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DARJEELING
Darjeeling, the queen of all hill stations, is famous for its scenic beauty, crisp fresh air, pleasant weather all year through, a land of breathtaking beauty crowned by the mighty Himalayas. Its name is derived from the Tibetan word ‘Dorje’ which means the precious stone or ecclesiastical scepter, which is symbolic of the thunderbolt of Indra, and ‘ling’ - a place, hence the land of the thunderbolt. The scepter of Indra is supposed to have fallen at a place where now stands the Observatory Hill.
Places of Interest
Batasia Loop:
At this loop the toy train, one of the main attractions takes a very unique turn. This loop is 5 km from the main town of Darjeeling.
Bhutia Busty Gompa
With the milieu of the Kanchenjunga range stands a monastery called the Bhutia Busty Gompa. This monastery was moved from the observatory hills to the present place. The Gompa is a branch of the Nyingmapa sect's Phodang Monastery in Sikkim. The monastery is not distant from the chowrasta and is very beautifully decorated. It also has a library which has a copy of the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
Chow Rasta
This one of the important shopping places in Darjeeling .The Nehru Road and the Mall Road cross each other. The snow capped peaks of Kanchenjunga are seen from this place. Several Hindu and Buddhists temples are present here. This place is highly populated with foreign tourists.
Dhoom Gompa
About 8 km from Darjeeling is the Dhoom Gompa. A beautiful statue of Maitrayie Buddha (prospective Buddha) is established here. The Monastery has also preserved some of the rare handwritten Buddhist manuscripts.
Kanchenjunga View
From Darjeeling one can have the paramount, uninterrupted view of the world’s third highest peak, Kanchanjunga. Bhan Bhakta Sarani provides one of the enthralling views of these snow capped peaks. The Chow Rasta also gives you a good sight to the Kanchenjunga peak.
Observatory Hills
This place provides one of the breathtaking views of Kanchenjunga peaks. It is also extremely sacred for the Hindus and the Buddhists as there are temples and the monasteries at this place. The Kali temple is decorated with colorful flags.
Passenger Ropeway
Another tourist attraction in Darjeeling is the ropeway. This was the first ropeway in India. It connects the North point (7000 ft) to the Singla Bazaar (800 ft). The rope covers a distance of 8 kms in 45 minutes. The ropeway is an exciting and unique experience for tourists visiting Darjeeling.
Senchal Lake
A picturesque place near the tiger hills . This place has popularly come up as a picnic spot among tourists. The lake supplies drinking water to the town of Darjeeling.
Kurseong
Kurseong is mid way between Siliguri and Darjeeling. The way from Darjeeling to Kurseong is generally open through out the year. This place is equally beautiful and nature is found in all its splendor.
General Information
Altitude: 2134 feet above sea level.
Climate: Summer: 15-23 deg C. Winter:-2-10 deg C.
Best times to Visit: April to mid June and September to November
Travel Information
Air: The nearest Airport to Darjeeling is Bagdogra. It is around 100 km from Darjeeling.
Rail: Shiliguri is connected to all the major cities of India by train. From Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri, Toy Trains are available which are memorable.
Road: Shiliguri is also well linked by road ways and buses, minibuses and jeeps run every half an hour from Siliguri to Darjeeling, Mirik, Gangtok, Katmandu and other places.