Darjeeling

In the foothills of the Himalayas, overlooked by the white peaks of Kanchenjunga, 'Darjeeling'  has been a popular hill station since the British established it in the mid 19th century. Located in the northern extreme of the Indian state of West Bengal in Darjeeling district, the exotic town lies just east of Nepal, south of Sikkim, and a bit west and south of Bhutan. The town, also the headquarters of Darjeeling district is situated 305 miles north of Kolkata and is perched on the narrow Ghoom Senchal Ridge at an altitude of  (7000ft), and descends abruptly to the bed of the Great Rangit River. The hill station presents the most spectacular views of the snow capped Himalayan peaks including Mt.Everest and Kanchenjunga. 

The name Darjeeling is derived from the Tibetan word ' Dorje Ling' (Place of the thunderbolt). According to legend, Darjeeling was struck by a mystic thunderbolt of the Lamaist religion, said to be the scepter of Indra, Lord of the Gods, which supposedly fell on the site known as the observatory hill. In Sanskrit, the word 'Durjay Ling', means 'Siva of invincible prowess, who rules the Himalayas'. Until the beginning of the eighteenth century, Darjeeling belonged to the Rajas of Sikkim, who lost their domain to invading tribes of Gurkhas from Nepal in 1780. In 1828, two British officers Captain G.W.A.Lloyd and Mr. J.W Grant stumbled on this remote Shangri-La and realized its potential as a strategic link with Nepal and Tibet, as well as a hill station sanitarium. On the direction of the then Governor General, Captain Lloyd negotiated with the Raja Of Sikkim and in February 1835, Darjeeling was presented to the East India Company. It became a popular resort for the British who wanted to escape from the sweltering heat of the plains.

Orange and Cardamom are two cash crops of this district. Darjeeling peaks has steeply sloping conifer forests and terraced tea plantations surrounded by around 4,000 types of flowering plants and 300 varieties of ferns, including the rare tree fern. Darjeeling tea is famous throughout the world. During April - May, Magnolia and Rhododendron flowers magnifies the charm of the valley. The town is occupied by people from all over the eastern Himalayas who have come to work or trade as well as Tibetan refugees. This fascinating place also has a number of Buddhist monasteries and a considerable presence of visiting Buddhist monks and Tibetan scholars.

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