Darjeeling
The Mall is the town's main shopping promenade and it leads to the heart of Darjeeling, called Chowrasta. A wide promenade lined with shops and restaurants, it is difficult to miss Chowrasta when in Darjeeling. A few minutes walk from Chowrasta is Observatory Hill, a high ridge lined with Buddhist prayer flags. Known as Holy Hill, it is supposed to be the spot where Indra's thunderbolt struck land. There is a Mahakal Temple on the hill, where an altar is shared by both a Hindu priest and a Buddhist monk. Tiger Hill, 13km from town, is synonymous with Darjeeling. At 8,482 ft it affords a breathtaking view of the Kanchenjunga at sunrise and, on a clear day, one can even see Mt.Everest. Senchal,Lake which supplies water to Darjeeling, is close to Tiger Hill. A scenic picnic spot, there is also a nine-hole golf course here.
Darjeeling is home to the internationally-famous Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, a few kilometres from Chowrasta. It is the only centre in India that breeds the Tibetan wolf in captivity. The zoo also has breeding programmes for other endangered, alpine species, such as Red Panda, Snow Leopard, Goral (mountain goat) and the Siberian Tiger. Through the zoo, one can go on to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, which was set up in 1954 after the successful ascent of Mt. Everest by Edmund Hillary and local hero Tenzing Norgay, who was also the institute's first director. The institute holds subsidised basic and advanced courses in mountaineering. Its two museums the Mountaineering Museum and the Everest Museum are worth a visit. Within walking distance from Chowrasta is the Natural History Museum. It contains a comprehensive collection of the fauna of the region.
The Peace Pagoda in Darjeeling is one of the many such pagodas initiated by Nichidatsu Fujii a monk from Japan.It was started in 1972 and completed 20 years later. Situated on the slopes of the Jalapahar Hill, it displays the four avatars of the Buddha. It is 94 ft high and has a diameter of 75 ft. A spectacular feat of engineering, the Batasia Loop is about 5km from Darjeeling. It is where the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway takes a 360 degree turn to accomplish a steep ascent. India's oldest passenger ropeway Darjeeling-Rangit Valley Passenger Cable Car , which connects Darjeeling with Singla Bazaar at the bottom of the valley. Popularly known as the Ropeway', it can be taken at North Point, 3km north of town.
The Buddhist monasteries:
Some of the oldest and most charming monasteries in India can be found in and around Darjeeling. Very close to town, the Ghoom Monastery is believed to have been built in 1875 by Lama Sherab Gyatso and is famous for its statue of Maitreya Buddha. The monastery has a rich collection of rare books on Buddhism. Situated on the Old Military Road, commonly known as the Aloobari Road, the Mag-Dhog Yolmowa Buddhist Monastery has stunning statues of Buddha and Padmasambhave. Its wall paintings, which have been rendered in herbs and grass, each portray teachings about life. Founded by Sangay Lama of Nepal, the construction of the monastery coincided with the beginning of the First World War in 1914. The monastery was, therefore, named Mag-Dhog or Warding off the War and is dedicated to the cause of world peace. The monastery houses ancient Buddhist scriptures as well.
About 4km from Darjeeling, in Dali, is the Druk Thupten Sangag Choeling Monastery , headquarters of Drukchen Rimpoche XII, the supreme head of the powerful Kargyupa sect. One of the most important monasteries of the sect, it was founded by the late Thuksey Rinpoche in 1971. The Bhutia Busty Monastery (Karma Dorjee Chyoling Monastery) belongs to the Red Sect of Buddhist Lamas. Not far from Chowrasta, this colourful monastery was built in 1879. The monastery was damaged in an earthquake in 1934, and was rebuilt with the assistance of the Chogyal of Sikkim. The monastery still belongs to the government of Sikkim and receives a maintenance grant from it. It houses the original copy of The Tibetan Book of the Dead. The Tashi Dargyaligh Monastery, established in 1926, is one of the oldest monasteries of the Tamang sect, who are Nepali Buddhists of the Nyingmapa sect. It is situated in the middle of Darjeeling.
Activities:
Children would love a visit to the Garg World Amusement Park, 4km away on Gandhi Road. The park has a variety of rides and attractions. Take a trip to the Happy Valley Tea Gardens established in 1854 (3km away). You can go through the entire tea production process, from leaf picking to tea manufacturing over here. Take a pony from Chowrasta or merely walk down the hill to reach the factory.
Trekking is an old favourite here, with options along the Himalayan ridges on the Indo-Nepal border near Darjeeling. One of the oldest and most popular treks is on the Singalila Ridge Trail.The trek begins in Darjeeling and proceeds through Maneybhanjyang, Tonglu, Sandakphu, ending in Phalut. Undertake a mountaineering course at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. Or, opt for the institute's rock climbing course conducted at Tenzing Rock and Gombu Rock.
Whitewater rafting is done on the Teesta and the Rangit. The sport made a late entrance in the region, only in the early 1990s, but has caught on immensely and is now a popular holiday option. The Teesta's waters have been graded as II, III and IV as per international standards.
Food and Shopping:
While Darjeeling has all food options available, from North Indian to South Indian, the staple dish here is momos, which are found in almost every restaurant. It is said that Darjeeling momos have a character of their own and should not be confused with the ordinary momo; so, definitely give them a try. Also famous is the local beer, called tongba; it is not readily available everywhere, but in special restaurants.Darjeeling also serves up some dishy continental cuisine in bakeries that dot the Mall.
Most of the shopping can be done in Chowrasta and on the Mall. Tibetan curios, such as thangkas , miniature monasteries and garments made from yak wool, are available here. Tibetan rugs, Nepali khukris (dagger), Bhutanese artifacts, Kalimpong candies and cheese, wooden carvings and, of course, excellent tea can all be bought in these two areas.
Visit the Tibetan Refugee Self-Help Centre, which is renowned internationally for its excellent carpets, woollen wear, woodwork and leather work. On Nehru Road is Manjusha Bengal Emporium. It displays and sells handicraft, handloom and silk products from all over . Situated on Laden La Road is Hayden Hall , a cooperative of women, who produce and sell woollen carpets, cotton shoulder bags, table mats, and hand-knitted pure woollen sweaters and caps. All of these products are available at reasonable prices.
Entertainment:
Visit the Darjeeling Club on Gandhi Road where visitors are allowed as guests and the 100-year-old Darjeeling Gymkhana Club on Mall Road. The latter has various options for indoor and outdoor games, and visitors can take temporary membership.
Tourism Info:
West Bengal
1, Nehru Road
Darjeeling
Tel. (91)-0354-2254050
A quintessential, British Raj-era hill station, Darjeeling is situated in the lower Himalayas at a height of 6,982ft. In the upper reaches of the state of West Bengal, it is the headquarters of Darjeeling district and counts Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan as its neighbours. The town is best known for its fabulous views of India's highest, and the world's third-highest peak, the Kanchenjunga, at 28,169ft, and its tea plantations.
A part of the independent state of Sikkim in the early 19th century, Darjeeling was discovered by the British when they were asked to intervene and help settle border disputes between Nepal and Sikkim. Permission was sought from the Sikkim Chogyal (king) to build a sanitarium there because of the area's temperate climate and salubrious environs. Darjeeling went from being a cluster of villages in the hills to a preferred holiday destination for British officers and the elite of Kolkata. It passed into the hands of the British after 1849 following tensions between the British and the state of Sikkim.
One of the most endearing legacies of that era is the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which runs from Siliguri to Darjeeling. A leisurely ride that takes seven to eight hours, it is one of the best ways to get to Darjeeling. The railway was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999 and is one of the few steam engines still in service in India. Another long-lasting legacy is tea. Now synonymous with Darjeeling, tea was first planted here by the British in the late 19th century. Darjeeling saw an influx of Nepali workers at this time to work on the plantations.
Darjeeling was declared a district of West Bengal at the time of Independence . In 1950, the town provided a home to thousands of Tibetan refugees after 's annexation by China . The Tibetan Refugee Centre was opened in 1959. It has a gompa, school, clinic, orphanage and old age home, as well as a craft workshop. The town's name has Tibetan origins, as Darjeeling means Dorje or thunderbolt and Ling or land in Tibetan. Literally, it translates into the land where the thunderbolt of Indra was struck.
The town was at the centre of the Gorkhaland agitation of 1986, when a separate state was sought for the Gorkhas. With peace returning in the 1990s, Darjeeling quickly recaptured tourists fancy, remaining true to its name, Queen of the Hills.
