What do Tenzing Norgay, one of the first two men to set foot on Mount Everest (on May 29, 1953), the World Heritage Himalayan Railway (chosen by UNESCO) with its quaint little toy trains, and some of the finest tea in the world, have in common? Its Darjeeling, the undisputed "Queen of the Hills", situated some 665 km’s. away from Calcutta (now Kolkata) in Eastern India.
Mark Twain once said of Darjeeling that it’s "the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once - by even a glimpse - would not give that glimpse for the shows of the rest of the world combined."
And nothing could be closer to the truth.
In 1835, Darjeeling was given to the East India Company by the King of Sikkim. It became a popular resort for the British who wanted to escape the sweltering heat of the plains and seek cooler comforts in the north. The town of Darjeeling today occupies an area of 11.44 sq. kms. and has a population of about 100,00. The name Darjeeling itself has two parts to it - ‘dorje’ meaning ‘thunderbolt’ and ‘ling’ meaning ‘place’. So Darjeeling is ‘the Land of Thunderbolts’. However, the serene beauty of the place will have you believe otherwise. The snow-capped peak of the Kanchenjungha in the lap of the lofty Himalayas afar, the sleepy villages shrouded in fog, the lush tea-gardens dotting the landscape, the smiling Sherpa children - Darjeeling, it is said, refuses to age even after a thousand glimpses.
Darjeeling situated some 2134 meters above the sea level, with a splendid range of natural beauty provides a wide variety of activities from leisurely scenic walks and popular sightseeing to more grueling activities such as trekking and river rafting for the adventurous. There’s so much to do while you are in Darjeeling. A visit to the Tiger Hill, standing 2590 meters above the sea level, at daybreak will simply take your breath away as you witness the mesmerizing sunrise over Mt. Kanchenjungha, which is among the tallest peaks in the world.
Then take a walk to the beautifully exotic Japanese Peace Pagoda, the unforgettable Ghoom Monastery (Ghoom also boasts of having the highest railway station in the world), ride the train around the engineering marvel of the Batasia Loop, catch wannabe mountaineers in training at the Tenzing Norgay Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, lose yourself among the orchids at the Lloyd’s Botanical Gardens and pay your homage at the Dhirdam Temple, built in the style of Katmandu’s Pashupatinath Temple.
The Senchal Lake, located some 10 Kms. away from the town and supplying water to the local population, is a place of great beauty in itself. The hub of activity of the city is centered on the Mall, which has a variety of shops, restaurants and hotels. A pony ride along the beautiful walkways around the Mall will remain etched on one’s memory for eternity.
Darjeeling, in the final impression, emerges as a collage of rocks and forests, trickling streams and gushing waterfalls, deep gorges and steep mountains and a most diverse universe of flora and fauna. It takes just one visit to realize the truth of Mark Twain’s words: "…would not give that glimpse for the shows of the rest of the world combined."
