Places to Visit in Lava, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India

Places to Visit in Lava, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India

Lava village is situated on the Indian continent in West Bengal state. The village is located in Darjeeling district. The geographical coordinates puts this place at 27.05⁰N and 88.39⁰E. Lava is 2138 meters above sea level. In the summer season the temperature ranges from 16⁰C to 27⁰C and in winter season the temperature ranges from 5⁰C to 17⁰C. Lava is famous for its flora and fauna.

History of Lava

The rulers of Sikkim took control of Lava region in the mid 19^th century. But they were out casted by the ruler of Bhutan Kingdom in the year 1706. The Nepalese then invaded Kalimpong and Lava fell under their control. The Bhutan rulers once again tried to conquer Kalimpong from the Gurkhas and were successful.

The year 1864, saw the fall of Bhutan rule over Kalimpong to the British Raj. Under this successful victory Lava came under the administration of the British Raj.

People & Culture at Lava

Since Lava is in West Bengal the people of the town are known as Bengali’s. People from all religion, caste and sect reside in and around Lava. Bengali, Hindi, English are the languages known by the people, with Bengali being the local language. Various festivals like Diwali, Holi, E-id, etc., are celebrated with great prompt. But the most important festival in this region is the Navratri festivals celebrated in a grand manner throughout Lava.

Food and Shopping in Lava

The staple diet of people of Lava is fish, vegetable and rice. Soft pancakes made of wheat and boiled mashed potatoes form part of the breakfast of local people. Lunch would consist of rice and dal with veggies, fresh salad, fish and meat. Sweets form an integral part of the diet.

There are shopping complex located around Lava town. The names of some these shopping centers are given below

Rohini Shopping Complex
Binoy Badal Dinesh Shopping Complex
New Hyder Para Shopping Complex
Central Shopping Complex
Ornate Shopping Complex

Tourist Places in and around Lava

There are beautiful landscapes and few palaces with amazing architecture of interest in and around Lava. Some of them are mentioned below

Neora Valley National Park

This evergreen forest is home to various exotic endangered birds.

Lava Monastery (also known as Ratnarishi Bihar Buddhist Gumpa)

Located atop a hill in Lava this monastery provides a panoramic view of the villages in the surroundings.

Kalimpong

Kalimpong hill station has plenty of beautiful picturesque spot and is a heaven for photographer amateurs.

Jelep La Pass

Jelep La Pass offers an amazing view of the surroundings with dense forest all around.

Changey Falls

10 km from Lava village, this falls offers two sunrise points, one known as Ghanti Dara and the other as Tiffin Dara.

Other places of interest near Lava include Lolegoan, Dooars, Jhalong, Latguri, Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, Bagdogra, Alipurduar, Gorumara Totopara, Chilapata, Lava Jamgon Kongtrul Monastery, Buxa Tiger Reserve.

Trekking, picnic and bird watching are some of the activities one can do in and around Lava.

Means of Commutation to Lava

Lava is well connected to other places in India via roadways, railways and airways. The distance of Lava, via road, from various cities in West Bengal and neighboring states are given below

Kalimpong is located at a distance of 127 km
Pune is located at a distance of 2284 km
Hyderabad is located at a distance of 2009 km
Kolkata is located at a distance of 712 km

Jalpaiguri railway station located at a distance of 108 km is the closest railway station to Lava. Trains are available at a regular basis from New Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati and Chennai.

Lava is also connected to the rest of the world via airways. Bagdogra airport located in West Bengal is at a distance of 120 km and is the only nearest airport to Lava. There are regular flights from other cities from Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata and Guwahati. Kolkata International Airport near Kolkata is located at a distance of 631 km.

Accommodation Options at Lava

To cater to the accommodation needs of the rising tourist influx there are three star hotels and resorts at Lava with beautiful interiors and amazing decors. The rooms in these hotels are priced at Rs. 3000/- per day. One can also find decent budget hotels in Lava with room rent of Rs. 500/- per day. The names of some hotels are mentioned below