Batasia Loop(Gurkha War Memorial & Toy Train Spiral)

Built by the British in 1919 to enable the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) Toy Train to negotiate an otherwise impossibly steep gradient of 140 feet, Batasia Loop is an engineering wonder of the modern world. The narrow-gauge steam train wraps gracefully in a 360-degree double loop over a hilltop garden.

In the center of the loop sits the solemn Gurkha War Memorial, commemorating brave Gurkha soldiers of the Darjeeling hills who sacrificed their lives for the nation since Independence. A 9-foot bronze statue of a Gurkha soldier stands guard proudly.

The entire loop is landscaped with vibrant floral gardens, viewing pergolas, and telescope points. Catching the historic steam train chugging into the loop puffing white steam against the backdrop of snow-capped Kanchenjunga is an iconic travel memory.