State : West Bangal
Straddling a ridge at 2134m and surrounded by a tea plantations, Darjeeling has been a popular hill station since the British established it as an R&R centre for their troops in mid-1800s. People come here now, as they did then, to escape the heat, humidity and hassle of the north Indian plain. You get an indication of how popular Darjeeling is from the 70 or so hotels recognised by the tourist office and the scores of others which don't come up to its requirements. Here you will find yourself surrounded by mountain people from all over the eastern Himalaya who have come to work, to trade or - in the case of the Tibetans - as refugees.

Outside of the monsoon season (June to September), the views over the mountains to the snowy peaks of Kanchenjunga and down to the swollen rivers in the valleys are magnificent. Darjeeling is a fascinating place where you can see Buddhist monasteries, visit a tea plantation and see how the tea is processed, go for a ride on the chairlift, spend days hunting for bargains in colourful markets and handicrafts shops, or go trekking to high-altitude spots for closer views of Kanchenjunga. Like many places in the Himalaya, half the fun is in getting there and Darjeeling has the unique attraction of its famous toy train . This miniature train loops and switchbacks its way up the steep mountainsides from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling.

Darjeeling History
Until the beginning of the 18th century the whole of the area between the present borders of Sikkim and the plains of Bengal, including Darjeeling and Kalimpong, belonged to the rajas of Sikkim. In 1706 they lost Kalimpong to the Bhutanese, and control of the remainder was wrested from them by the Gurkhas who invaded Sikkim in 1780, following consolidation of the latter's rule in Nepal.

These annexations by the Gurkhas, however, brought them into conflict with the British East India Company. A series of wars were fought between the two parties, eventually leading to the defeat of the Gurkhas and the ceding of all the land they had taken from the Sikkimese to the East India Company. Part of this territory was restored to the rajas of Sikkim and the country's sovereignty guaranteed by the British in return for British control over any disputes which arose with neighbouring states.

One such dispute in 1828 led to the dispatch of two British officers to this area, and it was during their fact-finding tour that they spent some time at Darjeeling (then called Dorje Ling - Place of the Thunderbolt - after the lama who founded the monastery which once stood on Observatory Hill). The officers were quick to appreciate Darjeeling's value as a site for a sanatorium and hill station, and as the key to a pass into Nepal and Tibet. The officers' observations were reported to the authorities in Kolkata and a pretext was eventually found to pressure the raja into granting the site to the British in return for an annual stipend of Rs3000 (raised to Rs6000 in 1846).


Place to See
Tiger Hill
The highest spot in the area at 2590m, Tiger Hill is near Ghoom, about 11km from Darjeeling. The hill is famous for its magnificent dawn views over Kanchenjunga and other eastern Himalayan peaks. On a clear day even Mount Everest is visible. Every day a large convoy of battered Land Rovers leaves Darjeeling at 4.30am, which means that in the smaller lodges you get woken up at this time every day, whether you like it or not. It can be very cold and very crowded at the top but coffee is available. There is a view tower. Halfway down the hill a temple priest causes a massive traffic jam by anointing the steering wheel of each vehicle for the return trip. Many take the jeep one way and then walk back - a very pleasant two hour trip.

Kanchenjunga Views
At 8598m, this is the world's third highest mountain. From Darjeeling, the best uninterrupted views of it are from Bhan Bhakta Sarani. The name Kanchenjunga is derived from the Tibetan Khang (snow), chen (big), dzong (fortress or treasury) nga (five) - big five peaked snow fortress, or big five peaked treasury of the snow.

Bhutia Busty Gompa
Not far from Chowrasta is this colourful monastery, with Kanchenjunga providing a spectacular backdrop. Originally a branch of the Nyingmapa sect's Phodang Monastery in Sikkim, it was transferred to Darjeeling in 1879. The shrine here originally stood on Observatory Hill. There's library of Buddhist texts upstairs which houses the original copy of the Tibetan Book of the Dead.

Dhirdham Temple
The most conspicuous Hindu temple in Darjeeling, this is just below the railway station and is modelled on the famous Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu

Lloyds Botanical Garden
Below the bus and taxi stand near the market, these gardens contain a representative collection of Himalayan plants, flowers and orchids. The hothouses are well worth a visit.

Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway
At north point, about 3 km north of the town, is India's oldest passenger ropeway. It is 5 km long and connects Darjeeling with Singla bazaar on the little Ranjeet river at the bottom of the valley.


How to Reach
Air : The nearest airport to Darjeeling is Bagdogra about 94-96 kms away from Darjeeling. There are direct flight connections with Delhi, Calcutta and Guwahati.

Train : The closest Railway Station is New Jalpaiguri (NJP) about 88 kms away from Darjeeling. It has direct railway connections with Calcutta, Delhi, Guwahati, Varanasi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Jaipur and other major cities of India.

Road : Darjeeling is connected to Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan and all of its surrounding hills. The major access to Darjeeling is via Siliguri, which is connected to all the major cities Gangtok 119 km, Guwahati 590 km, Kolkata 759 km, Kathmandu, Nepal 677 km, Sikkim 120 km.