Darjeeling (West Bengal, India)

Darjeeling - The beauty of Darjeeling is incomparable to any other place in India. Darjeeling is famous for the picturesque sunrises over the Tiger Hill, the famous Buddhist temples and monasteries and also the botanical and zoological gardens. Sightseeing in Darjeeling is a great experience for both the local and the foreign tourists. The snow-capped mountain ranges of the Kachenjunga attract a lot of people from all over the world. The place is popularly known as the Paradise of the East and people love to visit the place time and again. Darjeeling originally belonged to the independent state of Sikkim. Later in the eighteenth century, it was taken over by the Bhutanese and the Gurkhas. Tiger Hill is the highest point in Darjeeling. From here one can see the peaks of the Kanchenjunga and on a clear day the Everest looms into view. The other monasteries are the Samdenchoeling, Sakyachoeling, Phin Sotholing, Aloobari, Thupten Sangachoeling and Sonada Gompas. The Dhirdham Temple is the most prominent hindu temple here. The Bengal Natural History Museum has a large collection of Himalayan flora and fauna.

Sightseeing:

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.

Observatory Hill:
Situated above the Windamere Hotel, this viewpoint is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. There is a Kali shrine here and the multicoloured prayer flags double as trapezes for he monkeys. Watch out for them as they can be aggressive.

Tiger Hill:
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.

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.

Tibetan Refugee Centre:
The Tibetan Refugee Centre. Established in 1959, the centre comprises a home for the aged, and orphanage, school, hospital and craft workshops that produce carpets of pure ladakhi wool, woodcarving, leather work and wool items. The weaving and dyeing shops and the wood carving shop are particularly interesting.

Best time to visit Darjeeling:
The best time to visit this hill station is between April and June and September and December. The summer temperature hovers between 14° C and 8° Celsius and the winter temperatures fall to a freezing 6°C to 1° Celsius. So be sure carry woollens when you visit.