Beni- A tryst of two rivers

Just as the lovers have a predetermined specific time and place to meet and fulfill the yearning of their hearts, River Teesta comes down from the state of Sikkim to meet River Rangeet at a place known as Triveni or Beni, in the district of Kalimpong. According to mythology, both these rivers were lovers, Rangeet being a male river; so the place came to be known as the Lover’s Point. Triveni is located near Melli, a small town close to Teesta Bazar. It is only a one and half hour ride from the town of Kalimpong. Each year on 14th January, a large fair is organized here. The place has become the hub of river rafting, as the swirling waters and strong underlying current of the rivers offer a challenge to experienced rafters.

Teesta ,a 309 kms long river flowing through the Indian state of Sikkim, originates from the Pahunri (or Teesta Kangse) glacier above 7,068 metres and flows southward through gorges and rapids in the Sikkim Himalaya. After flowing past the town of Rangpo, it forms the border between Sikkim and West Bengal. On the other hand, Rangeet, a tributary of Teesta, originates in the Himalayan Mountains in West Sikkim district and flows through the towns of Jorethang, Pelling and Legship. Before the Teesta Bridge, where the roads of Kalimpong and Darjeeling join, the deep green and crystal clear water of River Rangeet meets the fearless and ferocious River Teesta, forming a delta like structure in the mountain valley. From this confluence point, the rivers flow together through West Bengal and enter Bangladesh where they finally meet the mighty Brahmaputra River.

The folklore says...

The two rivers Rangeet and Teesta, popular for their grace, beauty and love for each other, were looked up to by the people of Sikkim as creations of Goddess Itbu-Moo. They used to meet in the snow covered mountains of the Himalayas. It is said that in order to keep their love a secret, the rivers decided to flow through different routes and meet again at Pozok. This gave rise to a playful challenge of a race between both of them to reach the plains.

 As the rivers had to flow through unknown routes, they agreed to take a guide each for the journey. Rangeet was accompanied by a bird named Tutfo and Teesta followed a snake named Parilbu. Though, Tutfo was swift, it got distracted by the colourful butterflies and fruit trees. But Parilbu was strongly determined to reach the destination without paying attention to anything else. As a result, Teesta was the first to reach by defeating her beloved Rangeet. This hurt the pride of Rangeet and enraged him so much that he decided to flow back to the Himalayas. The furious nature of Rangeet and the pleadings of heartbroken Teesta resulted in severe floods which caused devastation to the people, animals and other living creatures of South Sikkim. It was believed that the flood was an indication of Goddess Itbu-moo to remind people of her power and the need to worship her. The people after realising it offered their sincere prayers to the goddess which ultimately saved their lives. Rangeet finally surrendered to the pleadings of his love, Teesta and they both fell into a long embrace, united for eternity. When the people came to know about the story of these two rivers, they huddled to the confluence to make offerings to the river gods. Even today, the newly married couples are taken to Beni for the blessings of the rivers.

The Thrilling River Rafting

River rafting in Teesta River is one of the most exciting and thrilling experiences one can have on a trip to Kalimpong. It has become a popular hotspot for river rafting in eastern India. It starts from the confluence of these two rivers, Beni. But winter seasons should be avoided as the river rafting routes remain inaccessible during this time.

Other attractions

Kalimpong is located at a distance of 16kms from Beni which offers a handful of tourist spots like Dr. Graham’s House, Deolo hill, Durga Mandir, Sherpa View Point, Hanuman Temple, Mangal Dham , Thongsa Gumpha, Morgan House, Army Golf Course, Durpin Monastery, Pine View Nursery, Pratima Tagore House.

One can also visit the small village of Mongpu; under the Kurseong sub division, which at a distance of 38kms from Kalimpong. Mongpu is famous for the visit of Nobel Laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore. It has its own beauty which attracted Tagore to come and live here in the midst of the hills. The house where he lived has been converted in to a museum which portrays his lifestyle here and preserves some of his personal belongings. Mongpu was also well known for its medicinal plant and cinchona cultivation but since quite some time production of cinchona plant has stopped.

Since Beni is a one and half hour drive from Kalimpong, it can be well reached by private cars. It is needless to say that a trip to Kalimpong remains incomplete without visiting Beni, which offers a breathtaking view of the River Rangeet meeting its lady love River Teesta. ;) 

 For more photos, go to the link below:

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