Neglected NJP retiring room & Batasia loop

February 07, 2024

Choti Choti Batyen 6 - North Bengal tour

Batasia loop: This is an engineering trick of hill area train travel. When the train maneuvers a long drop or climb it has to go into looping to smoothen the velocity profile. This looping is used even when space shuttle re enters earth atmosphere at Mach 25 speed [28000 KPH]. It goes into a few loops to reduce the speed. When the train arrives from Ghoom side it drops about 140 feet to the Darjeeling side track. Same way when the train travels from Darjeeling side to Ghoom side it has to climb 140 feet. To smoothen the drop or climb the track makes a big loop [like a spring] of about 100 meter diameter at Batasia loop.

The area happens to very flowery, spacious and open besides overlooking Darjeeling valley and all the peaks adjacent to mount Kanchenjunga. Tinsel town regularly have their suiting scenes captured here. Perennial & seasonal flowers always occupies the majority space here.

But this time despite being the winter time [the time of season flower] we could not find any flower in the entire loop area. The garden lay fallow & neglected. Not even a single rose, marigold, aster or dahlia could be seen. Batasia loop which is famous for colorful flowery display is not having a single flower is a rather very pathetic site. On probing the guard like man said the season has come late, that's why!

Whereas If you look up, there are few hotels on the adjacent hill side slope whose walls are aptly decorated with ample flowers indicates the story is something different!

The earlier entry fee of INR:15 has been enhanced to INR:50 but the pathetic and neglected garden area makes a huge blip in the mind of the visitors for sure!

NJP Retiring room: Kanchanjhanga express was one of our favorite trains next to Kamrup express for going to NJP or Jalpaiguri road for reaching our college. That was the time when we never expected or rather questioned that the trains should run on time! Being late was always the order of the day.

This time we are on a pleasure trip but the train started late by three hours out of which two hours were pre disclosed and one hour added after reaching the platform! However, the late did not increase further and accordingly we reached NJP station by three hours late at 7:55 PM. We had our retiring room pre booked so without delay we checked in [room no: 9]. After entering the room we had our first shock - the room was full of mosquitoes and there was not mosquito repellent! In place of trash bin there kept a filthy basket which I immediately removed outside the room. This room no:9 is the last room of the hallway. Adjacent to this room is there is a locked stair case pathway which is full of broken furnitures and other dumped odd items and certainly mosquitoes. Probably this is the source of these blood hound mosquitoes!

There was no towel, untidy bed and window curtains smaller than the window size hung around. I asked the matron for a mosquito repellent which he says that it was not provided. I asked him for the room key which too he readily refused to provide and asked me to have my own room lock!

Therefore, I moved out to the platform area again to buy a padlock first. Since there was no mosquito repellent sort of thing found inside the station area I had to go out of the station. The long foot-over-bridge [FOB] which ends to the parking area is very dirty & crowded. The ramp at the end is full of filth & dirt. The ongoing construction of the additional platform area makes the landing of the FOB more narrow & dusty. After clearing the parking area there are several eateries outside but none of them look as hygienic as that of the inside eateries situated on the platform no-1.

After buying the mosquito repellent I came back to the retiring room to make a total survey of the room now. The attached toilet and the wash basin look very shabby. The buckets are having layers at the bottom. There is no healthy towel hangers or cloth hangers around the room. Either they are non existent or fully broken for use so is there is no wardrobe nor a good mirror.

Few days back I stayed one night at Khurdaroad [Orissa] retiring room. The neat & clean station area with wide open space around, the clean platforms and the neat & clean retiring room is way above this one-of-the dirtiest retiring room of this kind. I doubt whether they really do any periodic audit for these retiring rooms ever! On telling the same to the retiring room Clark she says that I should have gone somewhere else for room!

However, important wise NJP is the gateway station of entire north bengal, it should have been a showcase station but the shabby state of it's retiring room, the FOB approach & the outside station areas will sure drive away any new comer and not to think of night staying in the retiring room again!