Climb to the Sevokeshwari Kali Mandir

On a forested hillside directly above the western end of the bridge, a flight of brightly painted concrete stairs climbs to the Sevokeshwari Kali Mandir, one of the most atmospheric roadside temples in North Bengal. The signboard says 107 steps, and most people count something close to that after a pause or two. Local accounts put its origin as early as 1730, with the current structure and painted staircase the result of successive renovations.
The sanctum houses a small, jewel-draped image of Kali; a separate Shiva shrine sits across the road; a Baba Loknath shrine occupies a corner of the main complex .Every bus driver and long-haul trucker on the route stops here for a quick pranam before tackling the hill road, and if you watch the ritual for a few minutes you'll see more of North Bengal's working culture than any museum would show you.
Practicalities: The temple is open round the clock and charges no entry fee. Shoes off at the base of the stairs, and a small donation at the inner shrine is appropriate. The complex is genuinely busy during Navratri and Durga Puja (September-October) and during Kali Puja (October-November), when the stairs are decorated end-to-end with marigold and the evening aarti is a full-sensory experience. On clear winter mornings, the temple forecourt gives you a clean sightline to Kanchenjunga rising behind the Teesta gorge, arguably the best free view in the corridor.