Darjeeling is a hill
station of West Bengal. This has been called the queen of hill-stations. Darjeeling
is hemmed in by Sikkim in the north, Nepal in the west and Bhutan in
the east. Darjeeling town, Kalimpong and Kurseong are the major
urban centers. Tiger hills is the highest point in the area which
provides the most exotic view of the Kanchenjunga peaks. From this
place the other peaks of the Eastern Himalayas can be seen
The heart of
Victorian Darjeeling is the Chowrasta, a square above the busy bazar
on Hill Cart Road. In the local dialect, Chowrasta means the place
where four roads meet. While proceeding towards Chowrasta or the
Mall, visitors have to ascend a hill full of curios, studios etc,
and suddenly the visitor finds himself on a huge flat platform
surrounded by benches for people to sit. A walk along the Mall Road
opens a beautiful view of the surrounding hills and if the time is
right then rhododendrons can be seen all around.
Tenzing Norgay's
ascent of Everest along with Edmund Hillary, in 1953 provided
the impetus to mountaineering as an organised sport in India, and it
was to commemorate this singular success that the Himalayan
Mountaineering Institute (HMI) was founded in Darjeeling with the
personal initiative of Late Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first
Prime Minister of India. The Institute was established on 4th
November 1954, which was then the hub center of all mountaineering
activity in India.
It is situated 10 km
from town.It is a very attractive picnic spot with natural water
falls. The Rock Garden was constructed by The Gorkha Hill Council
Tourism Department. The road to the garden is a steep and winding
one almost touching the plain. Just below the Rock Garden is the
recently constructed Gangamaiah park .Tourists may enjoy the beauty
of this park.
Lloyd Botanical Garden
Himalayan Zoological Park
Natural History Museum
The
Lloyd Botanical Garden, is named after William Lloyd who donated the
site in 1878. Its a colourful garden situated just below the Market
motor stand. It contains a representative collection of Himalayan
plants, flowers, orchids etc. The hot houses are well worth a visit.
It is the only center
in India for the captive breeding of Snow Leopards, the Himalayan
Zoological Park houses a wide variety of animals and birds some of
which are Siberian tigers, Himalayan black bears, Red Pandas and the
Llama of the Andes.
Adjacent to Chowrasta
is the Museum of Natural History, containing a representative and
comprehensive collection of the fauna of the region. The specimens
are displayed in true to life attitudes of all birds' species,
reptiles and animals found in different altitudes in the Eastern
Himalayas.
How to reach
Darjeeling
By Air
By Rail
By Bus
The nearest
airport to Darjeeling is Bagdogra about 94-96 kms away from
Darjeeling. There are direct flight connections with Delhi,
Calcutta and Guwahati.
The closest Railway Station is New Jalpaiguri about 88 kms
away from Darjeeling. It has direct railway connections with
Calcutta, Delhi, Guwahati, Varanasi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai
and other major cities of India.
Darjeeling is connected to Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan and all of its
surrounding hills. The major access to Darjeeling is via
Siliguri which is connected to all the major cities.
Events in
Darjeeling
New Year's eve
Teesta-Rangeet tourism
carnival
Buddha Jayanti
It is always a
special day celebration for the hill people. They spend the night
mostly on local nightclubs like Purple or with a live band at the
Glenarys.
The Teesta-Rangeet
tourism carnival has many things to offer to the tourists who visit
Darjeeling--river rafting, ethnic Gorkhali cuisine and cultural
shows. Organised at the confluence of Teesta and Rangeet, the holy
rivers of Darjeeling, the festival was organised in the Kalimpong
sub-division in Darjeeling district of West Bengal.
Birth anniversary of
Lord Buddha is celebrated with procession from Buddhist monasteries
with Lamas (Tibetan Monks) musical troupe followed by Lord Buddha's
idol, and the procession usually carries the Buddhist holy books
around town.
Weather
The best season
to visit Darjeeling is between April and June. But one can also
go to Darjeeling between September and November. During these
months the mountains are clearly visible and one can enjoy the
golden sunrise over the Himalayan peaks.
Last Minute Guide
Shopping At
Darjeeling
Darjeeling offers a
variety of crafts, which are different from those in the rest of
Bengal. Nepalese and Tibetan brasswork and jewelry, gems, woodwork,
carpets and wool weavings are the mainstays. you can buy the
world-renowned Darjeeling tea directly from some of the tea estates
after taking a tour to see their production methods. In Darjeeling,
visit Habeeb Mullik and Sons for good curios. For handmade Tibetan
carpets, woolen sweaters, socks and handicrafts, stop by the Tibetan
Refugee Self-Help Center.
Cuisines of
Darjeeling
The dining options at
the Windamere hotel include a restaurant and a bar providing an
ideal combination of palatable food and wine assortments. The
Sunkhari (Orchid) is the multi-cuisine restaurant, at Fortune Resort,
with a wide array of cuisines for the connoisseurs and Coffee Shop .
Hospitals in Darjeeling
Banks/Money Changers
Þ
North Bengal Medical
College and Hospital, Darjeeling
