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A tall stone obelisk and a soldier's statue on a green garden terrace under a bright sky with towering white clouds
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Photo: Dr Vikramjit Kakati · CC BY-SA 4.0
monument9 min from Darjeeling

Batasia Loop, Darjeeling — the spiral of the toy train and the Gorkha memorial

The Batasia Loop on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway: a spiral of 1919 where the track circles over itself, with a garden and a Gorkha memorial near Ghum.

What it is

The Batasia Loop is a spiral section of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, where the narrow track winds round and crosses itself on a small hill, so that the climb is gentler. Wikipedia says it was commissioned in 1919 and lies about 5 km from Darjeeling, below Ghum.

Photos: Pinakpani (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Vikramjit Kakati (CC BY-SA 3.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

What you see

A landscaped garden around the loop, with a memorial to Gorkha soldiers who died serving the Indian Army after 1947, an obelisk beside the statue of a soldier.

The railway around it

The loop belongs to the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Its builders used loops and zig zags to hold the gradient, and the Batasia Loop of 1919 was built to give the ascent from Darjeeling an easier slope. We have no verified train times, so ask at Darjeeling station.

Getting there

By road on the Hill Cart Road below Ghum; our measured road time is in the quick facts. We have no verified opening hours or entry rules.

Combine it with

The Yiga Choeling Monastery is a short drive on, and the one-day plan puts them together after the sunrise. Read things to do in Darjeeling.

Plans that include this

All 2 plans that stop here →
The snow summits of the Kangchenjunga range glowing pink-gold in first light above a bank of cloud, seen from Tiger Hill
One day in Darjeeling — Tiger Hill sunrise and the ridge road
Day plan · First visit · Classic
A one-day Darjeeling plan: Tiger Hill at sunrise, the Batasia Loop, the Yiga Choeling Monastery, the Peace Pagoda, Mahakal temple and Chowrasta.
Best Mar–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →
A blue Darjeeling Himalayan Railway train with blue carriages running beside a road between green forest and a stone drain
Two days in Darjeeling — the old town, the tea estate and the toy train
1 night · 2 days · First visit · Temples & heritage
A two-day Darjeeling plan: Chowrasta, the Mahakal temple, St Andrew's Church, the botanical garden and tea, then the toy train to Ghum, the loop and pagoda.
Best Mar–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →

Nearby places

All of Darjeeling →
Yiga Choeling Monastery, Ghum — the Old Ghoom Monastery and its Maitreya statue
Yiga Choeling Monastery, Ghum — the Old Ghoom Monastery and its Maitreya statue
temple · 641 m away
Peace Pagoda, Darjeeling — the white Japanese stupa on Jalapahar
Peace Pagoda, Darjeeling — the white Japanese stupa on Jalapahar
temple · 1.8 km away
Lloyd's Botanical Garden, Darjeeling — the Himalayan plants below the town
Lloyd's Botanical Garden, Darjeeling — the Himalayan plants below the town
monument · 3.5 km away
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway — the toy train and its loops
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway — the toy train and its loops
monument · 3.7 km away
Chowrasta, Darjeeling — the town square on the Mall
Chowrasta, Darjeeling — the town square on the Mall
area · 3.7 km away
St Andrew's Church, Darjeeling — the town's oldest church
St Andrew's Church, Darjeeling — the town's oldest church
monument · 4.0 km away
Mahakal Temple, Darjeeling — the Shiva shrine on Observatory Hill
Mahakal Temple, Darjeeling — the Shiva shrine on Observatory Hill
temple · 4.0 km away
Tiger Hill, Darjeeling — the sunrise viewpoint for Kangchenjunga and Everest
Tiger Hill, Darjeeling — the sunrise viewpoint for Kangchenjunga and Everest
viewpoint · 4.5 km away

Nearby destinations

All destinations →
Pastel-coloured buildings of Gangtok climbing a steep, forested hillside, seen from a viewpoint across the valley
Gangtok
51 km away · 4 itineraries · 11 places
A wide view over the houses of Shillong spread across forested hills under a sky of towering white clouds
Shillong
396 km away · 3 itineraries · 6 places
A deep, steep-sided green valley filled with low grey cloud seen from the Mawkdok Dympep viewpoint near Cherrapunji
Cherrapunji
397 km away · 1 itineraries · 2 places
The town of Almora spread across a terraced ridge under a blue sky with clouds
Almora
889 km away · 2 itineraries · 4 places
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Questions people ask

What is the Batasia Loop?

A spiral on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, commissioned in 1919, where the track winds round and crosses itself on a small hill, so the climb is gentler. Wikipedia says it lies about 5 km from Darjeeling, below Ghum, with a war memorial in its garden.

What is the memorial at Batasia Loop?

Wikipedia says a memorial at the site honours Gorkha soldiers of the Indian Army killed after independence in 1947. It stands in a landscaped garden at the loop, with an obelisk and the statue of a soldier. It is a war memorial, so keep your behaviour respectful when you stop there.

How far is Batasia Loop from Darjeeling?

Wikipedia says about 5 km, below Ghum; our own routed road time from the town centre is in the quick facts above. It lies on the Hill Cart Road, on the way to Ghum, so it pairs with the Yiga Choeling Monastery and the toy train. We have no verified opening hours or entry rules.