Ravangla


Ravangla or Rawangla or Ravongla is a small tourist town situated at an elevation of 8000 ft in South Sikkim district of the Indian state of Sikkim. It is connected by state highway to other major towns in the state and lies between Pelling and Gangtok. It acts as the starting point for the trek to Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary. It is approximately 65 km away from the state capital Gangtok and 120 km away from Siliguri, West Bengal.

Geographical situation

Mt. Kanchenjunga, Mt. Pandim, Mt. Siniolchu, Mt. Kabru are just a few of the major peaks that are clearly visible from Ravangla.

Flora

Upper parts of Ravangla experiences snowfall during winter. During the months of April–May the place is surrounded by many flowers including orchids and rhododendrons.
statue in Buddha Park of Ravangla, Sikkim

Avifauna

Ravangla attracts a lot of Himalayan birds and is a bird watcher's paradise. Birds like verditer flycatchers, blue-fronted redstarts, grey bushchats, dark-throated thrush, blue whistling-thrush, green-backed tit and white-browed fantails can be easily spotted.
The forests around Ravangla have other birds like laughingthrushes, babblers, cuckoos and hill partridges. The rare satyr tragopan can also be spotted in Ravangla.

Tibetan community

, a Buddhist monastery of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism is located six kilometres from Ravangla. The old monastery is also a few kilometers away towards Borong. There are plenty of small hamlets where these communities live. Tourism stands as a major source of income for these communities.

Education

, established in 2010 has its temporary campus in this town.