Jalpaiguri (Stadt)

Jalpaiguri is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the largest city and the headquarters of the Jalpaiguri district, and the divisional headquarters of the region. The city is located on the banks of the Teesta River which is the second largest river in West Bengal on the foothills of the Himalayas. The city is the home to the circuit bench of the Kolkata High Court, the other seat being at Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The city has become an important trade center of West Bengal. It is a principal commercial, tourism, transportation, and educational center of the North Bengal region. It lies 40 kilometers away from Siliguri, which is its twin city.EtymologyThe name "Jalpaiguri" comes from the Bhutanese term je-le-pe-go-ri, meaning a place where warm clothes are traded, suggesting a trading centre. Another suggestion is that it is from the word "Jalpai" meaning olive, and "Guri" meaning a place. The city of Jalpaiguri once had many olive trees.HistoryJalpaiguri is the largest city and the headquarters of the Jalpaiguri district, and also serves as the headquarters of the Jalpaiguri division, comprising all of the seven districts of North Bengal.