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
Located at an altitude of 5,300 feet (1,600 m) above mean sea level, Bhalukhop has a great sunset view of both Kangchenjunga and Annapurna together, and also the Teesta. It is just 10 km from Kalimpong.[1]
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.[2] 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.[3] The economy is agro-based and there are six tea gardens in the Gorubathan CD block.[4] In 2011, Kalimpong subdivision had a literacy rate of 81.85%, comparable with the highest levels of literacy in the districts of the state.[5][6] While the first degree college in the subdivision was established at Kalimpong in 1962[7]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.[8][9]
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.
Demographics
According to the 2011 Census of India, Bhalukhop Khasmahal had a total population of 5,254 of which 2,660 (51%) were males and 2,594 (49%) were females. There were 445 persons in the age range of 0 to 6 years. The total number of literate people in Bhalukhop Khasmahal was 3,879 (80.66% of the population over 6 years).[10]
Tourism
Bhalukhop can be a good base with day trips for visiting places such as Delo, Lava, Sillery Gaon and Icche Gaon. Being so near Kalimpong, one can also go and see such places as Cactus Garden, Durpin Monastery and Golf Course.[11]
^"Provisional Population Totals Paper 1 of 2011 : West Bengal". Statement-4 Ranking of Districts by Literacy Rate in 2001 and 2011. Office of the Registrar General and & Census Commissioner, India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
India
