About Batasia Loop and Gorkha War Memorial
Batasia Loop and Gorkha War Memorial is a combined railway heritage site and war memorial located at Ghum, about 5 km from Darjeeling in West Bengal. The spiral railway loop was built in 1919 to ease the gradient of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At its centre stands the Gorkha War Memorial, erected in 1995 to honour Gorkha soldiers. The landscaped garden offers panoramic views of Darjeeling town and Mount Kanchenjunga.
Visitors guide
Visitors can expect a landscaped circular garden built around a spiral loop of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway narrow-gauge track. At the centre is the Gorkha War Memorial with a bronze statue of a Gorkha soldier and memorial plaques. The site offers open lawns, flower beds, seating areas and viewpoints overlooking Darjeeling, Ghum and on clear days Mount Kanchenjunga. Visitors can watch the Darjeeling toy train negotiate the loop and explore the memorial, garden paths and small souvenir and food stalls.
Key highlights
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Spiral loop of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (UNESCO World Heritage)
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Gorkha War Memorial with bronze soldier statue at the centre of the loop
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Panoramic views of Darjeeling town and Mount Kanchenjunga on clear days
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Landscaped garden with seasonal flowers and manicured lawns