Darjeeling : Darjeeling meaning ‘place of
the dorja-thunderbolt’ (or possibly named after dorja the mystical),
and the surrounding area once belonged to the Rajas, of Sikkim,
although parts were annexed from time to time by the Bhutanese and
Nepalis.
Popularly known as the “Queen of Hill Station’s”, Darjeeling is at a
height of 2134 mts. ( 7000 ft.), surrounded by tea plantations and
offers a magnificent view of the Himalayan panorama including the
Kanchenjunga peak. Darjeeling has been a popular hill station since
the British established it as a rest and recreation centre for their
troops in the early 19th century. Indians and foreigners still come
here in drovers to escape the heat, humidity and hassle of the north
Indian plain and to expire Buddhist monasteries.
Built on the crescent shaped ridge, it faces the Himalaya; the
surrounding hills thickly covered with coniferous forests or
terraced tea gardens. The Europeans who built the houses with
commanding views originally occupied the upper reaches.
Places of interest include the Lloyd Botanical Gardens, the Natural
History Museum, Dhirdham Temple near the railway station, built
after the Pashupatinath temple of Kathmandu, the Himalayan
Mountaineering Institute, displaying the priceless mountaineering
gear worn by Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, the first person to scale Mount
Everest, along with Edumund Hillary of New Zealand, and the adjacent
Zoological park.
There’s also the Darjeeling Jangeet valley ropeway, a 2 kms long
journey between Darjeeling, with its beautiful Buddhist monastery
containing a huge gilded statue of the seated Maitereya Buddha.
A breathtakingly beautiful journey by mountain train or car or bus
will take one to Darjeeling, perched beautifully on the roof of the
world. Studded with exotic little Bazzars, lovely villas, forests
and gardens, the town itself is enveloped with the aroma of the
world famous Darjeeling tea. The best time to visit Darjeeling is
from March to mid-June and from September to mid-December.
