DARJEELING – is a picturesque town

A Shining Cauldron Of Multicultural Infusions

 Chanced upon by accident in 1828 by Captain Lloyd who had been deputed to settle a dispute between Sikkim and Nepal, the stunning location of Darjeeling just blew him away. As he mulled over this discovery, he thought this remote spot would be an ideal for developing a sanatorium for British troops.  Lloyd was to later claim, according to a report dated 18th June 1829, that he was the first European to have visited the place. Which could well be given its isolated location in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas.

Eventually, in 1835, after some negotiations, it was ceded to the British by the Tsugphud Namgyal, the Sikkimese Chogyal, who had been struggling valiantly to push back the Nepalese Gorkhas who had been trying to lay claim to the lands in the Kingdom of Sikkim, from as far back as the 1780 right through to the start of the 19^th century.

At the time the land gifted to East India Company was not all of Darjeeling… but just a narrow enclave of 357.418 sq km, about 48.28 km long and 9.5 wide, considered a worthless uninhabited mountain. In return, the Chogyal got a paltry gift of 1 double-barrelled gun, 1 rifle, 20 yards of red-broad cloth and 2 shawls! By 1846 the monetary per annum compensation was reluctantly raised from the original Rs 3000 to Rs.6,000.

When the British went on to develop Darjeeling as a sanatorium, they also encouraged immigrants to cultivate the mountain slopes and start activating trade and commerce in the area. The population in this slice of land rose from a mere 100 in 1839 to about 10,000 in 1849, largely boosted by settlers from the neighbouring states of Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan.

As relations started to sour between the British and the Sikkimese, no doubt fuelled by the jealousy of the powerful Pagla Dewan (PM) of Sikkim, as well as Nepal and Bhutan, the British annexed Darjeeling. By 1866, the British, by flexing their muscles against Sikkim, Nepal and Bhutan, had finally paved the path for the development and progress of also the lands they had snitched from Sikkim and Bhutan.

Darjeeling now falls under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), a semi-autonomous council for the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Benga. Formed in 2012 the GTA replaced the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, which was formed in 1988 and administered the Darjeeling hills for 23 years.

Today travellers in Darjeeling find the colonial trappings quite predominant, after all, it did serve as the summer retreat of the British— but there is an underlay of deeply enriching multi-cultural delights that one should take time to also experience.

Originally home to the Lepchas, Darjeeling over time has been inhabited by Nepalis, Tibetans, Anglo-Indians Bengalis, Germans, Jews, Parsis, Chinese, Europeans and Marwaris. A guided walk opens up opportunities to delve deep into the town’s rich multi-cultural kaleidoscope of many ethnicities.

In the surrounding hill slopes, once largely inhabited by the Lepchas, live folk musicians of Nepal’s Jhapa District who are fierce custodians of folk songs from the days of their forefathers sung to accompaniment of the Nepali Sarangi created from the wood of the jackfruit tree and polished with pine resin. The sarangis still bear influences of string instruments found in pockets along the Silk Route. You can engage the services of a local outfitter to enjoy a musical evening with the folk musicians who are work as farmers in these parts.

Prepare to enjoy a fun-filled culinary journey sampling Nepali, Tibetan, Chinese, Anglo-Indian, Bengali, and Newari fare. If you are on a dedicated tour, you could also visit a home and get to have a meal with the family. That’s really worth your while for a truly immersive experience of Darjeeling.

Heritage Experience

A short journey on the historic UNESCO-acclaimed Darjeeling Toy Train is an experience you are unlikely to forget. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), as it is officially called, began its run way back in 1881, to transport of rice and other commodities easier and more cost-efficient.  It was the first, and is still the most outstanding, example of a hill passenger railway. The 88.48 km small gauge track connects New Jalpaiguri with Darjeeling, passing through Ghoom at an altitude of 2258m. The toy train has long been marvelled at for its engineering feat including six zigzag reverses and three loops with a ruling gradient of 1:31. The famous B-class steam engines and original 4-wheeled carriages and bogie-type carriages are still in use. The Batasia Loop segment still draws many oohs and aahs from passengers!

 Exotic Flora and Fauna

White teas are the most expensive offerings of the excellent range of exotic teas produced in Darjeeling’s world-renowned tea plantations which are found up to elevations of about 6,000 ft.

A short sojourn in one of the estates should be on your to-do list. It provides a window to one of the oldest industries in these hills, apart from tourism. Chat up the tea pluckers, these hard-working ladies who are up at dawn with their baskets to undertake that delicate, classic planter activity of ‘two leaves and a bud’, which means taking only the youngest tender leaves and a bud of the tea plant which are the best to make that perfect cup of tea. They also know they have to avoid inadvertently plucking the third and fourth leaves as these can mess up the taste of the tea. 

Speak to factory hands about how technology has changed from the days of the Raj when tea plantations were first introduced to these hills. Enjoy learning about the finer points of tea tasting. Sit back and savour every sip of these ambrosial teas which have graced those leisurely ‘high tea’ moments across up-scale homes in England from those early days.

A tour of the scattering of nurseries dotted in and around town introduces you to a small sampling of Darjeeling botanical wealth including some superb varieties of orchids. Do stroll around the Loyd Botanic Gardens, laid out in 1865 and notable for its many varieties of Himalayan flora.

Not just kids, even adults go away raving about the cute little red pandas playing hide and seek amongst the trees at the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Garden. These shy creatures are an endangered species and India is very tough in its laws about protecting them from going extinct. The Darjeeling Zoo is the coordinating zoo for Project Red Panda in India. Two male Red Pandas have been acquired from The Netherlands. Last year, the two resident Red Pandas, Nira and Teesta, added to the collection of the zoo, by giving birth to two cubs each.

A special conservation has also been spearheaded in the zoo for the protection of the snow leopard. listed as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List; only around 4,000 to 7,500 of these are estimated to live in the wild throughout a vast region surrounding the Central Asian deserts and plateaus ranging from Afghanistan to Uzbekistan. Started in 1983 the Snow Leopard Breeding Project at Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park has been one of the most successful and only breeding programmes of the species in South East Asia.  This is another must-do visit, especially for wildlife enthusiasts.

Wild Adventures

December through January/February are the best times to capture uninterrupted views of the Khanchendzonga Range. On a clear day, you can even spy, shy Mt Everest. While Tiger Hill is your go-to spot for those matchless sunrise views of the snow peaks, there are many places around town where you can catch glimpses of those magical panoramas.

If trekking is your thing, it’s also the best time to hit the trail to Sandakhphu Peak straddling the vistas of the Singalila Range near Darjeeling. At 3636m Sandakhphu Peak is the highest elevation in West Bengal, with stunning views of the world’s third highest peak Khanchendzonga (8,586m) in Sikkim, and the world’s highest peak, Mt Everest (8,848.86 m), along with Makalu (8481m) and Lhotse (8516m) in Nepal.

If you are an adrenalin junky December to June is the time to sign up for a white-water rafting adventure on the tumultuous Teesta River with its series of rapids ranging from Grade I to IV.

Back in the day, Darjeeling used to be a bustling hub for the mountaineering community for those early expeditions.  The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute was launched by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on November 4th, 1954 to commemorate the first successful ascent of Mt Everest by the late Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary. 

Today the Institute offers mountaineering and adventure courses. Don’t have the time as an itinerant visitor? Go in for the rock-climbing facility at the institute instead. Do explore the museum here which is well-documented with vignettes from past expeditions to the legendary Eastern Himalayan Mountain peaks.  Every year nearly half a million tourists, mountaineers, and researchers visit this museum.

 ACCOMMODATION
The hill station has a wide array of stay options for all budgets. A homestay at a tea estate will be a memorable experience.

ACCESS

Air: Bagdogra Airport, 90 km away has connections major cities like Kolkata, Delhi and Guwahati.

Rail: New Jalpaiguri Railway Station and Siliguri Railway Station have direct connections with Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati, and other major cities of India.

Road: Darjeeling is linked by road to Siliguri, 77 km away offers connections to major cities. Bus service is available from Tenzing Norgay Bus Stand, Siliguri. Smaller vehicles are also available on seat-sharing/ hire from airports, railway stations, motor syndicates/police motor stands. NJP Railway Station and Bagdogra Airport offer pre-paid taxi services.