One destination and many world, Darjeeling is truly one of the most
colourful part of India. It is the first name that strikes in the minds of
honeymooners and other travel buffs. This single destination carries so many
wonders in its arms. Darjeeling brings to us images of the vast stretches of
tea gardens and the huffing-puffing Darjeeling Toy Train.
Darjeeling is a famed hill station, located in the state of West Bengal. It
is 7000 ft above the sea level. Its natural beauty is of an unmatched type
and provides a wide variety of activities ranging from mere leisurely walks
to more arduous activities. To mention a few like - trekking and river
rafting. The entire beauty of Darjeeling gets an uplift with the presence of
great Mt. Kanchenjunga that works as a long lasting intoxicant for the
tourists from worldwide.
Things to see
Batasia Loop - This showcases a great engineering
feat. At this loop the Toy Train takes a unique turn. This loop is just at a
distance of 5 kms from the main town of Darjeeling. The area around the loop
also is a good shopping destination.
Tiger Hill - The Tiger Hill at a distance of around
11 km from Darjeeling offers breathtaking view of Kanchenjunga and other
eastern Himalayan peaks, specially at dawan. If you are lucky and the
weather conditions are favourable, then you might as catch the awe inspiring
sight of the Mount Everest.
Bhutiya Busty Gompa - The Bhutiya Busty Gompa is a
monastery with a backdrop of the beautiful Mt. Kanchenjunga. The monastery
also houses a library that contains the original copy of the Tibetan Book of
the Dead.
Dhoom Gompa - This monastery is located at about 8
kms from Darjeeling. Here a beautiful statue of Buddha can be found. The
monastery also has preserved some of the rarest handwritten Buddhist
manuscripts.
Chowrasta - This is one of the most important
shopping centres of Darjeeling. Near Chowrasta a tourist can find a number
of temples.
Botanical Gardens - If you are an ardent lover of
nature then surely pay a visit to the Botanical gardens as you will find a
wide variety of Himalayan plants, flowers and orchids here.
Observatory Hill - It is a site which is revered by
both Hindus and Buddhists.A Kali temple here is very famous.
Bengal Natural History Museum - The museum boasts of
a rich collection of Himalayan and Bengali fauna. It preserves about 4300
specimens out of which the estuarine crocodile is the most famous.
Dhirdham Temple - This is a temple that reminds many
of the famous Pashupatinath temple of Kathmandu. The architecture of the
temple is inspired after the temple in Kathmandu.
Shopping
Your trip to Darjeeling is almost incomplete if you return to Darjeeling
without a tea packet. Golden-tipped Orange Pekoe is one of the best
varieties of tea to look for. There are also many shopping malls in
Darjeeling. The shops of the malls are very famous for curios and carpets.
One can also buy thangkas, brass statues, religious objects, jewellery, wood
carvings and woven fabrics from this place. You can also not miss on the
bronze, copper, silver and gold artifact. The Tibetan Refugee Centre, Hayden
Hall and Third Eye are good for Tibetan carpets.
How To Reach
The Bagdogra airport is the nearest airport to Darjeeling. It is 10 kms
from Siliguri and from the Bagdogra airport one can hire a bus or a taxi to
reach Darjeeling. Darjeeling has a railway station but only the toy train
from Jalpaiguri and New Jalpaiguri comes here. Darjeeling is a land that is
well connected by roads. The state transport run buses from Kolkata and
nearby places. There are also certain privately run buses.
