A visit to Gangtok is really incomplete without paying visits to M. G. Marg, Gangtok, which is a ‘must visit’ place. Marg’ refers to ‘Road’ in Hindi, so MG Marg means MG Road. Gangtok is the town centre of the hill town and just like any other important road in a city of India would be named as Mahatma Gandhi Road or MG Road, Gangtok is no exception and hence this place is named as M. G. Marg, Gangtok. Over the years, the road and the area around it has transformed. The entire road is lined up with numerous glittering shops, restaurants, cafes and bars on both sides. It looks very similar to a shopping mall but out in the open. Locals and tourists take leisure walks or just sit and relax. Many tourists take a table at a roadside restaurant and watch the activities on the street, or relax on one of the benches laid alongside the road. The atmosphere out there is like a carnival. At MG Marg in December, The annual Gangtok Food and Culture Festival is held.The whole area is smoke-free, litter-free, and devoid of vehicles. For approximately 1 kilometre stretch of the road, vehicles are not allowed as it’s a pedestrian-only zone. All buildings on both sides of this road are painted green, in line with the government’s green initiative. The Statue of Unity depicts peace, love and harmony and the statue overlooking MG Marg comprises the figures of Bhutia Chieftain Khye Bumsa, the Lepcha leader Thetong Tek and his wife Ngo-Kong-ngol. About midway is an imposing statue of Mahatma Gandhi. There are victorian lamps along this road. The entire place looks magical, when lit up after dark.
