Darjeeling: Queen of Hills

darjeeling- place of the thunderbolt

Nestling in the grandeur and beauty of towering snow-capped mountains, tea gardens with the mighty Kanchenjunga, dominating the somber, snowy sentinels, lies a jewel of a town- elegant, sophisticated and incredibly beautiful place. An enchanting place hidden in one corner of India in the Himalayan ranges of West Bengal is this amazing paradise which remains cold for the entire year with light snowfalls occasionally  during the winter months.

There is lovely verdure every where- fir and pines. The views over the mountains to the snowy peaks of the Kanchenjunga and down to the swollen rivers in the valley bottom are magnificent. Viewing the white Kanchenjunga, while waking up in the morning, gives a heavenly feeling. 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.

At an altitude of 7,000 feet the journey is a bit treacherous through the numerous hairpin bends and turns and the always rising roads, but the end result satisfies all. Moving up the hills, one is greeted by smiling tea gardens, changing to firs, pines and fast moving torrents, surrounded by flowering plants and different varieties of ferns, including the rare tree fern.

The journey through the pine trees, lovely tea gardens and the rhododendron flowers are just mesmerizing and a toy train ride through the nature is simply unexplainable. The toy train here runs up to an altitude of 7000 feet making it one of the highest running train in the world and Ghoom, one of the highest stations.

Walking through the hill mists which gather frequently in the vacuum spaces and the pine trees gives really a romantic touch to the heart. It can also be termed as a honeymooner’s paradise. The view of the blue mountains in the full moon nights is amazing as well as the rock gardens in the foothills.

Another beauty to watch from Darjeeling other than the Kanchenjunga is the sunrise from the Tiger hills during sunrise. Located at slightly upper ranges from the Darjeeling town is this place and the view of the sunrise from here is just unexplainable unless you see it. The play of colours in the awakening Kanchenjunga during sunrise is another visual joy of a lifetime.

The journey to the Tiger hills is one of the most treacherous ones here as the roads has many sharp alpine bends as well as the altitude of them are also quite high compared to the other mountain roads and the journey  in the dark before the sunrise makes it even treacherous but for adventure lovers it’s a perfect place.

Tea and Darjeeling are synonymous. Darjeeling Tea is world renowned for its flavour, which is unequalled by any other tea producing area. Connoisseurs all over the world have fancied and compare it as 'Champagne of Teas'. The view of the lovely green tea gardens in the mountain ranges is another treat to the eyes. The fragrance coming out of the gardens explains why it is famous all over the world.

The people here are from the gorkha tribe and practice mainly Buddhism as their religion. There are many colourful monasteries located in the hills. Although hindu gods and goddesses are also followed by many. The Lossar festival heralding the Buddhist New Year in January is celebrated with great pomp.

A popular food in Darjeeling is the momo, a steamed dumpling containing chicken and vegetables cooked in a doughy wrapping and served with watery soup. Wai-Wai is a packaged snack comprising of noodles which are eaten either dry or in soup form. Churpee, a kind of hard cheese made from cows or yak's milk is sometimes chewed. A form of noodle called thukpa, served in soup form is also popular in Darjeeling.

Among some other places the Rock gardens, located at the base of the hills and the journey to that is one breath taking one with a steep altitude road. The Mahakal temple is located at higher altitudes near the Mall. The Darjeeling zoo, amidst the tall pine, cedar and other trees also boasts of the rare snow leopard and the red panda among many other unique animals.

The main market as well as the hangout place here is a paradise for shopohalics, popularly known as, The Mall. All kinds of winter garments as well as other items are available here at throwaway prices. The landscape all-round looks amazing from the mall.

Mirik at an altitude of 1767 meters is another nest in the darjeeling hills with its own special charms just 49 kms away  from Darjeeling. Located in the heart of Mirik is the Senchal Lake, a sprawling lake fed by perennial streams and a floating fountain in the middle of the lake is a joy for ever and very often you may find the glory of Kanchenjungha reflected in the lake waters. A rich forest of thousands of Cryptomaria-Japanica trees orange orchards,cardamom groves makes it more beautiful and serene.

It is almost a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit this place and when you come out of Darjeeling you will by dying to live, to tell its tales to everyone.

Travellers Info: 

You have to first reach Siliguri, which is very well connected from all major cities of the country from where you can take a luxury State/Private buses, shared /individual taxis, which operate throughout the day and is a mere 3 hours drive to Darjeeling. You can also get to Darjeeling by the Toy Train.

Bagdogra (Siliguri), 96 kms away is the nearest airport and is connected to Kolkata, Delhi and other major airports of the country.

Express trains from all over the country operate on daily basis to the nearest railhead at New Jalpaiguri / Siliguri.

Overnight luxury Government/Private buses are available from Kolkata regularly to Siliguri which takes around 10-12 hours to reach there.

. . .