Darjeeling

The town and hill station of Darjeeling lies in northern West Bengal. Gifted to the British East India Company in 1817, Darjeeling is the hill station of West Bengal. This has been called the queen of hill-stations. Darjeeling is one of India's most famous hill resorts. It is 2134 m or 7000ft above sea level.

In 1835, Darjeeling was given to the East India Company by the King of Sikkim. It became a popular resort for the British who wanted to escape from the sweltering heat of the plains.

Say Darjeeling, and your listener is bound to reply tea. The association is well deserved. Darjeeling produces the world's most aromatic variety of tea. The unusual mixture of soil, altitude, sunshine, rainfall and the character of the people help Darjeeling produce the most fragrant of teas. Thus, good Darjeeling tea is indeed the champagne of teas.

It was around 1834 when Lord William Bentinck appointed a committee "to consider the question of importing seeds and plants from China; to decide upon the most favourable localities for growing them..." Around 1835 seedlings and tea seeds were distributed to various parts of India, mostly in the hilly regions of the country.

Excursion
Tiger Hill
Situated at an altitude of 2590 metres (8482 ft.), it is 15 km from Darjeeling town. An early morning trip to the Tiger Hill promises an unique experience. A view of the sunrise amidst the Himalayan range has earned it an international fame. From here you can get a glimpse of Mount Everest, the highest mountain and Kanchenjunga range.

The Observatory Hill
Apart from the magnificent view it commands, this hill atop the Mall also is attached with great religious importance as a revered temple complex for both the Hindus and the Buddhists.

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway or the Toy Train
This fascinating narrow gauge steam engine train still operates with the original steam engine and the loops and the zigzags along the route are remarkable feats of engineering. The journey from New Jalpaiguri may be a pleasant experience but it is the short ride from Darjeeling town to Ghoom, the nearest station, that becomes a joy ride in itself. The Toy Train is considered an engineering marvel and some prefer to call it one of the wonders of the world, to be preserved forever.

Batasia Loop and the War Memorial
About 5 kms. from Darjeeling, this railway loop is a marvellous feat of engineering and with its magnificent view of Darjeeling town with the Kanchenjunga mountain is worth an experience, whether aboard the Toy Train or just watching the Toy Train pass through this loop. The War memorial is constructed in the memory of the brave sons of Darjeeling who died for the country since Independence in 1947.

Tea Gardens
While in Darjeeling a visit to any nearby Tea Garden to watch the actual process of the manufacturing of Darjeeling Tea is worth it. Some of the Tea Gardens also sell their packet teas. There are about 70 tea gardens in this hill region and the most accessible one is the Happy Valley Tea Estate, which is about 3 kms. from the town or within a walking distance of about 40 minutes (Closed on Monday).

Buddhist Monasteries
In and around Darjeeling there are important and interesting Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries. The oldest one is called the Yiga Cholling Monastery which is situated about 8 kms. from the town at Ghoom and enshrines an image of 'the Coming Buddha' or the Maitriya Buddha. It was constructed in 1875 and belongs to the Gelugpa Sect. The Samten Cholling Monastery is another interesting monastery nearby. The Drukpa Kargyud Monastery, also known as Dali Monastery, is a big monastery located 5 kms. from the town. It belongs to the Drukpa Sect and the Drukchen Rimpoche resides here. The Bhutia Busty Monastery is situated at C.R. Das Road and is within 15 minutes walk from the Mall.

Japanese Peace Pagoda
The Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist inaugurated the Japanese Peace Pagoda in 1992. It is a recent landmark constructed by Japanese Monks and commands an excellent view of the town and the Himalayan Range.

Dhirdham Temple
Situated just below the Railway station the temple is a structural replica of the famous 'Pashupatinath' temple of Kathmandu, Nepal.

The Mall and Chowrasta
The Mall road originates and culminates at the Chowrasta which is the hub of Darjeeling town, a square on the ridge of Darjeeling town and a good place to sit and relax. It is ideal for a leisurely walk around a setting that is perfect. A walk around The Mall is a must just at any time of the day with the pleasant view of the mountains, valleys with rhododendron trees and old houses.

Natural History Museum
While taking a walk in The Mall a visit to the Museum of Natural History which lies closeby is worthwhile. This fine small museum exhibits an unique collection of the fauna of the Himalayan region, especially of the Eastern Himalayas.

Himalayan Mountaineering Institute
It was founded in 1954 after the historic conquest of Everest on the 29th of May in 1953, when two people set foot atop Mount Everest. They were, Tenzing Norgay (Sherpa) from Darjeeling and Sir Edmund Hillary from New Zealand. As an honour to the great Sherpa this Institute was formed with the aim of imparting mountaineering skills to all the enthusiasts. Tenzing Sherpa himself was one of the founding members and also the Field Director of the Institute. It is situated on Jawahar Parbat and adjoins the Zoo. This Institute also houses a museumwhich holds a rare collection of mementos from various Everest expeditions. Nawang Gombu, the first man to have climbed the Everest twice is presently the Chief Advisor for the Mountaineering Training.

Himalayan Zoological Park and Snow Leopard Breeding Centre
A high altitude wild life park and new home of the Siberian Tiger, Himalayan Black Bear, Barking Deer etc. , Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park or the town Zoo exhibits some rare Himalayan Fauna including the Snow Leopard, Red panda, Tibetan Wolf, Himalayan Pheasants, etc. It is a treat for all wild life enthusiasts. Just nearby is a very successful Snow Leopard Breeding Centre.

Lloyds Botanical Garden
This is a colourful garden situated just below the market. In 1878 Mr. W. Lloyd gifted 40 acres of hillside to make a garden with local plants and flowers. It still has the most varied collection of rhododendron, magnolia, orchids, etc. of the Eastern Himalayas. It also has a glass-house full of alpine flowers and also features an Orchidarium and a collection of medicinal plants.

Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway
This Ropeway is in one of the most beautiful part of the town and is situated at North Point about 3 kms. from town. The cable car ride takes 6 passengers at a time and it passes over the lush green tea gardens with breathtaking view of the mountains (Kanchenjunga) and provides an experience that cannot be easily forgotten. The valley has glorious views of Sikkim and the river Rangeet.

Ava Art Gallery
Approximately 10 minutes by taxi from the motor stand, it is just below the main road on the way to Ghoom. This gallery houses fine art and embroidery work of Mrs. Ava Devi.

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Traditional Crafts
Darjeeling has some interesting places to watch the local handicrafts being made as well as a various range of choiced handicraft souvenirs. The Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre is a self-supporting Centre for Tibetan refugees which manufactures some intriguing Tibetan handicrafts. Established for the rehabilitation of Tibetan refugees who had followed the Dalai Lama to India in early 1959. It offers a wide choice of Tibetan handicrafts, Tibetan woollen carpet is very popular. Hayden Hall, a Roman Catholic social service centre also has a handicraft section with the purpose of helping the local poor people.

Handmade items are available for sale at reasonable prices. The Manjusha Bengal Emporium offers prominent hill handicrafts, handloom and silk products of West Bengal for display and for sale. It is situated at Nehru Road. Gram Shilpa is another such showroom displaying Khadi handloom silk products and set up by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, Govt. of India. It is situated in Chowrasta.

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Getting There
By Rail
Darjeeling Railway station is in Darjeeling town. Toy Train journey from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling takes about 8 hours.

New Jalpaiguri is the major railway station (88 kms about 3 hours drive) which is connected to all the major cities in India.

By Air
Nearest Airport is Bagdogra (90 km) which has flights connecting to Calcutta, Delhi and Guwahati. Drive from Bagdogra airport to Darjeeling takes about 3½ hours. Airlines bookings can be made from Darjeeling.

By Road
Darjeeling - Siliguri/Bagdogra airport (90 km )/New Jalpaiguri Railway Station (80 kms)
Darjeeling - Kalimpong 51 kms.
Darjeeling - Gangtok, Sikkim 115 kms.
Darjeeling - Pashupati (27 km) (Nepal border)(Not authorised entry point for foreigners, only Indian and Nepali citizens are allowed to enter from here)
Darjeeling - Kakarvita (117 km) (Nepal border)
Darjeeling - Phuntsoling (233 km) (Bhutan border)

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Weather
Almost every year Darjeeling's temperature drops below freezing during the Winter season, from November to February. In Summer, Darjeeling is delightfully cool with the maximum temperature reaching about 20°C.

Rainfall : Rain falls mostly during months from June to September. The annual recorded rainfall in Darjeeling is 320 cms.

Clothing : Light woollen for summer and heavy woollens for winter.

Best time to visit : March to mid-June and September to mid-December.

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