Sonada is a charming and historically significant town in the Darjeeling District of West Bengal, situated on National Highway 55 between Kurseong and Darjeeling — 16 km from Kurseong and 17 km from Darjeeling town. A quiet stop on the celebrated mountain highway, Sonada rewards visitors with beautiful scenery, a world-famous monastery, a Christian pilgrimage site, and the iconic sight and sound of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway passing through town.
About Sonada, Darjeeling
Sonada sits comfortably on the Hill Cart Road (National Highway 55), the main artery connecting Siliguri with Darjeeling. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) — a UNESCO World Heritage Site popularly known as the Toy Train — passes through Sonada, with a DHR station located in the town. The sight and sound of the steam locomotive winding through the town and surrounding tea gardens is one of the enduring images of the Darjeeling Hills.
Samdrup Darjay Choling Monastery
The most significant landmark in Sonada is the Samdrup Darjay Choling Monastery — the international seat of the Shangpa Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery was founded by His Eminence Dorje Chang Kabje Kalu Rinpoche, who was born in Tibet and enthroned at this monastery in 1993. It is a deeply sacred and spiritually significant centre that attracts Buddhist practitioners and pilgrims from across the world.
