitieuse, elle envahit en 270 l'Egypte, fit même frapper, à Alexandrie, des monnaies portant son effigie et celle de son fils.
Ses troupes furent vaincues à Antioche et à Emesa (Homs) en 271 par l'empereur Valérien, qui mit le siège à Palmyre. Zénobie fut emmenée à Rome en 274, parait-il attachée avec des chaînes en or, portant ses parures et bijoux. Elle se serait laissée mourir de faim plutôt que de terminer sa vie en captivité.
La cité fut prise par les musulmans en 634, en 1089, elle fut finalement complètement détruite par un tremblement de terre dévastateur.
IMG_1887 Wall in the Old Blind School, Liverpool. To me it looks like musical notation - minims and semi quavers. It's the glue from underneath the old wall surface which has been removed. The texture is remarkable - when i ran my fingers over the marks they "spoke" quite loudly.
Free download under CC Attribution (CC BY 4.0). Please credit the artist and rawpixel.com.
Remarkable 16th century botanical calligraphic artwork by two masters of the past: Georg Bocskay (1510–1575), court secretary to Ferdinand I, and Joris Hoefnagel (1542–1601). First created by Georg Bocskay to demonstrated the different styles of calligraphy of the era, the book was later ornamented with intricate fruits, flowers, and insects by Joris Hoefnagel and commissioned by Emperor Rudolph II, Ferdinand’s grandson. This unusual artistic collaboration between scribe and painter disrupted the history of manuscript illumination and gave us one of the most fascinating and beautifully crafted manuscripts of all time. Complement your designs, posters, and wallpapers with these enchanting CC0 illustrations from the past. We have digitally enhanced these spellbound hand-drawn calligraphy into high resolution printable quality. They are free to download under the CC0 license.
Higher resolutions with no attribution required can be downloaded: https://www.rawpixel.com/board/1286070/model-book-calligraphy
Sahyadri is one of the toughest mountains in the world. You can enjoy it's beauty in various places. Shivthar Ghal is one of such places. It is comparatively a small and rare place but must be seen and especially in the rainy season.
It is a place where Samarth Ramdas had written 'Dasbodh'- his famous manuscript. You must be amazing about this place and why Ramdas Swami had chosen this place, for his holy book but you never know it until you enter a small hall where Ramdas Swami used to sit, pray and write.
Shivthar Ghal is an area of silent beauty consists of lush green views of trees, mountains, a big waterfall and a river. Its a place where you can enjoy the clam and quite nature and really concentrate. It took almost 12 years to complete Dasbodh as Ramdas Swami dictated it and Kalyan Swami wrote it down. Now a days, the place is maintained by Shri Samarth Seva Mandal' and 'Sundarmath Seva samiti'.
Shivthar Ghal is a place worth to visit and enjoy the quite beauty of the nature and remember the famous saint in Maharashtra - Saint Ramdas and his Dasbodh.
++++++++ FROM WIKIPEDIA ++++++++++
Kalimpong is a hill station in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located at an average elevation of 1,250 metres (4,101 ft).[2] The town is the headquarters of the Kalimpong district.[3] The Indian Army's 27 Mountain Division is located on the outskirts of the town.[4]
Kalimpong is known for its educational institutions, many of which were established during the British colonial period.[5] It used to be a gateway in the trade between Tibet and India before China's annexation of Tibet and the Sino-Indian War. Kalimpong and neighbouring Darjeeling were major centres calling for a separate Gorkhaland state in the 1980s, and more recently in 2010.
The municipality sits on a ridge overlooking the Teesta River and is a tourist destination owing to its temperate climate, magnificent Himalayan beauty and proximity to popular tourist locations in the region. Horticulture is important to Kalimpong: It has a flower market notable for its wide array of orchids; nurseries, which export Himalayan grown flower bulbs, tubers and rhizomes, contribute to the economy of Kalimpong.[2] Home to Nepalisindigenous Lepchas, other ethnic groups and non-native immigrants from other parts of India, the town is a religious centre of Buddhism. The Tibetan Buddhist monastery Zang Dhok Palri Phodang holds a number of rare Tibetan Buddhist scriptures.[6]
The Kalimpong Science Centre, established under the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) in 2008 is a recent addition to its many tourist attractions. The Science Centre, which provides for scientific awareness among the students of the town and the locals sits atop the Deolo Hill.
Contents
1 Name origin
2 History
3 Geography
4 Economy
5 Transport
6 Demographics
7 Civic administration
8 People, culture, and cuisine
9 Media
10 Education
11 Flora and fauna
12 Notes
13 References
14 External links
Name origin
The precise etymology of the name Kalimpong remains unclear. There are many theories on the origin of the name. One widely accepted theory claims that the name "Kalimpong" means "Assembly (or Stockade) of the King's Ministers" in Tibetan, derived from kalon ("King's ministers") and pong ("stockade"). It may be derived from the translation "ridge where we play" from Lepcha, as it was known to be the place for traditional tribal gatherings for summer sporting events. People from the hills call the area Kalempung ("the black spurs").[7]
According to K.P. Tamsang, author of The Untold and Unknown Reality about the Lepchas, the term Kalimpong is deduced from the name Kalenpung, which in Lepcha means "Hillock of Assemblage";[8] in time, the name was distorted to Kalebung, and later further contorted to Kalimpong. Another possible derivation points to Kaulim, a fibrous plant found in abundance in the region.[9]
History
Katherine Graham Memorial Chapel, Dr. Graham's Homes
The Clock Tower of Kalimpong.
Until the mid-19th century, the area around Kalimpong was ruled in succession by the Sikkimese and Bhutanese kingdoms.[8][10] Under Sikkimese rule, the area was known as Dalingkot.[11] In 1706, the king of Bhutan won this territory from the Sikkimese monarch and renamed it Kalimpong.[11] Overlooking the Teesta Valley, Kalimpong is believed to have once been the forward position of the Bhutanese in the 18th century. The area was sparsely populated by the indigenous Lepcha community and migrant Bhutia and Limbu tribes.
After the Anglo-Bhutan War in 1864, the Treaty of Sinchula (1865) was signed, in which Bhutanese held territory east of the Teesta River was ceded to the British East India Company.[8] At that time, Kalimpong was a hamlet, with only two or three families known to reside there.[12] The first recorded mention of the town was a fleeting reference made that year by Ashley Eden, a government official with the Bengal Civil Service. Kalimpong was added to district of Darjeeling in 1866. In 1866–1867 an Anglo-Bhutanese commission demarcated the common boundaries between the two, thereby giving shape to the Kalimpong subdivision and the Darjeeling district.[13]
After the war, the region became a subdivision of the Western Duars district, and the following year it was merged with the district of Darjeeling.[8] The temperate climate prompted the British to develop the town as an alternative hill station to Darjeeling, to escape the scorching summer heat in the plains. Kalimpong's proximity to the Nathu La and Jelep La passes (La means "pass"), offshoots of the ancient Silk Road, was an added advantage. It soon became an important trading outpost in the trade of furs, wools and food grains between India and Tibet.[14] The increase in commerce attracted large numbers of Nepali's from the neighbouring Nepal and the lower regions of Sikkim, the areas where, Nepali's were residing since the Gorkha invasion of Sikkim in 1790. The movement of people into the area, transformed Kalimpong from a small hamlet with a few houses, to a thriving town with increased economic prosperity. Britain assigned a plot within Kalimpong to the influential Bhutanese Dorji family, through which trade and relations with Bhutan flowed. This later became Bhutan House, a Bhutanese administrative and cultural centre.[15][16][17]
The arrival of Scottish missionaries saw the construction of schools and welfare centres for the British.[12] Rev. W. Macfarlane in the early 1870s established the first schools in the area.[12] The Scottish University Mission Institution was opened in 1886, followed by the Kalimpong Girls High School. In 1900, Reverend J.A. Graham founded the Dr. Graham's Homes for destitute Anglo-Indian students.[12] The young missionary (and aspiring writer and poet) Aeneas Francon Williams, aged 24, arrived in Kalimpong in 1910 to take up the post of assistant schoolmaster at Dr. Graham's Homes,[18] where he later became Bursar and remained working at the school for the next fourteen years.[19] From 1907 onwards, most schools in Kalimpong had started offering education to Indian students. By 1911, the population comprised many ethnic groups, including Nepalis, Lepchas, Tibetans, Muslims, the Anglo-Indian communities. Hence by 1911, the population had swollen to 7,880.[12]
Following Indian independence in 1947, Kalimpong became part of the state of West Bengal, after Bengal was partitioned between India and East Pakistan. With China's annexation of Tibet in 1959, many Buddhist monks fled Tibet and established monasteries in Kalimpong. These monks brought many rare Buddhist scriptures with them. In 1962, the permanent closure of the Jelep Pass after the Sino-Indian War disrupted trade between Tibet and India, and led to a slowdown in Kalimpong's economy. In 1976, the visiting Dalai Lama consecrated the Zang Dhok Palri Phodang monastery, which houses many of the scriptures.[12]
Most large houses in Kalimpong were built during the British era. In the background is Mount Kangchenjunga.
Morgan House is a classic example of colonial architecture in Kalimpong.
Between 1986 and 1988, the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland and Kamtapur based on ethnic lines grew strong. Riots between the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) and the West Bengal government reached a stand-off after a forty-day strike. The town was virtually under siege, and the state government called in the Indian army to maintain law and order. This led to the formation of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, a body that was given semi-autonomous powers to govern the Darjeeling district, except the area under the Siliguri subdivision. Since 2007, the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state has been revived by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and its supporters in the Darjeeling hills.[20] The Kamtapur People's Party and its supporters' movement for a separate Kamtapur state covering North Bengal have gained momentum.[21]
Geography
A view from the Deolo Resort, atop Deolo Hill, Kalimpong's highest point
The town centre is on a ridge connecting two hills, Deolo Hill and Durpin Hill,[12] at an elevation of 1,247 m (4,091 ft). Deolo, the highest point in Kalimpong, has an altitude of 1,704 m (5,591 ft) and Durpin Hill is at an elevation of 1,372 m (4,501 ft). The River Teesta flows in the valley below and separates Kalimpong from the state of Sikkim. The soil in the Kalimpong area is typically reddish in color. Occasional dark soils are found due to extensive existence of phyllite and schists.[22] The Shiwalik Hills, like most of the Himalayan foothills, have steep slopes and soft, loose topsoil, leading to frequent landslides in the monsoon season.[22] The hills are nestled within higher peaks and the snow-clad Himalayan ranges tower over the town in the distance. Mount Kanchenjunga at 8,586 m (28,169 ft) the world's third tallest peak,[23] is clearly visible from Kalimpong.[2]
View of the Himalaya range
Kalimpong has five distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn, winter and the monsoons. The annual temperature ranges from a high of 30 °C (86 °F) to a low of 9 °C (48 °F). Summers are mild, with an average maximum temperature of 30 °C (86 °F) in August.[24] Summers are followed by the monsoon rains which lash the town between June and September. The monsoons are severe, often causing landslides which sequester the town from the rest of India. Winter lasts from December to February, with the maximum temperature being around 15 °C (59 °F). During the monsoon and winter seasons, Kalimpong is often enveloped by fog.[25]
Economy
Oranges grown in the hillsides are exported to many parts of India.
Tourism is the most significant contributor to Kalimpong's economy.[26] The summer and spring seasons are the most popular with tourists, keeping many of town's residents employed directly and indirectly. The town—earlier an important trade post between India and Tibet—hopes to boost its economy after the reopening of the Nathu La (pass) in April 2006.[27] Though this has resumed Indo–China border trades,[28] it is expected that Kalimpong will have a better chance of revival as a hub for Indo–China trades if the demand of local leaders for reopening of Jelep La pass also is met.[28]
Kalimpong is a major ginger growing area of India. Kalimpong and the state of Sikkim together contribute 15 percent of ginger produced in India.[29] The Darjeeling Himalayan hill region is internationally famous for its tea industry.[30] However, most of the tea gardens are on the western side of Teesta river (towards the town of Darjeeling) and so tea gardens near Kalimpong contribute only 4 percent of total tea production of the region. In Kalimpong division, 90 percent of land is cultivable but only 10 percent is used for tea production.[31] Kalimpong is well known for its flower export industry—especially for its wide array of indigenous orchids and gladioli.[32]
A significant contributor to the town's economy is education sector.[26] The schools of Kalimpong, besides imparting education to the locals, attract a significant number of students from the plains, the neighbouring state of Sikkim and countries such as Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Thailand.[26]
Many establishments cater to the Indian army bases near the town, providing it with essential supplies. Small contributions to the economy come by the way of the sale of traditional arts and crafts of Sikkim and Tibet. Government efforts related to sericulture, seismology, and fisheries provide a steady source of employment to many of its residents.
Kalimpong is well renowned for its cheese, noodles and lollipops. Kalimpong exports a wide range of traditional handicrafts, wood-carvings, embroidered items, bags and purses with tapestry work, copper ware, scrolls, Tibetan jewellery and artifacts.[32][33]
Transport
NH31A winds along the banks of the river Teesta near Kalimpong.
Kalimpong is located off the National Highway 31A (NH31A), which links Sevok to Gangtok. The NH31A is an offshoot of the NH 31, which connects Sevok to Siliguri.[34] These two National Highways together, via Sevok, links Kalimpong to the plains.[35] Regular bus services and hired vehicles connect Kalimpong with Siliguri and the neighbouring towns of Kurseong, Darjeeling and Gangtok. Four wheel drives are popular means of transport, as they can easily navigate the steep slopes in the region. However, road communication often get disrupted in the monsoons due to landslides. In the town, people usually travel by foot. Residents also use bicycle, two-wheelers and hired taxis for short distances.
The nearest airport is in Bagdogra near Siliguri, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Kalimpong. Air India, Jet Airways and Druk Air (Bhutan) are the four major carriers that connect the airport to Delhi, Kolkata, Paro (Bhutan), Guwahati and Bangkok (Thailand). The closest major railway station is New Jalpaiguri, on the outskirts of Siliguri,[2] which is connected with almost all major cities of the country.
Demographics
Population growth
At the 2011 India census,[37] Kalimpong town area had a population of 42,988, of which 52% were male and 48% female.[37]
At the 2001 census,[38] Kalimpong had an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy was 84%, and female literacy was 73%. In Kalimpong, 8% of the population was under 6 years of age. The Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes population for Kalimpong was 5,100 and 5,121 respectively.[39]
Civic administration
Kalimpong is the headquarters of the Kalimpong district. The semi-autonomous Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), set up by the West Bengal government in 1988, administers this district as well as the Darjeeling Sadar and Kurseong subdivisions.[40] Kalimpong elects eight councillors to the DGHC, who manages the departments of Public Health, Education, Public Works, Transport, Tourism, Market, Small scale industries, Agriculture, Agricultural waterways, Forest (except reserved forests), Water, Livestock, Vocational Training and Sports and Youth services.[41] The district administration of Darjeeling, which is the authoritative body for the departments of election, panchayat, law and order, revenue, etc., also acts as an interface of communication between the Council and the State Government.[41] The rural area in the district covers three community development blocks Kalimpong I, Kalimpong II and Gorubathan consisting of forty-two gram panchayats.[42] A Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) presides over the Kalimpong subdivision. Kalimpong has a police station that serves the municipality and 18 gram panchayats of Kalimpong–I CD block.[43]
The Kalimpong municipality, which was established in 1945,[39] is in charge of the infrastructure of the town such as potable water and roads. The municipal area is divided into twenty-three wards.[44] Kalimpong municipality is constructing additional water storage tanks to meet the requirement of potable water, and it needs an increase of water supply from the 'Neora Khola Water Supply Scheme' for this purpose.[45] Often, landslides occurring in monsoon season cause havoc to the roads in and around Kalimpong.[46] The West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Corporation Limited (WBSEDCL) provides electricity here.[47] Renewable Energy Development Agency of the state has plans to promote usage of solar street lights in Kalimpong and proposed an energy park here to sell renewable energy gadgets.[48] The Public Works Department is responsible for the road connecting the town to the National Highway–NH-31A.[49] The Kalimpong municipality has a total of 10 health care units, with a total of 433 bed capacity.[50]
The Kalimpong assembly constituency, which is an assembly segment of the Darjeeling parliamentary constituency, elects one member of the Vidhan Sabha of West Bengal.[51]
People, culture, and cuisine
The Zang Dhok Palri Phodang monastery atop Durpin Hill
The original settlers of Kalimpong are the Lepchas, although the majority of the populace are ethnic Nepali, having migrated from Nepal to Kalimpong in search of jobs while it was under British rule.[52]
Indigenous ethnic groups include the Newars, Bhutia, Sherpas, Limbus, Rais, Magars,[53] Chettris, Bahuns, Thakuris, Gurungs, Tamangs, Yolmos, Bhujels, Sunuwars, Sarkis, Damais and the Kamis.[54] The other non-native communities as old as the Nepalese are the Bengalis, Muslims, Anglo-Indians, Chinese, Biharis and Tibetans who escaped to Kalimpong after fleeing the Communist Chinese invasion of Tibet. Kalimpong is home to Trinley Thaye Dorje—one of the 17th Karmapa incarnations.[55] Kalimpong is the closest Indian town to Bhutan's western border, and has a small number of Bhutanese nationals residing here. Hinduism is the largest religion followed by Nijananda Sampradaya, Buddhism and Christianity.[53] Islam has a minuscule presence in this region, The Oldest settlers include people residing since the mid of 19th Century and also mostly Tibetan Muslims who fled in 1959 after Chinese invasion of Tibet.[56] The Buddhist monastery Zang Dhok Palri Phodang holds a number of rare Tibetan Buddhist scriptures.[6] There is a Mosque, Kalimpong Anjuman Islamia Established in 1887 in the bazaar area of Kalimpong.[57]
Popular Hindu festivals include Dashain, Tihar, Cultural Programme and the Tibetan festival of Losar. Languages spoken in Kalimpong include Nepali, which is the predominant language; Lepcha, Limbu, Tamang, Kirat, Hindi, English and Bengali.[2] Though there is a growing interest in cricket as a winter sport in Darjeeling Hills, football still remains the most popular sport in Kalimpong.[58] Every year since 1947, the Independence Shield Football Tournament is organized here as part of the two-day-long Independence Day celebrations.[59] Former captain of India national football team, Pem Dorjee hails from Kalimpong.[60]
A popular snack in Kalimpong is the momo, steamed dumplings made of pork, beef or vegetable cooked in a wrapping of flour and served with watery soup. Wai-Wai is a packaged Nepalese snack made of noodles which are eaten either dry or in soup form. Churpee, a kind of hard cheese made from yak's or chauri's (a hybrid of yak and cattle) milk, is sometimes chewed.[61] A form of noodle called Thukpa, served in soup form is popular in Kalimpong.[62] There are a large number of restaurants which offer a wide variety of cuisines, ranging from Indian to continental, to cater to the tourists. Tea is the most popular beverage in Kalimpong, procured from the famed Darjeeling tea gardens. Kalimpong has a golf course besides Kalimpong Circuit House.[2][63]
The cultural centres in Kalimpong include, the Lepcha Museum and the Zang Dhok Palri Phodang monastery. The Lepcha Museum, a kilometre away from the town centre, showcases the culture of the Lepcha community, the indigenous peoples of Sikkim. The Zang Dhok Palri Phodong monastery has 108 volumes of the Kangyur, and belongs to the Gelug of Buddhism.
Media
Kalimpong has access to most of the television channels aired in the rest of India. Cable Television still provides service to many homes in the town and it's outskirts, while DTH connections are now practically mandatory throughout the country. Besides mainstream Indian channels, many Nepali-language channels such as Dainandini DD, Kalimpong Television KTv, Haal Khabar (an association of the Hill Channel Network), Jan Sarokar, Himalayan People's Channel (HPC), and Kalimpong Times are broadcast in Kalimpong. These channels, which mainly broadcast locally relevant news, are produced by regional media houses and news networks, and are broadcast through the local cable network, which is now slowly becoming defunct due to the Indian government's ruling on mandatory digitization of TV channels. The movie production houses like JBU films produces the movies on the nepali and other languages.[64]
Newspapers in Kalimpong include English language dailies The Statesman and The Telegraph, which are printed in Siliguri,[65][66] and The Economic Times and the Hindustan Times, which are printed in Kolkata.
Among other languages, Nepali, Hindi and Bengali are prominent vernacular languages used in this region.[25] Newspapers in all these four languages are available in the Darjeeling Hills region. Of the largely circulated Nepali newspapers Himalay Darpan, Swarnabhumi and some Sikkim-based Nepali newspapers like Hamro Prajashakti and Samay Dainik are read most.[67] The Tibet Mirror was the first Tibetan-language newspaper published in Kalimpong in 1925.[68] while Himalayan Times was the first English to have come out from Kalimpong in the year 1947, it was closed down in the year 1962 after the Chinese aggression but was started once again and is now in regular print. Internet service and Internet cafés are well established; these are mostly served through broadband, data card of different mobile services, WLL, dialup lines,[69][70] Kalimpong News, Kalimpong Online News, Kalimpong Times and KTV are the main online news sites that collect and present local and North Bengal & Sikkim news from its own agencies like KalimNews and other newspapers. Besides this there are others like kalimpong.info, kalimpongexpress.blogspot.com and several others. All India Radio and several other National and Private Channels including FM Radio are received in Kalimpong.
The area is serviced by major telecommunication companies of India with most types of cellular services in most areas.[71]
Education
There are fifteen major schools in Kalimpong, the most notable ones being Scottish Universities Mission Institution, Dr. Graham's Homes, St Joseph's Convent, St. Augustine's School, Rockvale Academy, Saptashri Gyanpeeth, Springdale Academy, St. Philomenas School, Kalimpong Girls' High School, Kumdini Homes, Chandramaya High School, Lolay Sampu High School and Gandhi Ashram School. The Scottish Universities Mission Institution was the first school that was opened in 1886. The schools offer education up to high secondary standard, following which students may choose to join a Junior College or carry on with additional two years of schooling.
Kalimpong College, Cluny Women's College and Rockvale Management College are the main colleges in the town. Former two are affiliated to the North Bengal University and the latter affiliated to West Bengal University of Technology and apart from these, Good Shepherd IHM (Hotel management Institution) offers courses on hospitality sectors. Most students however, choose to further their studies in Siliguri, Kolkata, and other colleges in the Indian metropolis. The Tharpa Choling Monastery, at Tirpai Hill near Kalimpong, is managed by Yellow Hat sect and has a library of Tibetan manuscripts and thankas.
Flora and fauna
Heliconia
The area around Kalimpong lies in the Eastern Himalayas, which is classified as an ecological hotspot, one of only three among the ecoregions of India. Neora Valley National Park lies within the Kalimpong subdivision and is home to tigers.[72] Acacia is the most commonly found species at lower altitudes, while cinnamon, ficus, bamboo and cardamom, are found in the hillsides around Kalimpong. The forests found at higher altitudes are made up of pine trees and other evergreen alpine vegetation. Seven species of rhododendrons are found in the region east of Kalimpong. The temperate deciduous forests include oak, birch, maple and alder.[73] Three hundred species of orchid are found around Kalimpong.[74]
The Red panda, Clouded leopard, Siberian weasel, Asiatic black bear,[75] barking deer,[76] Himalayan tahr, goral, gaur[76] and pangolin are some of the fauna found near Kalimpong. Avifauna of the region include the pheasants, cuckoos, minivets, flycatchers, bulbuls, orioles, owls, partridges, sunbirds, warblers, swallows, swifts and woodpeckers.[77]
Kalimpong is a major production centre of gladioli in India,[78] and orchids, which are exported to many parts of the world. The Rishi Bankim Chandra Park is an ecological museums within Kalimpong.[79] Citrus Dieback Research Station at Kalimpong works towards control of diseases, plant protection and production of disease free orange seedlings.[80]
Kalimpong is also famous for their rich practice of cactus cultivation. Its nurseries attract people from far and wide for the absolutely stunning collection of cacti they cultivate. The strains of cacti, though not indigenous to the locale, have been carefully cultivated over the years, and now the town boasts one of the most fascinating and exhaustive collections of the Cactaceae family. The plants have adapted well to the altitude and environment, and now prove to be one of the chief draws of tourism to the township.[81][82]
Continuing to delve into memories of the season.
The leaves around the edges are a direct scan from a flatbed scanner.
Manuscript title: Evronot ("Rules for Calculation of the Calendar")
Manuscript summary: This manuscript contains an Evronot ("Rules for Calculation of the Calendar"). Many so-called Sifre evoronot ("Books of calculation") emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries. They can be taken as a reaction to the Gregorian calendar, introduced in 1582. Such manuscripts often depict the biblical Issachar, one of Jacob’s sons, on or near a ladder; as an attribute, he holds an hourglass in his hand. This manuscript has two such miniatures; above the first of which there is also an illustration of a waning and a waxing moon with a human face and stars. The title page depicts an ornamental architectural arch. At the end of the book, there is the familiar motif of Moses seated at a table holding the Tablets of the Law.
Origin: Germany
Period: 17th century
Image source: Zürich, Braginsky Collection, B247: Evronot ("Rules for Calculation of the Calendar") (www.e-codices.unifr.ch/en/list/one/bc/b-0247)