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Darjeeling Tours |
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Nestling
in the grandeur and beauty of towering snow-capped
mountains; with the mighty Kanchenjunga (King
of the Mountains) dominating the somber, snowy
sentinels, lies a jewel of a town -- elegant,
sophisticated and incredibly beautiful; the name
of Tibetan origin means where Indra's thunderbolt
or scepter rested, (Dodi-thunder bolt, Ling-place).
In Sanskrit, the name, derived from the world
'Durjay Ling', means 'Siva of invincible prowess,
who rules the Himalayas'. The official name of
the town is DARJEELING.
The town, itself, laid out by Lord Napier of the
Royal Engineers, is at an altitude of 2,134 m
(7,000 ft). Moving up the hills, one is greeted
by smiling tea gardens, changing to firs, pines
and fast moving torrents, surrounded by 4,000
types of flowering plants and 300 varieties of
ferns, including the rare tree fern.
Bounded on the north by Sikkim, Darjeeling is
flanked by Bhutan on the East and Nepal on the
West. Standing on a narrow ridge jutting out in
a vast basin in the heart of the Himalayas, and
enclosed by mountains, the view is more open to
the north and north-east as where the eye traverses
range after ascending range of hills behind the
cultivated slopes of closer hills till the rising
waves mingle with the distant snowy griddle of
rugged peaks. Obscure in the early dawn, the peaks
begin to inch towards pink, then slowly, mauve,
orange, till, when the sun pierces the horizon,
they finally, burst aflame.
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Tiger Hill
The highest spot in the area at 2590m, Tiger Hill
is near Ghoom, about 11km from Darjeeling. The
hill is famous for its magnificent dawn views
over Kanchenjunga and other eastern Himalayan
peaks. On a clear day even Mount Everest is visible.
Every day a large convoy of battered Land Rovers
leaves Darjeeling at 4.30am, which means that
in the smaller lodges you get woken up at this
time every day, whether you like it or not. It
can be very cold and very crowded at the top but
coffee is available. There is a view tower. Halfway
down the hill a temple priest causes a massive
traffic jam by anointing the steering wheel of
each vehicle for the return trip. Many take the
jeep one way and then walk back - a very pleasant
two hour trip.
Senchal Lake
Close to Tiger Hill is Senchal Lake, which supplies
Darjeeling with its domestic water. It's a particularlyscenic
area and popular as a picnic spot with Indian
holiday-makers
Kanchenjunga Views
At
8598m, this is the world's third highest mountain.
From Darjeeling, the best uninterrupted views
of it are from Bhan Bhakta Sarani. The name Kanchenjunga
is derived from the Tibetan Khang (snow), chen
(big), dzong (fortress or treasury) nga (five)
- big five peaked snow fortress, or big five peaked
treasury of the snow.
Bhutia Busty Gompa
Not far from Chowrasta is this colourful
monastery, with Kanchenjunga providing a spectacular
backdrop. Originally a branch of the Nyingmapa
sect's Phodang Monastery in Sikkim, it was transferred
to Darjeeling in 1879. The shrine here originally
stood on Observatory Hill. There's
library of Buddhist texts upstairs which houses
the original copy of the Tibetan Book of the Dead
Ghoom Gompa
More correctly known as Yogachoeling Gompa, this
is probably the most famous monastery in Darjeeling
and is about 8 km south of town, just below Hill
Cart road and the train station near Ghoom. It
enshrines an image of the Maitreya Buddha. Foreigners
are allowed to enter the shrine and take photographs.
As Ghoom is frequently swathed in mists, and the
monastery is old and dark, it is often affectionately
called Gloom monastery
Other Gompas
There are three other gompas in Ghoom: the very
large but relatively uninteresting Samdenchoeling,
the nearby and smaller Sakyachoeling,
and the Phint Sotholing.
Nearer Darjeeling, on Tenzing Norgay Rd, Aloobari
Monastery welcomes visitors. The monks
often sell Tibetan and Sikkimese handicrafts and
religious objects (usually hand bells). If the
monastery is closed ask at the cottage next door
and they'll let you in.
Halfway between Ghoom and Darjeeling is the Thupten
Sangachoeling Gompa at Dali. Westerners
interested in Tibetan Buddhism often study here.
A little closer to Darjeeling on the same road
is the opulent Sonada Gompa.
Observatory Hill
Situated above the Windamere Hotel, this viewpoint
is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. There
is a Kali shrine here and the multicoloured prayer
flags double as trapezes for he monkeys. Watch
out for them as they can be aggressive.
Dhirdham Temple
The most conspicuous Hindu temple in Darjeeling,
this is just below the railway station and is
modelled on the famous Pashupatinath Temple in
Kathmandu.
Bengal Natural History Museum
Established in 1903, a comprehensive but dusty
collection of Himalayan and Bengali fauna is packed
into this interesting museum. Among the 4300 specimens
is the estuarine crocodile, the animal responsible
for the greatest loss of human life in Asia. The
museum is open daily except Thursday, from 10am
to 4pm.
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park
This zoo was established in 1958 with the objectives
of study, conservation and preservation of Himalayan
fauna. The animals are well cared for by dedicated
keepers. To protect and breed the dwindling stocks
of wild animals, to educate the public and instill
in them a sense of the worth of these wonderful
creatures, it is necessary to keep them in pseudo-natural
habitats. The zoo houses India's only collection
of Siberian tigers and some rare species, such
as the red panda and the Tibetan wolf.
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) &
Museums
Entered through the zoo, on Jawahar Rd West about
two km from the town, the HMI runs courses to
train mountaineers, and maintains a couple of
interesting museums. The Mountaineering Museum
contains a collection of historic mountaineering
equipment, specimens of Himalayan flora and fauna
and a relief model of the Himalaya. The Everest
Museum next door traces the history of attempts
on the great peak.
Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, who conquered Everest with
Edmund Hillary in 1953, lived in Darjeeling and
was the director of the institute for many years.
He died in 1986 and his statue now stands beside
cremation spot just above the institute
Tibetan Refugee Centre
A 20 to 30 minutes walk from Chowrasta through
leafy glades and tea plantations, brings you down
to the Tibetan Refugee Centre. Established in
1959, the centre comprises a home for the aged,
and orphanage, school, hospital and craft workshops
that produce carpets of pure ladakhi wool, woodcarving,
leather work and wool items. The weaving and dyeing
shops and the wood carving shop are particularly
interesting.
Gymkhana Club
The word gymkhana is actually derived from the
Hindi gendkhana (ball house). Games on offer include
tennis, squash, badminton, roller-skating, table
tennis and billiards.
Passenger Ropeway
At north point, about 3 km north of the town,
is India's oldest passenger ropeway. It is 5 km
long and connects Darjeeling with Singla bazaar
on the little Ranjeet river at the bottom of the
valley.
Lloyd Botanical Gardens
Below the bus and taxi stand near the market,
these gardens contain a representative collection
of Himalayan plants, flowers and orchids. The
hothouses are well worth a visit.
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