From Kolkata
At 2134m, Darjeeling is quite the picture perfect hill station with its
fantastic mountain views, trekking trails, Buddhist monasteries and balmy climate.
Darjeeling has that rarefied mountain air and a lofty beauty, amplified by the
world’s highest mountains looming in the distance.
Staggering above the clouds, the majestic Kanchenjunga and
her entourage of lesser peaks are clearly visible from Tiger Hill, the
highest vantage point in Darjeeling. Even the elusive Everest puts in an
appearance when the skies are clear. On cloudy days, the mist-shrouded peaks make an
awe-inspiring backdrop. The Senchal Lake at a height of 2448m is a
charming picnic spot nearby.
Darjeeling became a favourite haunt of Kolkata-wallahs during the days of the
Raj. Being a border town, the influence of it's neighbours, Bhutan, Tibet and Nepal is
palpable - it is here that you can feast on momos and kebabs, have a typical English tea
with cake and crumpets, shop for ethnic bric-a-brac or simply hang around the main market
at Chow rasta.
Hindu and Buddhist cultures rub shoulders all over town. The Dhirdham
Temple is the most prominent Hindu temple here, but Darjeeling’s Buddhist
monasteries stand out with their prayer wheels and colourful pennants fluttering in the
breeze. The Bhutia Busty Gompa, stands out with the majestic Kanchenjunga
as a backdrop. Its library holds the original copy of the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
Shrouded under a cloud of mist is the Yogachoeling Gompa popularly called Ghoom,
which enshrines an image of the Maitreya Buddha. This is one of the best-known monasteries
in Darjeeling, 8 kms out of town. The other monasteries are the Samdenchoeling,
Sakyachoeling, Phin Sotholing, Aloobari, Thupten Sangachoeling and Sonada Gompas.
Another place worth visiting is the Bengal Natural History Museum
with its amazing collection of Himalayan flora and fauna, and the Padmaja Naidu Hiamlayan Zoological
Park that houses rare species like the snow leopard, Siberian tigers, red pandas
and the Tibetan wolf. For mountaineering enthusiasts a visit to the famous Himalayan Mountaineering
Institute (HMI) is a must, if only to view the mementos from all the Everest
expeditions of the past.
Tea has for long been Darjeeling’s major claim to fame. The steep slopes
are intricately patterned with a maze of tea plantations. The fragrance of tea blossoms
wafts through the town and the markets are flooded with uniquely packaged pouches of tea
– pleasing gifts to take back home. While you are in Darjeeling, visit a tea
plantation and savour some of the local brew at any of the wayside cafés. |
