Siliguri is a town nestled in between the Himalayan foothills and the Dooars region of West Bengal. It is the main town which serves as a hub before travelling to other nearby towns such as Darjeeling, Gangtok, Kurseong, and Kalimpong. It is a cosmopolitan city where people leaving this place peacefully upholding the tradition of the city. People travel to other tourist destinations from Siliguri but if you stay in Siliguri then there are many other sightseeing places to see and activities to do.
How to reach Siliguri?
By air: The airport which is nearest to the city is the Bagdogra Airport. It has links with all the major cities- Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, and Guwahati. It is just 14 kilometres from the main city of Siliguri. By Train: This city has two main stations. One is NJP (New Jalpaiguri Station) and the other is Siliguri Junction. All the big cities are connected to this station whereas in Siliguri Junction only one daily train is available to Kolkata and New Delhi. The trains which are available are local trains which are not for tourists. By Bus: There are no buses available from the major cities other than Kolkata.
Durga Puja in Siliguri
Durga Puja is the famous and most widely celebrated festival in Siliguri. It is a five-day celebration. The city is decorated with beautiful types of lights. Pandals are erected with various themes and huge idols of Goddess Durga are placed in the pandals. The city is getting filled with pandal-hoppers who get decked up in beautiful dresses and witness puja with pomp. The food shops, restaurants stay open the whole night. It is also a season of shopping in Siliguri. If you want to experience the wonderful Bengali tradition in Siliguri then you must pack your bags and fix your dates to reach during puja to spend a lovely holiday.
Where to stay?
There are many hotels in Siliguri for you to avail you with the best services but among them, the group of Chas Hotels is the most reliable one. Hotel Rajdarbar is the best hotel in the Siliguri city. It will not be much of difficulty to reach as it is not too far from the airport or railway station. As the name suggests the hotel surely offers you the best amenities and facilities that you cannot think of any other hotel in Siliguri.
Enjoy Puja Holiday in Siliguri
If you want to experience Bengali tradition and culture you must definitely come and celebrate along with the local people to experience Durga Puja. Here are some things you should definitely do that every local people does to enjoy durga puja:
1- Go Pandal Hopping:
This is the first thing you must do during the puja. It is the way to feel the 'pujo' where you get to see the pandals built with various themes and the huge idols of Goddess Durga. Every year the pandals compete with each other to be the best pandal among all others in the city. Late night pandal hoppings are the best if you want to avoid crowds. There are some places in Siliguri which try to put up their best in erecting pandals to make people amaze like Saktigarh, Hakimpara, Rabindra Sangha, Silpanchal Durga Puja and Swastika Yubak Sangha are the oldest and famous places for Durga puja.
2- Dress in traditional attire:
Durga Puja is about dressing up traditionally. You must dress in the traditional Bengali dresses to enjoy puja in a Bengali way. There are many famous shops in Siliguri where you will get Bengali and many other modern dresses to wear on Durga Puja.
3- Street foods:
During these five days, you will get food shops, and stalls are open for you to enjoy the street food lavishly. The mouth-watering Bengali dishes and sweets are served for you to have the ultimate taste of street food.
4- Visit Restaurants:
There are many restaurants which offer some special dishes during the puja. Book a seat in advance to avoid long queues. These restaurants will give you the taste of Bengali food with proper service. Few famous restaurants are there which serves you the best Bengali food in the city.
5- Rituals and Functions:
Rituals like Pushpanjali are performed every day during the puja. Bhog is also offered to the visiting pandal hoppers and during the evening time you can get mesmerised with the aarti and dhunuchi dance. The houses where Durga Puja is celebrated organises functions, singing and dance performances to make people enjoy the puja. On the inauguration day even celebrities or some special person is invited to the pandals.
6- Immersion of Goddess Durga:
On the last day or known as Dashami women indulge in sindoor khela where married women smear colour on each other and pray to the goddess for a healthy and prosperous year ahead. After which we bid goodbye to the Goddess with a heavy heart. It is also another experience to watch immense lines of people taking their idols with dance and joy for the immersion.
Opportunity of experiencing Durga Puja
It is the main festival of the Bengalis. People wait for these five days every year to celebrate with love, joy, and happiness. There are many other cities where Durga puja is celebrated but here in Siliguri it is a grand festival celebrated with joy and happiness. During these five days, people forget everything and celebrate the beauty of this festival. So to experience Durga Puja you must visit Siliguri and Chas Hotels will offer you the services for a comfortable stay.