Hill Stations in Darjeeling
Western Union
Perched at an elevation of 2134 m above the mean sea level on a ridge, Darjeeling was gifted to the British East India Company by the King of West Bengal in 1835 AD. Darjeeling means 'Region of the Dorje or Thunderbolt'. The beautiful hill station, Darjeeling is perfect place to be in while it is hot and humid in the plains. Besides the hills, there are plenty of tourist attractions to act as tonic for your eyes and mind while on vacations in Darjeeling.
Among the natural beauty of the hill station, the foremost is the Tiger Hill. Merely 11 km from the city of Darjeeling, Tiger Hill is the place to savor the majestic view of the sunrise over the peak of Kanchenjunga. Senchal Lake, also called the 'Lake of Damp Mist', is very near the Tiger Hill. It is the perfect place to spend the afternoons on picnics with family or friends. For another equally spell bounding sight of the Kanchenjunga, one should go to the Observatory Hill.
Besides the natural sites, there are also noteworthy religious places in Darjeeling. Mahakal Temple is a beautiful shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. Another important Hindu temple in Darjeeling is the Dhirdham Temple. The striking feature of this temple is that it is build on the model of the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu. At a distance of 8 km from the hill city is the Ghoom Monastery. It is the most prominent monastery in the whole of Darjeeling. Just beneath the Ghoom Monastery is the Yiga-Choiling Monastery. This monastery belongs to the Gelugpa Sect and is noteworthy for the 15 ft tall statue of Maitreya Buddha.
The museums are the best way of knowing the history, geography and culture of a city well. So check out the Natural History Museum built in 1903 AD. Here, you will get to see the fauna of the Himalayan as well as the Bengali region. Lloyds Botanical Garden is also a must visit place. You will get to witness the variety of plants including ash, birch, chestnut, maple and magnolia. Himalayan Mountaineering institute and Everest Museum will provide you with all the information on number of attempts made on climbing the Himalayas since 1857 and also display the mountaineering equipments including those used by Tenzing and Hillary.
If you have not taken a joy ride on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railways or the Toy Train. Savor the beauty of the nature from within the toy train, a part of Indian heritage and among the World Heritage Sites in India.
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