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Tiger
Hill :
Standing at a height of 2590 m
(8482 ft.), Tiger Hill is 11 km from Darjeeling.
An early morning trip to the Tiger Hill promises
an unique experience. A1 view of the sunrise amidst the Himalayan range
has earned it an international fame. From here you can get a glimpse of
Mount Everest, the highest mountain and
The
Observatory Hill : Apart from the
magnificent view it commands, this hill atop the Mall also is attached
with great religious importance as a revered temple complex for both the
Hindus and the Buddhists
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway or the Toy Train
: A visit to Darjeeling is
incomplete without a ride in the toy-train of Darjeeling Himalayan
Railway (DHR). The miniature train, given heritage status by UNESCO,
covers the distance of 88 km between New Jalpaiguri station and
Darjeeling. This fascinating narrow gauge steam
engine train still operates with the original steam engine and the loops
and the
zigzags along the route
are remarkable feats of engineering. The journey from New Jalpaiguri may
be a pleasant experience but it is the short ride from Darjeeling town
to Ghoom, the nearest station, that becomes a joy ride in itself. The
Toy Train is considered an engineering marvel and some prefer to call it
one of the wonders of the world, to be preserved forever.
Batasia
Loop and the War Memorial: About 5 kms.
from Darjeeling, this railway loop is a marvellous feat of engineering
and with its magnificent view of Darjeeling town with the Kanchenjunga
mountain is worth an experience, whether aboard the Toy Train or just
watching the Toy Train pass through this loop. The War memorial is
constructed in
the memory of the brave
sons of Darjeeling who died for the country since Independence in 1947.
Tea
Gardens: While in Darjeeling a visit to
any nearby Tea Garden to watch the actual process of the manufacturing
of Darjeeling Tea is worth it. Some of the Tea Gardens also sell their
packet teas. There are about 70 tea gardens in this hill region and the
most accessible one is the Happy Valley Tea Estate, which is about 3 km
from the town or within a walking distance of about 40 minutes (Closed
on Monday).
Buddhist
Monasteries: In and around Darjeeling
there are important and interesting Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries. The
oldest one is called the Yiga Cholling Monastery which is situated about
8 km from the town at Ghoom and enshrines an image of 'the Coming
Buddha' or the Maitriya Buddha. It was constructed in 1875 and belongs
to the Gelugpa Sect. The Samten Cholling Monastery is another
interesting monastery
nearby. The Drukpa Kargyud Monastery, also known as Dali Monastery, is a
big monastery located 5 km from the town. It belongs to the Drukpa Sect
and the Drukchen Rimpoche resides here. The Bhutia Busty Monastery is
situated at C.R. Das Road and is within 15 minutes walk from the Mall.
Japanese
Peace Pagoda: The Nipponzan Myohoji
Buddhist inaugurated the Japanese Peace Pagoda in 1992. It is a recent
landmark constructed by Japanese Monks and commands an excellent view of
the town and the Himalayan Range.
Dhirdham
Temple: Situated just below the Railway
station the temple is a structural replica of the famous 'Pashupatinath''
temple of Kathmandu, Nepal.
The Mall
and Chowrasta: The Mall road originates
and culminates at the Chowrasta which is the hub of Darjeeling town, a
square on the ridge of Darjeeling town and a good place to sit and
relax. It is ideal for a leisurely walk around a setting that is
perfect. A walk around The Mall is a must just at any time of the day
with the pleasant view of the mountains, valleys with rhododendron trees
and old houses
Bengal
Natural History Museum : While taking a
walk in The Mall a visit to the Museum of Natural History which lies
close by is worthwhile. This fine small museum exhibits an unique
collection of the fauna of the Himalayan region, especially of the
Eastern Himalayas.
Himalayan
Mountaineering Institute:
It was founded in 1954 after the historic conquest
of Everest on the 29th
of May in 1953, when two people set foot atop Mount Everest. They were,
Tenzing Norgay Sherpa from Darjeeling and Sir Edmund Hillary from New
Zealand. As an honour to the great Sherpa this Institute was formed with
the aim of imparting mountaineering skills to all the enthusiasts.
Tenzing Sherpa himself was one of the founding members and also the
Field Director of the Institute.
It is situated on
Jawahar Parbat and adjoins the Zoo. This Institute also houses a
mountaineering museum which holds
a rare collection of mementos from various Everest expeditions
like equipments used by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary on their way
to Mt. Everest and a letter written by George Mallory, the British
climber who was lost while climbing Mt. Everest and whose body was found
just a few years back. Nawang Gombu, the first man
to have climbed the Everest twice is presently the Chief Advisor for the
Mountaineering Training.
Himalayan
Zoological Park and Snow Leopard Breeding Centre :
About 2 km. from the town,
this high altitude wild life park and new home of
India's only collection of the
Siberian Tiger, Himalayan Black Bear, Barking Deer etc. Padmaja Naidu
Himalayan Zoological Park or the town Zoo exhibits some rare Himalayan
Fauna including the Snow Leopard, Red panda, Tibetan Wolf, Himalayan
Pheasants, etc. It is a treat for all wild life enthusiasts. Just nearby
is a very successful Snow Leopard Breeding Centre.
Lloyds
Botanical Garden : This is a colourful
garden situated just below the market. In 1878 Mr. W. Lloyd gifted 40
acres of hillside to make a garden with local plants and flowers. It
still has the most varied collection of rhododendron, magnolia, orchids,
etc. of the Eastern Himalayas. It also has a glass-house full of alpine
flowers and also features an Orchidarium and a collection of medicinal
plants.
Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway :
This Ropeway is in one of the most beautiful part of the
town and is situated at North Point about 3 km from town. The cable car
ride takes 6 passengers at a time and it passes over the lush green tea
gardens with breathtaking view of the mountains (Kanchenjunga) and
provides an experience that cannot be easily forgotten. The valley has
glorious views of Sikkim and the river Rangeet
Handicrafts : Darjeeling has some
interesting places to watch the local handicrafts being made as well as
a various range of choice handicraft souvenirs. The Tibetan Refugee Self
Help Centre is a self-supporting Centre for Tibetan refugees which
manufactures some intriguing Tibetan handicrafts. Established for the
rehabilitation of Tibetan refugees who had followed the Dalai Lama to
India in early 1959. It offers a wide choice of Tibetan handicrafts,
Tibetan woollen carpet is very popular. Hayden Hall, a Roman Catholic
social service centre also has a handicraft section with the purpose of
helping the local poor people.
Handmade items are
available for sale at reasonable prices. The Manjusha Bengal Emporium
offers prominent hill handicrafts, handloom and silk products of West
Bengal for display and for sale. It is situated at Nehru Road. Gram
Shilpa is another such showroom displaying Khadi handloom silk products
and set up by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, Govt. of
India. It is situated in Chowrasta
Ava Art
Gallery : Approximately 10 minutes by
taxi from the motor stand, it is just below the main road on the way to
Ghoom. This gallery houses fine art and embroidery work of Mrs. Ava Devi

Situated at a distance
of about 4 km. On Gandhi Road it is a new amusement park with a variety
of attractions.
Entry fee: Rs. 15/-

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