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Nestling in the grandeur and beauty of towering
snow-capped mountains; with the mighty Kanchenjunga
 (King of the Mountains)
dominating the somber, snowy sentinels, lies a jewel of a town -- elegant,
sophisticated and incredibly beautiful; the name of Tibetan origin means where Indra's thunderbolt or scepter rested,
(Dodi-thunder bolt, Ling-place). In
Sanskrit, the name, derived from the world 'Durjay Ling', means 'Siva of
invincible prowess, who rules the Himalayas'. The official name of the town is
DARJEELING.
Darjeeling has known many masters: Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal, and the British East
India Company. Its longest links have been with Sikkim who ruled the area
between the present borders of Sikkim and the plains of Bengal , including
Darjeeling and Kalimpong till the beginning of the 18th century. The cozy
drawing room of the Windamere Hotel has been the setting of a royal romance:
local belle Hook Cook met her future husband, the then king of Sikkim.
Sikkim's hold over Darjeeling did not go unchallenged. In 06 the Rajas of Sikkim
lost Kalimpong to Bhutan, the rest of the region was captured by the Gurkhas of
Nepal. This brought the Gurkhas into conflict with the East India Company and
following the war of 1814, the Raja of Sikkim was reinstated with his
sovereignty and a pension of INR 3000 (later raised to 6000) guaranteed by the
Company. Sikkim, including Darjeeling, became a buffer state between Nepal and
Bhutan.
GENERAL INFORMATION
- Area: 11.44 Sq. Km (4.4 Sq miles)
- Elevation: 7,000 ft. or 2,134 meters
- Population: 83,000
- Telephone Info: Country Code: 91 City
Code: 0354
- Climate: SUMMER: Min: 8.5 degrees C
Max: 14.8 degrees C
- Annual Rainfall: 320 cm (126 inches)
- Best Tourist Season: April to Mid-June
Mid September to November
- Best Mountain Views: Mid Sept. - Mid
Dec.
- Recommended Clothing: Light woolens
and tropical in summer (umbrellas and raincoats are useful) and heavy
woolen in winter.
- Languages Spoken: English, Bengali,
Gorkha, Nepali and Tibetan
PLACES TO VISIT
- Tiger Hill
- Kanchenjunga Views
- Busty Gompa
- Ghoom Gompa
- Museum
- Zoological ParkRefugee Centre
- Gymkhana Club
- Passenger Ropeway
- Botanical Gardens
HOW TO GET THERE?
By Rail:
You can take the famous toy train, which is a meter gauge train operating
over breath taking scenery. The journey takes approximately seven and half
hours.
New Jalpaiguri/Siliguri Junction
stations at the base of the Darjeeling Hill areas have direct railway
connections with Calcutta, Mumbai, Guwahati, Madras, Lucknow, and Delhi.
Some Important train services
connecting New Jalpaiguri/Siliguri with major cities.
By Road:
Darjeeling is connected to Siliguri the main city in the plains by the
Tenzing Norgay Road (formerly Hill Cart Road)
By Local Transport:
Bus services between Darjeeling and Siliguri are frequent. Private taxis,
landrovers are also available. From Siliguri by bus/taxi/trekker to
Darjeeling (80 km), about 4 hours.
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