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Travel destination in India, Darjeeling |
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General Information about DARJEELING |
Darjeeling : Land of the Thunderbolts.
Area : 12.77 sq. km.
Altitude : 2134 meters.
Language : Hindi, English and bengali.
Best Time to Visit : March - May and September - November.
State : West Bengal.
STD Code : 0354.
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About Darjeeling
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.
Darjeeling is a fascinating place, where the tourist can see Buddhist monasteries, visit a tea plantation, see how the tea is processed, go for a ride on the chairlift, go shopping in the colourful markets or go trekking to high altitude spots, near the border with Sikkim. Darjeeling has the unique feature of a toy train, which takes you from Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling through the steep mountainsides.
HOW TO REACH THERE
By 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.
By Road : 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 and other major cities of India.
By Rail : 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.
MAIN ATTRACTIONS IN DARJEELING
•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.
•Senchal Lake : Close to Tiger Hill is Senchal Lake, which supplies Darjeeling with its domestic water. It's a particularly scenic area and popular as a picnic spot with Indian holiday-makers.
• 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.
• Dhirdam Temple : Located near the Darjeeling Railway Station,Dhirdham Temple was built in 1939.The Temple was constructed by Rai Saheb Purna Bahadur Pradhan and the architect was Beg Raj Sakya. Lord Shiv's statue outside the main temple depicts "Pancha Bakram Tri Netram" meaning five different facial expressions of Lord Shiv in different moods and the Third Eye. The style of the roof shows that of a Tibetan influence. Every morning Aarti is held at 8.00 am and at 6.00 pm in the evening.
• Barbotey Rock Garden : Situated 10 km from town, is a very attractive picnic spot with natural water falls. The Rock Garden was constructed by The Gorkha Hill Council Tourism Department. The road to the garden is a steep and winding one almost touching the plain. But the sight of the natural waterfall makes you forget all the pain and weariness. |
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