Darjeeling
Places of Interest, Darjeeling Information, Tiger Hill, Ghoom Gompa,
Batasia Loop, Senchal Lake, Zoological Garden, Snowleopard
Breeding, Botanical Garden, Tibetan Refugee Center, Himalayan Mountaineering
Institute , Chowrasta, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Mirik.
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DARJEELING |
Places
of Interest |
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SIKKIM |
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DARJEELING
PLACES OF INTEREST
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DARJEELING
the dream land of the East, nestled
in grandeur and beauty of towering snow-capped
mountains with the Abode, the mighty
Kanchenjunga, the
king of the mountains, dominating the
sombre, snowy sentinels, lies the jewel
of the town, elegant, sophisticated
and incrediably beautiful; the name,
of the Tibetan origin, meaning where
thunderbolt or sceptre rested "Dorji
- thunder-bolt, Ling - place".
it has
been a popular hill station since the
British period. The tourist flow to
this place has been increasing day by
day. Due to the proximity with three
international borders, this place is
strategically very important.
The toy
train coming from Siliguri is some thing
which is liked by the elders and the
children equally. The real fun in coming
to Darjeeling is on the toy train. It
takes six to seven hours to cover a
distance of 82 kms and the slow speed
gives you enough time to watch and appreciate
the beauty which nature has provided
it. This train passes through the Forests,
waterfalls, over deep valleys and through
the mountains and tunnels.
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TIGER HILL is the highest point
in the area which provides the most
exotic view of the Kanchenjunga peaks.
From this place the other peaks of the
Eastern Himalayas can be seen. On a
clear day the sight of Mt.Everest is
just enthralling.
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GHOOM
GOMPA is about 8 kms from Darjeeling.
Here a very beautiful statue of the
Maitrayie Buddha ( prospective Buddha)
is established. The Monastery has also
preserved some of the rare handwritten
Buddhist manuscripts.
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BATASIA
LOOP
a railway loop is an interesting example
of engineering. At this loop the toy
train takes a very unique turn. This
loop is just five kilometer from the
main town of Darjeeling. This place
also has a very good market where you
can buy the purses, bags and other decorative
items made by the local women at very
reasonable price.
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NATURAL
HISTORY MUSEUM has a collection
of over 4300 specimen . Established
in 1903, this natural history museum
packs in its folds a rich collection
of fauna found in the Himalayas and
in Bengal. Among the attractions are
included the estuarine crocodiles. This
unique museum also has a good collection
of butterflies. The mineral forms of
various stones are displayed in a very
attractive manner in the museum.
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SENCHAL
LAKE a scenic place near the
tiger hills. This place has popularly
come up as a picnic spot among the tourists.
The lake supplies drinking water to
the town of Darjeeling.
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KANCHENJUNGA
VIEW from Darjeeling one can
have the best, uninterrupted view of
the worlds third highest peak. Bhan
Bhakta Sarani provides one of the enthralling
views of these snow capped peaks. The
Chowrasta also gives you a good sight
to the Kanchenjunga peak.
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ZOOLOGICAL
GARDEN is situated two kms
form the main town. This zoological
garden houses some of the rare species
of animals and birds. This is only zoo
in India having the Siberian Tigers.
Apart from these the rare Red Panda
is also there. The Snow Leopards, Great
Grey Birds, Snow Yaks are some the animals
which are attracting tourist in great
numbers. The entry in the zoo is by
tickets which are also valid for the
natural history museum and the mountaineering
institute & museum.
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OBSERVATORY
HILL provides one of the breathtaking
views of Kanchenjunga peaks. This place
is also very sacred for the Hindus and
the Buddhists as there are temples and
the monasteries at this place. The Kali
temple is decorated with the colourful
flags. Be aware of the monkey groups
as some these are very aggressive.
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BHUTAI
BUSTY GOMPA with the back drop
of the Kanchenjunga range stands a monastery
called the Bhutia Busty Gompa. This
monastery was shifted 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 far from the chowrasta and is
very tastefully decorated. It also has
a library which has a copy of the Tibetan
Book of the Dead.
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SNOW
LEOPARD BREEDING PROGRAMME
nowadays the zoologists and the environmental
scientists are trying to protect the
endangered species by breeding them
in captivity. Following this trend is
Kiran Moktan who has devoted his life
in breeding program of snow leopards.
The snow leopards are not known to have
bred in captivity but in this center
thanks to the efforts of Kiran Maktan
these animals have given birth in captivity.
Snow leopards are animals who have to
be kept in large enclosures. Visitors
are allowed in the center but they have
to watch the animals in utter silence.
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BOTANICAL
GARDEN is worth a visit for
its exotic and exclusive collection
of a variety of Himalayan plants, flowers
and orchids. This place is near the
taxi stand. The gardens also has a green
house.
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TIBETAN
REFUGEE SELFHELP CENTER was
established in 1959 a center for the
refuges who had fled Tibet with the
Dalai Lama after the Chinese invasion.
This self help center has been developed
as workshop for the manufacture of handicrafts.
The fine and superb carpets, woollens,
woodcarvings and leather work form this
center has been very popular among the
tourists. The money collected after
the sale of the products goes to the
Tibetans who work here. The variety
Tibetan Curios on sale are also attracting
the visitors in a big way. This center
has established it self in the International
scenario as place for hard work, self
esteem and truth.
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HIMALAYAN
MOUNTAINEERING INSTITUTE AND MUSEUM
is on the West Jawahar road. The institute
runs courses for training mountaineers
as well as has the very good collection
of mountaineering equipments which have
been used in various mountaineering
expeditions and other wise. Specimens
of Himalayan flora and fauna are also
kept here. The record of attempts made
to conquer Mt. Everest has been kept
in the Mt.Everest Museum. The institute
also screens short films on mountaineering.
You can also view the Himalayan peaks
through the Zeiss Telescope given to
the Nepalese Maharaja by Hitler. Sherpa
Tenzing Norgay was the Director of this
institute for many years and he was
cremated near the institute after his
death in 1986. Near the institute is
Srabri which gives a very good view
of the Single valley and the Kanchenjunga
range. One can sit at Srabri and feel
the cool breeze from the valley.
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PASSENGER
ROPEWAY is another tourist
attraction in Darjeeling has been 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 seats in the
rope way is limited and it is better
to get the tickets in advance. The ropeway
is exciting and unique for any one visiting
Darjeeling.
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CHOWRASTA
one of the important shopping places
in Darjeeling . Here the Nehru Road
and the Mall Road Intersect each other.
The snow capped peaks of Kanchenjunga
are visible from this place. Near Chowrata
are several Hindu and Buddhists temples.
This place is over flowing with foreign
tourists. You can also enjoy a pony
ride form this place.
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KALIMOPONG
is within Darjeeling province and is
a subdivision of Darjeeling. It is a
small but bustling town in the Himalaya
foothills of West Bengal Kalimpong is
at an altitude of 1250 meters. This
bazaar town was originally a part of
Bhutan but later it was taken over by
the British and finally it settled down
with West Bengal.
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KURSEONG
is mid way between Siliguri and Darjeeling.
The way from Darjeeling to Kurseong
is generally open through out the year.
So, the toy train is not coming to Siliguri
then you can come up to Kurseong. This
place is equally beautiful and is full
of natural splendour.
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MIRIK
is 52 kms from Siliguri and 55 kms from
the nearest Airfield of Bagdogra. Mirik
is being developed as a new hill station
in the mountains. Mirik is surrounded
by tea estates, orange orchards and
cardamom plantations. It has all the
facilities to fulfill the needs of a
tourist.
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SILIGURI
AND NEW JALPAIGURI these twin
Cities of Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri
are the departure point to Darjeeling,
Sikkim and the North Eastern States.
Being the nodal point this place has
become very busy and crowded. This area
has got population over 2.5 lakh people.
Siliguri also acts as a transit point
for Nepal. This place is not very pleasant
to stay as there are always long lines
of buses and trucks. These trucks and
vehicles might be good for business
but they provide very ugly sight. Tourists
come to Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri
mainly to change bus or catch trains.
If you have time then visit the almost
forgotten wild life sanctuary of Jaldhapara.
The best season to visit this park is
between October and May. This the time
when the new grass has come up and animals
are out there. The sanctuary has elephants,
dears, tigers and other animals but
the main attraction is the Rhinos which
are threatened by the poachers. Elephant
Safari can be taken from Hollong.
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GETAWAY!
Himalayan Eco-Trekking (P) Ltd
Address:
Lazimpat, Kathmandu,
Nepal.
Post: G.P.O. Box 3606,
Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel:
(+977) 1-4003504, 016205100.
E-Mail: getaway#mail.com.np
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BIGFOOT Treks & Adventures (P) Ltd
Address: Upper Chebo Busty,
P.O. Kalimpong, 734301
Darjeeling, West Bengal, India
Tel: (+91) 3552 256685
Email: 2getaway#gmail.com
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