Told in the hills
Quinine trees and a quiet ridge
The slopes around Sillery Gaon are dotted with cinchona, a South American tree whose bark yields quinine. In the 19th century quinine was the only reliable treatment for malaria, which killed huge numbers in British India. The government began growing cinchona in the Darjeeling hills in the 1860s, with its main plantation and quinine factory at Mungpoo, and over time plantations spread to other slopes, including the Kalimpong side. Many of the trees around Sillery Gaon are descendants of that effort.
The village name is said to come from sillery, a plant that grows in abundance here; there are several local stories about it. For most of the 20th century Sillery was simply a farming village above Pedong, on the edge of the old trade road to Jelep La. In recent decades, as travellers looked for quieter places than Darjeeling and Gangtok, families began opening homestays, and Sillery Gaon became one of the best known village stays in Kalimpong district.
Pinned to the board
Did you know
Sillery Gaon stands at about 6,000 ft, or 1,830 m, in the Kalimpong II block of Kalimpong district.
Cinchona, grown around Sillery Gaon, was introduced to these hills by the British as a source of quinine for treating malaria.
Ramitey Dara, a viewpoint near Sillery Gaon, is known for its view of the Teesta looping through its valley, where locals count 14 turns.
