Darjeeling
– The Himalayan Heaven
“Gaye Firdaus Barruye jameen ast
Hameen asto, hameen asto, hameen ast”
(If there is anywhere Heaven on the earth,
It is here, it is here, it is here.”)
There is no doubt that Firdaus did not write these eulogizing lines specifically for Darjeeling but these immortal lines are quite apt for Darjeeling, the famous hill station in West Bengal (India) and the glorious home of Sherpa Tenzing who first stepped in 1953 on the highest mountain peak of the world, Mount Everest, with Edmund Hillary. Mark Twain seems to have visited this Himalayan city and penned down his impression about Darjeeling as the “land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that away for the shows of the rest of the world combined.”
Such is the beautiful land of Darjeeling. Adjacent to and surrounded by small Asian countries as Burma, Bangladesh, Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan, this beautiful “Queen of the Himalayan Region” is not only one of the biggest tea producers of India but is also abundantly enriched with natural beauty. Situated on the foothills of the Himalayas at an altitude of some 2000 meters, Darjeeling – which was a territory of Nepal before 1816 - reflects the beauty of the Himalayan peak of Kanchenjunga popularly known as Five Treasures In The Snow and revered by the inhabitants as the abode of the gods. Kanchenjunga, literally meaning ‘the golden thigh’ is quite a scenic mountain peak of the Himalayas and if you want to see its beauty in perfection and that of its underlying Singla valleys, you must get to the Jawahar Parvat behind the Raj Bhawan (Governor House). Such scenery is really heavenly. But .. you will be missing something great if you escaped Tiger Hill. A bit away from Darjeeling town, this world-famous ‘Window of the Sunrise’ is situated at an altitude of 2590 meters. and offers a panoramic view of the Sun rising over Kanchenjunga. One can view from here the beauty of the entire Eastern Himalayan peaks and can observe even Mount Everest if the weather is clear. It is marvelous to see the golden glow of the rising Sun sprinkle its changing shades on the snow.
Beautiful Places to Visit
Darjeeling is packed with wonderful aesthetic points as well as interesting places for people of varied taste. Lofty mountain terrains and cascading rivers offer adventurous sports like trekking, mountaineering and rafting. Adventurous people from all over the world come to Darjeeling to enjoy trekking. Sandakphu, situated at an altitude of 11,929 ft. and 57 kilometers from Darjeeling, is a wonderful trekking place surrounded by bewitching scenery along winding roads. Himalayan Mountaineering Institute is a center of its own kind dedicated to training in mountaineering. Whether parks or museums, resorts or gardens, art galleries or hillsides, sanctum sanctorum or market complexes, Darjeeling reflects a life which is full of colors. Tiger Hill is a must for those who come to Darjeeling but if you are the one who loves animals and their natural traits the Himalayan Zoological Park is the right place to step in. It is a high altitude wild life park and a new home for the Siberian Tiger, Himalayan Black Deer, Panda, Llama and birds like Monal,
Emerald Dove, maroon Oriole, etc. Though the whole of Darjeeling seems evergreen and attractive with spruce, chestnut, magnolia, oak, and silver fir trees, Lloyds Botanical Garden is a special place for plant-lovers and has a rare collection of various Himalayan plants and flowers. Rock Garden is yet another beautiful spot which attracts the tourists.Buddhist Monasteries are such wonderful places in and around Darjeeling which have their own serene appeal. Both in their artistic shape and in their tranquillizing effect they leave an indelible impact. The Buddhist Monastery of Ghoom, a place near Darjeeling, deserves special mention. Built in a typical Tibetan style, the Monastery has a 15 ft. tall image of Maitryee Buddha, i.e. the foretold incarnation of Lord Buddha. Another important Monasteries are the Aloobari Monastery on Tenzing Road and Bhutia Busty Monastery near Chowrasta which also has a rich library of Buddhist Writings. Dali Monastery as well as the Japanese Peace Pagoda, dedicated to world peace, are also worth visiting. A religiously important site of its own kind is the Observatory Hill. The hill is a sacred spot for both the Hindus and the Buddhists and commands a magnificent view combined with a solemn spiritual atmosphere. Dhirdam Temple built in the style of the famous "Pashupatinath" temple of Kathmandu is also a wonderful sacred spot.
For those who love art and history, Darjeeling has a rich legacy of invaluable worth. Natural History Museum, established in 1903 offers a comprehensive collection of Himalayan fauna including hundreds of rare specimens of estuarine crocodile. Himalayan Mountaineering Institute Museum, too, has a varied collection of mountaineering equipment and of Himalayan flora and fauna. An interesting item of the Museum is a relief model of the Himalaya. Ava Art Gallery contains beautiful pieces of fine art. Tomb of Alexander Csoma de Koros, the great Hungarian scholar of Tibetan language and culture who was the first to introduce Tibetan Buddhism to the Western world, is also one of the landmarks of Darjeeling. Among the thrilling experiences that Darjeeling offers are viewing of the Rangat Valley Ropeway, the five kilometer long first passenger ropeway of India, and the railway loop of Batasia in Ghoom, one of the highest railway stations in the world. Not only these are the marvels of engineering but they also add to the viewers’ pleasure in capturing the beautiful natural scenery around. The toy train of Darjeeling is the best possible pleasure that can be offered to children. The beautiful lake named Kalpokhri, a bit away from Darjeeling, is also worth visiting. And when you have culminated your trip to this beautiful Himalayan queen, forget not to take a round of The Mall before you leave. The beauty of Kanchenjunga gives a unique look from this place which you can glance from modern Coffee Houses or Restaurants full of palatable stuff. The Mall is the heart-throb of Darjeeling and looks teeming with shops and market complexes. Beautiful woolens sold by beautiful women will especially give you a warm feeling. And .. remember, the best season to visit Darjeeling is from September to December as the view of the peaks is clearer and Darjeeling is also less crowded in these months.
