The name ‘Darjeeling’ came from the Tibetan words, ‘dorje’ meaning thunderbolt (originally the scepter of Indra) and ‘ling’ a place or land, hence ‘the land of the thunderbolt’.
Another story says that Tibetan monks built a monastery atop the Observatory Hill in 1763. The name of the chief monk of the monastery was Rinzing Dorji Legden La. The Tibetans named the place after him… Dorji-Ling meaning ‘Place of Dorji’, and hence the name Darjeeling.
When I as only two years old, my parents took me to the Himalayas. It was in the summer of one of the 80’s that both my Mom and Dad decided, that enough of the Kolkata summer heat, let’s take a break and head to the Himalayas.
An overnight Darjeeling Mail took us to the New Jalpaiguri Railway Station from where on a clear sunny morning one can see the mighty Kanchenjunga.
Darjeeling, was less polluted during those times and when I see the pictures today, I find it very heart breaking that the Queen of the Hills has lost its earlier glory.
Darjeeling was a famous shooting place for the Hindi movies during the 60s and the 70s. How one can forget the evergreen Rajesh Khanna chasing the toy train and singing “Mere sapno ke rani kab aaegi tu”. The beautiful Sharmila tagore was looking through her deep warm eyes and trying to absorb the mesmerizing beauty of Darjeeling as if she was in a trans.
A lot of people visit Darjeeling all throughout the year. Most of them book tour packages from tour operators who have their own monotonous way of making you sightseeing through booked cabs and see the place through their eyes.
If you are a first time visitor, then probably that is a good option since you do not know the place. But the foreigners or rather the explorers actually prefer to see the city by walking through the every nook and corner, doing a sneak peek around the lesser or unknown places.
So today I will list down few lesser known places in Darjeeling which you may want to visit the next time you visit Darjeeling.
1. Singalila National Park : This high altitude national park is spread across the Singalila range. Manebhanjan, 26 kms from the Darjeeling town is the entry point for this park. This park is the inhabitants of the Red pandas and the pangolins. Around 120 species of birds are known to be found in this place, which is rich with the flora and fauna.
2. Shrubbery Nightingale Park : Not many people visit these park due to the fact that they are not aware about this park’s proximity to the main city. It is about a 10–15 mins walk from the Darjeeling Chowrasta mall when you go towards the Tenzing Norgay Rock. Shrubbery Nightingale Park hosts regular local cultural programs in the evenings during the tourist season.
3. Botanical garden Darjeeling : The Botanical Garden is named after William Lloyd who was the owner of the Llyod’s Bank during the British days. This 40 acres of area was handed over to Sir Ashley Eden and the garden was established in 1878. The Botanical garden has an Orchiderium that has some 2,500 orchids on display and showcasing some 50 varieties.
4. Aloobari Monastery Darjeeling : Aloobari Monastery is located some 3kms from the Darjeeling town. The actual name of the monastery is Yolmowa Mak Dhog Monastery. Established around the year 1914, this Buddhist Monastery was built by Sangay Lama, a religious leader from North Eastern Nepal. This monastery is famous for the statue of the Padmasambhava, the sage who was actively involved during 8th century in spreading the Buddhism in Tibet and Bhutan.
5. Japanese Temple & Peace Pagoda : Also known as the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Temple, this temple is located at the outskirts of the city. This two stories white temple was built in traditional Japanese style in the year of 1972. This Peace Pagoda here showcases four avatars of Buddha. This is the tallest free standing structure in Darjeeling. It’s height is 28.5 meters and diameter is 23 meters. From the top of the Pagoda, one can get the panoramic views of Darjeeling landscape including the Kanchenjunga range.
6. The Old Ghoom Monastery : Built in the year of 1850, Yiga Choeling Monastery of Ghoom is one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in Darjeeling area. Located a little below the Ghoom railway station, this monastery was built by the monk and a famous astrologer Lama Sherab Gyatso in 1850. There is a large collection of Buddha’s manuscripts inside inside this monastery, that includes a 108-volume Kangyur — The Tibetan Buddhist Gospel. There are also bells and a huge drum inside.
7. The Sonam’s Kitchen : Sonam’s Kitchen is a tiny eatery located on Zakir Hussain Road. You can walk up to the place from the Chowrasta Mall in few minutes. This is a family owned business run by the Nepali couple Puran Pradhan and his wife Sonam. They have been running this for over 15 years. Sonam is the cook and Puran is her helping hand. There are also cabinets fixed on the walls with good collection of books on travel and also on countries like India, South America, Tibet and others. You can borrow a book and read as you have your breakfast. This place seems to be a great favorite to the foreigners.
Darjeeling is one of the most beautiful places to visit, and only because of the magnificent Kanchenjunga range and the world heritage toy trains and the Tea Gardens one can visit over and over again. I have visited Darjeeling and its surroundings many a time and felt like one has to visit this place on various seasons winter, summer, monsoon, spring and autumn to get the true essence of the place. The place is rich with culture, heritage, and history and the bravery of the Nepali and the Gurkhas.
Their food is yummy delicious and mouth watering. My take on the people of Darjeeling is they are a bit conservative in nature. But once you gain their trust and belief, they are the most humble, amazing and down to earth people on the earth.
Visit Darjeeling stay and mix with the locals to soak yourself amidst the nature and Life ! Good Luck !
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