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DARJEELING (Darjeeling
Gorkha Hill Council) in northeast India provides the perfect
ambiance
of a hill resort with its mild climate and laid back charm. Its
verdant hills and valleys are steeped in color, and are
interspersed with vast stretches of lush green tea gardens.
Presiding over all these is the 8,586 m Mount Khangchendzonga
looming over the northern horizon, giving a magical aura to the
land that entices thousands to its environs and leaves all the
senses intoxicated.
Darjeeling is hemmed in by Sikkim in the north, Nepal in the
west and Bhutan in the east. Darjeeling town, Kalimpong and
Kurseong are the major urban centres. Heavily influenced by
British India, Darjeeling still carries imprints reminiscent of
its colonial past. The toy train is one of the most striking
examples of Darjeeling's British Raj influence.
DARJEELING TOWN
 Darjeeling town (population 83,000 and elevation 2,134 m) is
located on a spur with houses hugging the hillside. The places
to visit are Chowrasta, a wide promenade atop a ridge lined with
shops and restaurants; Mall Road, starting and finishing at
Chowrasta, for a leisurely stroll amidst peaceful surroundings
and splendid views; Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park
which has the Siberian tiger, Himalayan black bear, red panda,
snow leopard and many
other animal and bird species, and the nearby snow leopard
breeding center and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, a
training center for mountaineers which also houses the Everest
museum' Natural History Museum, with its fine display of
Himalaya wildlife; Observatory Hill which has Hindu and Buddhist
Shrines; Dhirdham, a pagoda style Hindu temple; Tibetan Refugee
Self-Help Center, a major center for the production of Tibetan
carpets, woodwork and leather goods; the Buddhist monasteries of
Bhutia Busty, Thupten Sangag Choling(Dali) and Yiga-Choling
(Ghoom); Batasia Loop, a marvelous feat of railway engineering;
Tiger Hill for its renowned sunrise view over Khangchendzonga
and the eastern Himalaya; Japanese Peace Pagoda, established by
the Japanese Buddhist order, Nipponzan Myohoji; and Lloyd's
Botanical Garden which has a varied collection of Himalayan
flora.
Visitors can also take a ride in the Darjeeling-Rangit valley
passenger cable car or hop on the toy train which wheezes and
winds all the way from Siliguri to Darjeeling town via Kurseong.
The Toy Train:
 This train
made its first maiden trip in September 1881. Puffing along the
two foot gauge track, the gradient of which stays at a maximum
of 1 to 20, the train passes through a region, the sheer beauty
of which it starts to manifest itself as soon as one begins the
journey. UNESCO has declared this train as World Heritage.
Tiger Hill,Rock Garden,Padmaja Naidu Zoo,Japanese Temple etc.
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