For those of you who aren’t very familiar with Darjeeling, let me give you a crash course. Darjeeling is a city located in West Bengal and is close to the Himalayan mountain range, situated on the Nepal-India border. Probably the most famous thing about Darjeeling is the view it offers of the Himalaya’s, and more specifically, Mt. Kanchenjunga.
Mt. Kanchenjunga(also spelled Kanchendzonga) is the third highest mountain inthe world, after Mt. Everest and K2. It’s height is 8, 586 mtrs. and it’s name translates to’The five treasures of snow’ as it contains five peaks. Majority of this mountain lies on the border of North Sikkim(India) and Nepal while apart lies wholly in Nepal.
Back to Darjeeling. The closest airport is at Bagdogra and the nearest railhead is Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, from where you can travel by car(which is preferable because of the breathtaking view it offers!). September-November is the best time to travel as this is the end of summer and the temperature is not that cold.
I arrived at Darjeeling and although I was very exhausted(2 plane changes and one 5 1/2 hour drive) my first impressions of the place was awe. Mind you, seeing dust and sand and experiencing sweltering temperatures day in day out for the last 3 years and then suddenly finding yourself surrounded by fabulous views and crisp, fresh air can be an overwhelming experience.
I stayed at the Sinclairs Hotel on Gandhi Road(read my review on that). Although the hotel that I stayed at offered various packages which included sight-seeing trips organized by the hotel itself, I chose not too to take up any of them and instead, saw Darjeeling on my own terms and convenience. I decided to employ the services of the taxi driver who drove me from Bagdogra airport to the hotel, which turned out to be a good decision as not only was hea good driver, which is a must in Darjeeling, but was very well aware of all the places of interest within the city.
I arrived late afternoon and after checking in, resting a bit and taking a quick shower, I stepped out to my first tryst with Darjeeling. The hotel is located quite near to the marketplace and that’s where I went first. the market is called quite simply, The Mall orMall Road, and is a quaint area with majority of the shops dedicated to curios and handicraft items.
Have to say this; there is no bargaining in Darjeeling! No heckling, to screaming, no nothing. Everything has a fixed price, and if the shopkeeper happened to like you, he might reduce the price a bit, but only so much. The nature of the people is soooo different, you would wish that all the people in the world(or at least in India) were like them. Soft spoken, well mannered(even the kids!), respectful and helpful. No air of arrogance at all. We all could learn a thing or two from them.
I spent nine days there and luckily for me, most of those days had clear skies.This gave me umpteen opportunities to gaze at the Himalayas. There is a particular hill in Darjeeling called’Tiger Hill’, which offers a jaw dropping view of the entire Himalayan range. And through binoculars, one can even see Mt. Everest!
Darjeeling is primarily follows Buddhism, with lots of Monasteries and Pagodas around. The most famous monastery in Darjeeling is’Ghoom Monastery’ or’Yiga Choeling Monastery’. It was built in 1875 and inside the monastery is a 15-feet high statue of’Coming Buddha’.
Next stop was the Japanese Peace Pagoda. A Pagoda is usually a temple; a place of worship. It has beautiful wood carvings and bronze statues depicting the various stages of Buddha’s life.
On my second day in Darjeeling, I happened upon a trail which runs behind the’Chawrasta’(a central location where 4 roads converge). This trail was very unique as on one side were rows of houses and on the other, the hills and in the far distance, the Himalayan Range. I walked the entire trail(it took about2 hours) and it was spectacular. Very peaceful as there were hardly any people around and the views were breathtaking. So many trees it was like a sensory overload.
Next, I visited Batasia Loop which is a natural drop occurring between Ghoom & Darjeeling. It houses the War Memorial housing a 30 ft. high triangular cenotaph with the Roll of Honor engraved on it in memory of the brave Gorkha soldiers. It was a sobering experience.
There were lots of other sites that I visited during my stay there, like Ganga Maiyya, Rock Garden, Mirik Lake, etc. and if I start talking about all those, I will certainly exceed the 7500 characters limit:-)
One last thing; words cannot really describe the experience; it’s magical. Your troubles seem to melt away into the serene backdrop of the Himalayas and the world, all of a sudden, seems a wonderful place to live in. You have to see it yourself to believe it.