The Magic of Darjeeling

Darjeeling, the Queen of the Hills, which at a height of 6,500 ft in the Eastern Himalayas, used to be an R & R (Rest and Recuperation) Centre for the troops during the days of the British Raj. Today it is one of India’s most popular hill stations.

People, from all over the world, visit Darjeeling which is incidentally also famous internationally for its delicately flavored tea. The surrounding hills are carpeted with tea bushes and where the tea estate ends, the hills are covered with tall pines. There is plenty to see and do when in Darjeeling. The local zoo is the world’s only centre to breed Snow Leopards, The Tibetan Wolf and the Red panda in captivity. One can also visit a tea garden to watch and gather some information on the manufacturing process of the world famous Darjeeling Tea. Darjeeling also provides several options white water rafting or kayaking down the swift River Teesta trekking in the Singalila Range to Sandakphu and Phalut or you could to take any of the several dozens of day treks out of town. Details are given below in the text.

The wild life is equally unparalleled evokes an aesthetic ambience and a romantic feeling making you nostalgic.The Flora includes more than three thousand species of flowering plants, over two hundred and fifty varieties of ferns, including tree fern , mosses, algae, fungi, birches, and of course, the prize orchids, wild and cultivated. There are oaks, chestnuts, cherry, maple, birch, and alder.In the upper hill areas are the magnolias, buck-landias,pyrus and conifers such as Webb, Himalayan firs, English yews, Sikkim spruces, larch, weeping tsuga brunoniana and junipers. Rhododendrons and Ivy is common. The fauna includes monkeys, wild cats, tigers, leopards, civets, jackals and foxes, wild dogs, bears, otters, martons, weasels, squirrels porcupines, hares, barking deer, samburs, chitals and the very rare pangolin. Brilliant colored butterflies and birds like flycatchers, long-legged falcons, Hoogson's imperial pigeons, three-toed kingfishers, emerald doves, fairy bluebirds, woodpeckers, rufous piculets, orioles, finches, sunbirds, long-tailed broadbills, emerald cuckoos, besides a large number of seasonal migratory birds are found here. A feast to the eyes.

General Information

Altitude : 2134 meter

Area : 1144 Sq. Kilometer

Nearest Airport : Bagdogra – 89 Kilometer (Flights from - to Kolkata / Guwahati / New Delhi)

Nearest Meter / Broad Gauge Railway Station : NJP – 90 kilometer (Trains from - to Kolkata/Assam/ New Delhi)

Nearest Narrow Gauge Railway Station : Darjeeling

Nearest Entry Point from Nepal Border : Kakarvita – 99 Kilometer (Bus/ Taxi service)

Road Transport : Regular Taxi and Bus service available from Kolkata / Siliguri / Bagdogra / Nepal border.

Clothing : Normally - Light Woolens - April to September. Heavy Woolens - October to March.

Communication

Darjeeling is connected to rest of India by the following modes

Airways

Nearest airport is 93 Km from Darjeeling is Bagdogra international airport (IXB) in Siliguri. Jet Airways, Indian and Deccan air operate a number of flights to connect Bagdogra to Kolkata, Guwahati and New Delhi. From here, you could take a Taxi directly to Darjeeling, Sikkim, kalimpong etc.

Roadways

90 km from Darjeeling is Siliguri. Tenzing Norgay Bus Stand, Sikkim Nationalized Transport and the Dooars Bus Stand are in Siliguri town. Ample transport is available from here to Darjeeling, Sikkim, Guwahati, Kalimpong, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh etc. The most popular modes of transport are Taxi, Jeep and bus. Four wheelers can be shared also.

Railways

New Jalpaiguri (NJP) is the nearest Railway Station, which is well connected to the rest of Indian stations like Delhi, Kolkata,Cheenai,Mumbai etc.Toy train connects NJP junction to Darjeeling. Normally, you would only find Tourists specially foreigner and outstation using this mode, as the locals prefer the much faster road route. Broad Gauge , Narrow Gauge and Meter Gauge are unique to this station only.

History of Darjeeling

Darjeeling nestling in the heart of the great Himalaya are arguably the most popular tourist destination in northeast India. Visitors have been mesmerized, the environment is pristine, the scenery and architecture awesome and the people hospitable and charming. With its exquisite scenic beauty, spectacular views of Kanchenjunga and the people soaked in simplicity will enthrall you to a new dimension. The beckoning Himalayas, dense virgin forests, vast valleys and meadows and of course the perennial shinning but chilling weather together have placed these places in the map of the most important tourist destinations in the Eastern Himalayas. Nowhere in the world in such a small area can one find flora and fauna of all varieties. Presenting extravaganza for those obsessed with traveling including cruising through the hills of Himalayan region. Can you put a price on quality? Are the calming of busy mind and the rejuvenation of a weary body added to your bills or the serenity of the glided monasteries. Of course not. This is why many of the world discerning travelers are coming to Darjeeling to experience a true value destination.

Few of the highest and spectacular peaks in the Range of Himalaya are Mount Everest (8988mts), Mount Kanchendzonga (8585mts.), Mount Kabru (7338mts), Mount KumbhaKarna (7710mts.) and Mount Koktang (6147mts) Ratbong (6679mts), Narsingh (5825 mts), Kabru Dome (6545 mts), Frey (5830mts), Simvo (6811mts) etc. From Darjeeling and Sikkim the view is majestic and the scenic beauty, the grandeur of the mountain peaks, lush valleys, fast flowing rivers are something to be cherished for long. In fact the Himalayan range with most of the peaks are visible from here. It is situated, in the Shiwalik Hills on the lower range of the Himalaya, at an average elevation of 2,134 mts, Headquarter of Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal in India. A view that will linger for lifetime. The perfect ambiance of a hill resort with it's mild climate and laid back charm. Its verdant hills and valleys are steeped in colour, and are interspersed with vast stretches of rolling green tea gardens. Mount Kangchenjunga, the third highest mountain on Earth, looming over the northern horizon, giving a magical aura to the land that leaves one's senses intoxicated. Climatically the condition of Darjeeling can be nearly the same as to that of the United Kingdom.

"Quote" - The British connection with Darjeeling dates from 1816, when, at the close of the war with Nepal, the British made over to the Sikkim raja the tarai tract, which had been wrested from him and annexed by Nepal. In 1835 the nucleus of the present district of British Sikkim or Darjeeling was created by a cession of a portion of the hills by the raja of Sikkim to the British as a sanatorium.

The town attracts tourist, trekkers, sportsmen and researcher / academic seeking to explore the Himalayas, serving as the starting point for climbing attempts on some Himalayan peaks. Tenzing Norgay, one of the two men to first climb Mount Everest, spent most of his life in the Sherpa community in Darjeeling. His success provided the impetus to establish the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling in 1954.

It was the summer capital of India during the British rule in India when Calcutta was the capital of India. Darjeeling is now a district in the state of West Bengal in India. It has three hill subdivisions – Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong. Darjeeling seems to charm all. The result is the rise in the tourist inflow and revenue to the state and a beaming tourism industry. Darjeeling Carnivals have been organized since 2003 and exhibit the diverse ethnic, social and religious culture. Forget domestic tourists, there has also been a rise in the inflow of foreign tourists during the first six months of this tourist season. While the Global warming is obviously playing a role, it is also the aggressive pitching of the state as an ideal tourist destination that is working wonders.

Darjeeling’s relaxed pace wind itself around you. Before you know it, you are relaxed too. So don’t let the stress, crowds and pollution snarls at you, chug along the admittedly not so good roads to one of the hilltop tourist-gawps, and all too soon a soft white mist wreathes itself around hills, vales, trees and you. Trek to yours heart content up mountains and over valley or in and around the forest. And of course, down endless cup of Darjeeling–grown tea, which has an incredible flavor and lingers in the throat for a while.