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
from the sweltering heat of the
plains.
The toy train coming from Siliguri
is some thing which is liked by the
elders and the children equally. The
real fun in coming to Darjeeling is
on the toy train. It takes six to
seven hours to cover a distance of
82 kms and the slow speed gives you
enough time to watch and appreciate
the beauty which nature has provided
it. This train passes through the
Forests, waterfalls, over
deepvalleys and through the
mountains and tunnels
The city is centered around the Mall
which has a variety of shops,
restaurants and hotels. Beautiful
walk ways start from the Mall.
Between Darjeeling and Siliguri is
the small town of Kurseong which has
several educational institutions and
churches.
Trekking enthusiasts can check out
Sandakphu and Phalut. From
Sandakphu one can see four of the
five highest mountain peaks in the
world - Everest, Makalu, Lhotse and
Kanchanjunga.
Places to See
Darjeeling has plenty
of tourist spots in and around the
city. Some of the most important are
listed
here.
The Japanese peace pagoda depicts
the various stages of the Buddha's
life.Another attraction is the
nation's oldest passenger ropeway
which connects North Point to Singla
Bazar.
A
visit to the Tiger Hills before
dawn is a must for all Darjeeling
visitors who want to see sunrise
over the Mt Kanchenjungha. Tiger
Hill is 2590 m above sea level and
11 kms from town (45 min).
Two kilometers from Darjeeling is
the town of Ghoom which is the
highest railway station in the
world. It also has a monastery
The Batasia loop (5 kms from
Darjeeling) on the Darjeeling
Himalayan railway is an engineering
marvel and is another attraction
even if someone doesn't want to take
the slow train ride.
The Tenzing Norgay Himalayan
Mountaineering Institute trains
mountaineers. It has a small museum
as well. Adjacent to it is the
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological
Park.
The Lloyd's botanical gardens is
another attraction.
The two popular view points are
Jawahar Parbat and the Observatory
Hill which offer views of the
Himalayan ranges.
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological
Park : Located adjacent to
the Himalayan Mountaineering
Institute. It is a high altitude
wild life park and a new home for
the Siberian Tiger, Himalayan Black
Deer, Deer Panda, Llama and birds.
It is open from 8 am to 4 PM
The Dhirdham Temple,
built in the style of Katmandu's
Pashupatinath temple adds to the
varied religious architectural
styles of Darjeeling. It is near the
railway station.
Senchal Lake : A
favorite Picnic Spot about 10 k.m.
from the town. The lake provides
water supply to the Darjeeling
town.
