The Teesta,
the most magnificient river
in the district, has its source
in Lake Cholamo, situated
at an elevation on 17,500',
which exceeds twice the height
of the well known Tiger Hill
of Darjeeling by 500'. This
lake lies to the north of
the Donkia Pass near Shetschen,
where from the summit of the
pass is about 5 miles away
to the north-east of Darjeeling
as the crow flies.
On its way, contributions
are made to it by streams
which rise in Thangu, Yeumthang
and Donkia La ranges far far
away from and due north of
Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim.
Then, as it approaches the
Teesta Suspension Bridge,
which joins Kalimpong with
Darjeeling, it receives a
mighty torrent of water from
a stream called the Great
Rangeet. From this confluence
of the two rivers, the aforesaid
bridge is nearly 4 miles.
The Teesta river debouches
through the gorge at the Teesta
bridge, at an almost imperceptible
gradient, taking a southerly
course and finally enters
into the plains through Sevoke,
where it has been spanned
by a Coronation Bridge.
It would be of much interest
to many to mention here that
this river passes through
the Jalpaiguri and the Rungpore
districts and falls into the
great Brahmaputra at Fulcherry.
The combined waters then flow
on to Goalundo, where the
Padma, uniting with them forms
the unbounded expanse of waters
known as the Meghna (skyblue)
river, over 60 miles in width,
the tall palm trees on either
bank look like so many tiny
plants or even dots.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Great Rangeet takes its
rise from the glacier of Kabru,
and proceeds southwards till
it meets the Rammam river
coming down from its source
near Phalut in the Singalila
range. The combined waters,
after traversing just a quarter
of a mile, take up a further
tribute from the Little Rangeet
hailing from the base of the
Tonglu spur in the Singalila
range, and therefrom the Great
Rangeet flows on for a distance
of about 9 miles till it merges
into the Teesta river.
River Rangeet (Rangit)While
proceeding down the Tukvar
road which leads to Singla
Bazaar, all of a sudden at
a bend of the road the lovely
valleys of these two streams
meandering over a level tract
of land encircled by mighty
hills on all sides greet the
vision of the spectator from
an elevation of nearly 1000
feet.
The Great Rangeet
presents to the view bright
green colour very nearly resembling
that of emerald, while the
little Rangeet wears a bright
blue face.The graceful mountain
cows of the valleys looming
at a distance of nearly a
mile as the crow flies, the
tropical trees, scrubs, and
exuberant foliage characteristic
of the vegetations of such
low elevations that cover
the slopes in front of the
spectator, the lovely delta
covered with sands, scrubs
and long grasses, the attrative
windings of the streams, looking
artificially coloured, the
towering ranges of prodigious
heights standing like sentinets
over the valleys - all combined
together to form a landscape
which does not lend itself
to description.
On the top all these, when
one reaches the right bank
of the Great Rangeet, after
traversing a further distance
of nearly two miles, one finds
to this great astonishment
pebbles of variegated colours
very closely strewn over the
right bank of the river. All
that can be said is that here
is a scene which must be seen
to be believed.
The gradient of the rocky
and boulder-strewn bed of
the Great Rangeet near Singla
Bazaar is not perceptible,
but still the current is very
strong. In 1914 when Mr. G.P.
Robertson, the then Municipal
Engineer of Darjeeling, while
engaged in surveying the river
in a jolly-boat in connection
with the installation of electric
power station was drowned
in the river nearly a mile
from Singla Bazaar along the
downward course of the stream.
The boat which had been going
off like a shot had to ere
long confront the fearful
turbulence of waters at a
place where they struck against
a huge boulder peeping out
of the water surface. The
whirlpool proved more than
a match for the frail specimen
of the floating craft which
at short notice sank down
leaving no trace of those
who were on the boat.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Mahanady River
- Its Underground Flow
The Mahanady River has its
source near Mahaldiram hill
to the east of Kurseong. As
soon as it debouches through
a gorge of the Himalaya, it
runs through a subterranean
stratum of sand for a distance
of nearly four miles before
heaving into sight again.
In the rainy season, this
queer phenomenon disappears
with the rushing in of a mighty
torrent from the hills, which
makes the river overflow its
banks. This river has been
spanned by an iron bridge
to the north of the town of
Siliguri. At a distance of
four miles from the bridge,
and in the downward course
of the river, it receives
its contribution from the
Balasun river which flows
past the valley below Kurseong.
