Mirik, a wonderland of Bengal on the lap of the Himalayas, is always an attraction to mountain lovers. It is a small hill station in the district of Darjeeling. Located 52 km from Siliguri and 49 km from Darjeeling town, It falls halfway between this much-frequented tourism route. The quaint little town is situated at an elevation of 4,905 ft from sea level.
In the Lepcha language, the name ‘Mirik’ means ‘A place forged in the fire’. But the place itself is known for its mild and pleasant weather, with temperature oscillating between favorable levels. If you want to spend a week in a soothing hill station to enjoy the tranquillity of natural beauty, then a trip to Mirik will be perfect for you.
Mirik offers you a lot of things to make your holiday perfect. Here the major tourist attractions of Mirik are listed below.
Beautiful Attractions of Mirik
Mirik lies in the north-western part of Bengal in between Siliguri and the town of Darjeeling. You would not find any better place than Mirik to explore the beauty of nature at an affordable expense with easy modes of traveling.
1. Boating at the Mirik Lake
Mirik lake, also known as Sumendu lake, remains the main attraction of the town. The picturesque view of the lake is enough to calm your mind and soothe your souls. If you love to enjoy some activities on your trip, then Mirik tourism offers you opportunities for boating on the lake and pony riding on the bank of the lake. Also, a footbridge of the length of around 80 ft has been made across the lake for those who want to take a stroll. The place is much popular among the tourists for the spellbound view of sunrise and sunset. This is literally the heartbeat of Mirik, as almost all the points of tourist attraction are almost within walking distance from there.
2. Visit the Orange Orchards
If you are a person who loves flora, then Orange Orchards will be a fun visit for you. It is actually an offbeat tourist attraction in Mirik. You will find the orchards in and around Mirik Busty, Soureny Busty, and Murmah. Darjeeling Gardens Pvt. Ltd. Is one of the best orange orchards to visit. During wintertime, the trees are all laden with bright and vibrant oranges, making the whole area look like on fire.
3. Shop at Pashupati Nagar Market
Pashupati Nagar market is quite popular among tourists. It is located around 15 kilometers away from Mirik, near the Indo-Nepalese international border. Half of the market lies in India’s side and the other half lies in Nepal across borders. Local people visit there to buy cheap cosmetics, electronics, shoes, watches, clothes, and more. Every day, from 9 AM to 6 PM it remains open. You will find heaps of inexpensive imported products as well as indigenous ones to take back home as souvenirs. On your way to the Pashupati Nagar market, you are recommended to visit Gopaldhara Tea Estate near Pashupati Nagar, spread over 320 hectares of land.
Only Indian and Nepalese nationals are allowed to visit the market fully. The visitors must bring photo IDs to enter there. Also, the details of the visitors should be registered at the check post to enter there. Cameras are not allowed inside.
4. Explore Tea Cultivation at Bunkulung
Bunkulung is a quite underrated and offbeat tourist spot of Mirik tourism. It is the agricultural point of Mirik. So, if you have an interest in exploring the agricultural procedures on the foothills on the Himalayas, then a visit to Bunkulung to you. You will remain jaw-dropped with the natural beauty of the small, hilly village. Balasun and Murmah Khola Rivers flowing through the village watering their crops and enhancing the beauty.
The terrain region is fully covered with the tea garden. The tea factory and tea gardens of Murmah and Gayabari are major tourist attractions here. If you plan for a night stay there, then the night view of Kurseong from the terrain will gift you a lifetime experience. As the place is flourishing gradually as a tourist attraction, resorts and homestays are available there.
5. Explore More Tea Gardens in Mirik
Tea is the ultimate cash crop of this region. The expansive tea estates make it look like a green carpet has been laid down on the terrain of the hills. Thurbo, Soureni, Gopaldhara, Singbulli, Okayti, and Phuguri are some of the major tea estates around Mirik. The tea gardens are the favorite photographic spots of tourists.
6. A Spiritual Visit to the Bokar Monastery
Bokar Ngedon Chokhor Ling Monastery, also known as Bokar Monastery, is a Buddhist monastery of Kagyud order. It was founded in 1984 just as a retreat center. As time passed, it grew in its importance and volume. It is considered as a very important hub of Buddhist education and Tibetan studies. More than 500 monks reside there. This place was the seat of Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche and the monastery was named after him. After his death in 2004, the monastery is being run by Khenpo Lodro Donyo Rinchepo. The monastery runs a monastic college also, named Shedra College. From the top of the monastery, one can see the entire expanse of the town. The monastery remains open for public visits from 8 AM to 5 PM.
7. A Service Visit at Mirik Church
Mirik Church, located near Deosay Dara, is the most significant and oldest church of Mirik founded in 1962. It still holds on to the Gothic-Victorian touches reflected in the architecture. On a Sunday in your tour schedule, you can attend the English service at 9:30 AM and Nepali service at 11:00 AM. The church runs Darjeeling Hills Bible School as well. It is the first Nepali medium theological school.
8. Sunrises and Sunsets at Rameetay Dhara
Rameetay Dhara is the most astonishing viewpoint, where you can enjoy sunrise and sunset at dusk and dawn. The picturesque view of the whole valley backdropped against the gorgeous Kanchenjunga paints the most ecstatic picture for the eyes as well as the cameras. If you are lucky enough to get the sky clear, then you can see faraway snow-capped peaks of the Himalayan range. Mirik has made the spot more accessible to the tourists by making seats and parking spaces.
9. Devi Sthan – the Seat of the Goddess
Devi Sthan is considered as a sacred place among the Hindus living in Mirik. It is located amidst dense Dhupi forest. Although the primary deity is Goddess Singla Devi, statues of Lord Shiva, Bajrangbali, and Goddess Kali are also worshipped Mirik Lake and Bokar Monastery are at a very close distance from this temple.
Mirik is a small wonderland where you can find peace, far away from the hustle-bustle of city life. It can be your perfect holiday destination in a hill station, with a pocket-friendly budget. So, start making your plans for a trip to Mirik.
Where to Eat in Mirik?
Mirik has numerous eateries serving various tastes. One can find clusters of quality restaurants and hotels in and around Mirik Lake.
Mirik is a place that many tourists visit on their way to or back from Darjeeling, Gangtok, and other towns up in the hills. More often than not, tourists prefer to have their lunch or evening snack over here. So, it is best if you know some popular tourist restaurants and hotels here in Mirik.
Kolkata Hotel – Located at the southern end of Lake Sumendu, Kolkata Hotel specializes in servings of fish, mutton, chicken, and prawns. The diner is mainly loved for their fish and chicken thalis.
Park Restaurant – Located just beside the beautiful Lake of Mirik, Park Restaurant is one of the popular places to eat in Mirik. Aloo Paratha, Chana Kulcha, Maggi, and the everyday toast, butter, and egg are usually served for breakfast while lunch has wider varieties ranging from North Indian dishes to Chinese cuisines.
Jagjeet Restaurant – Jagjeet Restaurant is the largest eatery in Mirik. It is a family restaurant and Punjabi traditional influence on the menu is evident. North Indian and Chinese dishes are available only for lunch and dinner, while South Indian food options like dosa, idli, uttapam, etc are available for breakfast. It is also famous for Chana Kulcha – a breakfast recipe.
Samden Tibetan Restaurant – This one is loved for its traditional local touch. It is widely known for its mouth-watering momo, thukpa, and chicken chowmein.
Nesang’s Gorkha Café and Restaurant – Located on the route of Sandakphu from Mirik, this eatery offers cuisines from its traditional Gorkha dish to Bengali foods to Tibetan dishes – in short, everything. There is the availability of both veg and non-veg dishes, but it is generally famous for its chicken dishes.
Annapurna Hotel – They serve not only Bengali dishes but also includes Northern and Chinese cuisines. The hotel is popular for some trademark Bengali dishes like Alu Posto, Chicken Curry, and Fish Fry.
Hotel Lohit Sagar and Tejashwee Fast Food serve pure vegetarian including South Indian dishes. T-Plus is another ideal fast-food center.
Best Time to Visit Mirik
Mirik has got a blooming climate in every season. The summers in Mirik are quite pleasant and sunny. The temperature ranges from 10 to 20 degrees in the summer. The month of March brings in the summer season in Mirik. The warm and pleasant continues until June. You would not face any problem to visit almost every spot of Mirik during the summers.
Monsoon sets in Mirik by the starting of July and lasts till October. If you want to relax in a comfortable hotel and enjoy the scenic beauty of Mirik, then monsoon might be the best time for you. But it is not great for sightseeing, obviously. Traveling during the monsoon in Mirik can be a bit tough as well due to the heavy rainfall in the region. Most of the spots remain close, though the cold and pleasing temperature is quite satisfying without much humidity due to the falling temperatures to welcome winter.
Mirik welcomes winter by the starting of November. The cold season continues till February. The dry leaves on trees and bare pines spice up the explicit beauty of Mirik in winter. The temperature goes down to 1 degree and even lesser at times. If you can survive skin biting cold with soft snowfalls at times, then visiting Mirik during the winter season might be the best decision in your life.
How to reach Mirik
Are you all set to enjoy your holidays at Mirik? If yes then you can go through the article further to find out the best routes to reach Mirik!
Traveling to Mirik is relatively easy. You can take every possible mode of transport to Mirik without having a hectic journey. You can have a clear idea of how to reach Mirik below.
Roadways
You can reach Mirik using a simple bus route, but it depends on where you want to travel to the beautiful hill station. Mirik is well connected to most of the vital road routes in India. You can take a bus from any corner of India to travel to New Jalpaiguri or Siliguri of West Bengal at ease. The journey of the bus route might not be enjoyable for anyone, especially the children and the elder ones.
But worry not like the option of private cars or rental cars is always available to reach Mirik. You can easily enjoy the road trip to Mirik with your friends and family. The scenic beauty and pleasant weather on the way would leave you spell-bound.
Railways
One of the fastest means of transport to Mirik is none other than the railway. You can easily pack your bags and book railway tickets till New Jalpaiguri, West Bengal which is 56 kilometers away from Mirik. The New Jalpaiguri railway station is the nearest railway to Mirik. If you want to enjoy a fast and yet pleasant journey to Mirik, then you can take the railways route. From the station, you can book jeeps, rental cabs, shuttles, and even taxis till Mirik at an affordable rate.
Airways
The fastest mean of transport to Mirik is nothing but a flight. The Bagdogra airport is quite a busy airport which is the nearest one to Mirik. You can book your flight tickets from any part of India till Bagdogra airport. One can quickly get several cabs and rental shuttles, jeeps, etc. waiting outside the airport to take you to your destination, Mirik. You can reach Mirik most comfortably and fastest by taking a flight. It would not even exhaust out your energy. The above modes of transports are the only ones which can take you safely to the beautiful Mirik easily. If you want to be a part of Mirik tourism, then pack your bags and book your tickets now!