Bindu, Kalimpong

Bindu is a village in the Gorubathan CD block in the Kalimpong subdivision of the Kalimpong district in West Bengal, India. Bindu lies in the Indo-Bhutan border, India's second oldest dam is situated at Bindu on River Jaldhaka. It is located 121 km from Kalimpong Town, 103 km from Siliguri City and 85 km from Jalpaiguri city. It takes around 4hrs from Siliguri to reach Bindu. Roadway is the only option to reach Bindu. The roads are good for most part of the journey but during the last 15-20 km it's mostly off-road. As of 2023, a road is under construction by the Border Road Organization and is due to connect Bindu and surrounding area with NH17.^{[citation needed]}

Bindu
Village
Bindu Location in West Bengal, India Show map of West Bengal Bindu Bindu (India) Show map of India
Coordinates: 27°05′53″N 88°52′18″E
Country	India
State	West Bengal
District	Kalimpong
Languages
• Official	Nepali, English
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
ISO 3166 code	IN-WB
Vehicle registration	WB
Website	kalimpongdistrict.in

Geography

8km
5miles

S

I

K

K

I

M

B

H

U

T

A

N

D

Teesta Low
Dam III

D

Teesta Low
Dam IV

a

Jaldhaka River

`

Teesta
River

NP

Neora Valley
National Park

F

Dr. Graham's Homes

CT

Dungra

M

Kalimpong

R

Mansong

R

Kolakham

R

Nimbong

R

Todey
Tangta

R

Teesta Bazaar

R

Suntalekhola

R

Sillery Gaon

R

Samabiyong TG

R

Rongo

R

Rishyap

R

Rambi Bazar

R

Ramdhura

R

Pedong

R

Kalijhora

R

Mongpong

R

Lower Fagu TG

R

Loleygaon

R

Lava

R

Kumai TG

R

Jhalong

R

Jaldhaka

R

Icche Gaon

R

Gorubathan

R

Bindu

R

Bich Kagay

R

Bhalukhop

R

Algarah

   

Places in the Kalimpong Sadar subdivision in Kalimpong district
CT: census town, R: rural/ urban centre, M: municipality, F: facility, NP: national park
Abbreviations used in names – TG for Tea Garden (town/village)
Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly

Location

Bindu is located at 27°05′53″N 88°52′18″E.

Area overview

The map alongside shows the Kalimpong Sadar subdivision of Kalimpong district. Physiographically, this area forms the Kalimpong Range, with the average elevation varying from 300 to 3,000 metres (980 to 9,840 ft). This region is characterized by abruptly rising hills and numerous small streams.^[1] It is a predominantly rural area with 77.67% of the population living in rural areas and only 22.23% living in the urban areas. While Kalimpong is the only municipality, Dungra is the sole census town in the entire area.^[2] The economy is agro-based and there are 6 tea gardens in the Gorubathan CD block.^[3] In 2011, Kalimpong subdivision had a literacy rate of 81.85%, comparable with the highest levels of literacy in the districts of the state.^[4][5] While the first degree college in the subdivision was established at Kalimpong in 1962^[6] the entire subdivision (and now the entire district), other than the head-quarters, had to wait till as late as 2015 (more than half a century) to have their first degree colleges at Pedong and Gorubathan.^[7][8]

Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.

The place

Bindu is the last village on the Indian side bordering Bhutan. It is known for its landscape with Jaldhaka River, hills and forests.^[9] There is a conjunction of three streams at Bindu. The three streams are known as Bindu Khola, Dudh Pokhri and Jaldhaka that originates from the Kupup lake, a small glacial lake in Sikkim.^[9] The combined streams meet at Bindu to form the Jaldhaka river. There is a dam known as Bindu Dam over the Jaldhaka river which is used for controlling water supply to the Jaldhaka Hydel Project at Jhalong and acts as a bridge for crossing over to Bhutan. However, one can cross the dam only by foot. Recently steel bridge construction will be done so that light weight vehicle can pass over.^{[citation needed]}

People and economy

The village population is mainly Indian Gorkha Nepalese along with some tribal Communities. People of this village are largely dependent on orange and cardamom farming. Farming is the main source of income for much of the population of this village and along with orange and Cardamom, Chayote and Dalle Khorsani or Cherry Pepper are also one of the most cultivated crops.^{[citation needed]} Tourism is also growing in the area.^[10] Oranges and cardamom of these area are exported to other places within India and abroad.