Saptashri Gyanpeeth

Living in Kalimpong means you get used to the mist and the winding roads. Saptashri Gyanpeeth is right there on Tazari Road, tucked away where it’s usually a bit cool. Every morning, the students walk up the slopes, some of them looking a bit tired from the climb. We don’t have a massive campus like schools in the big cities, but we make do with what we have on the hillside. The classrooms get a lot of light when the sun finally breaks through the clouds. We spend our days teaching math, science, and languages while the clouds drift past the windows. It’s a bit of a climb to get here, but the air is fresh. The teachers often share snacks in the small break room while we talk about the lesson plans. Sometimes the rain is so loud on the roof that we have to speak up. It’s just a local school for the families around here who want their children to have a place to go. We keep the benches painted and the boards clean as much as we can. It’s not a perfect place, but it’s our place. You can hear the sounds of the town from the gate, but once you're inside, it’s mostly just the sound of pens scratching on paper. It gets quiet in the evenings after everyone goes home down the hill.