Mungpoo is a small and historically significant town in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, situated about 33 km from Darjeeling and 52 km from Siliguri. While Mungpoo first gained prominence for its government quinine factory — established in 1864, one of the first in India — it is now celebrated as the place where Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore spent extended periods of time, drawing inspiration from the tranquil Himalayan surroundings.
About Mungpoo and Its Connection to Rabindranath Tagore
Between 1938 and 1940, the great poet Rabindranath Tagore visited Mungpoo multiple times and spent considerable time in the town. He stayed at the residence of his protégée, Maitreyi Devi — herself a renowned poet and novelist — whose husband Manmohan Sen was a quinologist working for the government, and the bungalow was originally his official residence.
It was during these visits that Tagore found creative solace in Mungpoo's quiet forests and mountain air, and it was here that Maitreyi Devi recorded her famous conversations with him — later published as the celebrated memoir Mongpusher Rabindranath ("Tagore at Mungpoo").
Rabindra Bhavan — The Museum
The bungalow where Tagore stayed has since been converted into — a museum dedicated to his memory. On visiting, one experiences the rare and moving sensation of stepping into the poet's world as it was during his lifetime.
