Dr. Graham’s Homes School

4.7

Location: 3FMR+CVH, Topkhana, Kalimpong, West Bengal 734316, India.

Estimated Visiting Time: Approximately two hours.

Dr. Graham’s Homes is an international educational institution. It is sponsored by different non-governmental organizations (NGOs) worldwide. Though it was initially allowed only for Anglo-Indian students, this school now has about 1400 students from all the communities. It has all the opportunities that provide an educational environment for the students. It has spacious classrooms, laboratories, a computer room, a vast playground, a library, and a mini auditorium. Every year, May Fair is the festival celebrated at Graham’s Homes.

Attraction

Dr. Graham’s Homes is a significant education center in Kalimpong, located on the lower steep of Deolo Hill. It is an orphanage for neglected children and has become a source of pride for Kalimpong. It has a glorious history of a hundred years. If you want to know its centuries-old history, it is suggestively the appropriate place to visit in Kalimpong. They are given extra training in handicrafts. It is a coeducational boarding and day school with all the opportunities for its students, such as a vast playground, laboratories, spacious classrooms, computer room, music room, library, and mini auditorium. It has the most tranquil environment to flourish a lifetime of memories within.

History

An educational institute named Dr. Graham’s Homes is situated on Deolo Hill on the eastern fringes of Kalimpong. It is over a hundred years old and spread over 500 acres of land. In 1900, Dr. John Anderson Graham (a missionary of the church of Scotland) established this school to provide for the educational needs of children from Nursery to Class XII. During the turn of the 20th century, Dr.John Anderson worked with the local community for several years. In Edinburgh, he was working as a clerk in the civil service, and at this moment, John McMurtrie, the minister of his church, appointed Graham to the Ministry of God. The Anglo-Indian Schools Association includes the school as one of its members. It is permitted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE). It is formerly called St. Andrew’s Colonial Homes. 1942, Dr. John Anderson passed away, and after India got its independence in 1947, ‘St. Andrew’s Colonial Homes was renamed Dr—Graham’s Homes to honor his work.

Inside/Outside Views

‘Katherine Graham Memorial Chapel’ is the beautiful chapel here, known as the first place to shelter the orphans of Kalimpong. Dr.Graham’s Homes is a self-sufficient institution with a farmhouse, cottages, staff quarters, hostels, hospitals, workshops, a diary, and also a bakery of its own. The school provides the abandoned students with all-around development, including a hospital, gymnasium, and farm.

Opening Hours

Wednesday4–5 PM

Thursday4–5 PM

Friday4–5 PM

Sunday8 AM–5 PM

Monday4–5 PM

Tuesday4–5 PM

[N.B] Saturday closed.

Entry & Others Fees

Free for all Visitors.

Near Restaurants

Near Hotels

How to Reach

By Road: The distance between Kalimpong Bus Station and Dr. Graham’s Homes is about 3km. One can easily reach this monastery from this bus station by taking a Cab or any local transport.

By Train: Kalimpong doesn’t have a railway station. New Jalpaiguri Railway Station is the nearest station to Dr. Graham’s Homes. It is almost 104.6km away from the station. You will get any local transport from here very quickly. Reaching Dr. Graham’s home takes approximately 3 hours and 34 minutes.

By air: Bagdogra International Airport is the nearest airport to Dr. Graham’s Homes. It is a small but well-organized airport in Kalimpong. You can easily reach Dr. Graham’s Homes by taking any local transport from the airport.

Tips for Travellers

Kalimpong experiences cozy weather in the winter season. That’s why it is necessary to bring warm clothes with you. As it is an educational institution, you must be careful about your dress. The best time to visit is May and March or September and November. In addition, in May, the festival of May Fair is celebrated every year at Dr. Graham’s Homes.