Page 302 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

300  EASTERN INDIA

At North Point, in the northwest
corner of Darjeeling, is India’s
first passenger ropeway, a
cable car connecting Darjeeling
to Singla Bazaar in the Little
Rangeet Valley. The hour-long
journey provides a good view
of the mountains and the tea
gardens that cling to the valley.
The Himalayan Mountain­
eering Institute is to the south
of North Point on Birch Hill. Its
Hillsides of Darjeeling with Mount Kanchendzonga in the background Mountaineering Museum has
a fascinating contour model
r Darjeeling and was translated into English of the Himalayan peaks, while
in 1927. The murals in the the Everest Museum (open Fri–
Darjeeling district. 79 km (49 miles)
NW of Siliguri. * 107,600. temple are beautiful – but Wed) gives a history of the
~ Bagdogra, 90 km (56 miles) S of visitors should ask for permis sion various attempts to climb
city centre, then bus or taxi. £ @ before entering. Everest and other Himalayan
n Tourist Information Centre, 1, Nehru The presence of Kanchen­ peaks. The Himalayan Zoo is
Road, Chowrasta, (0582) 231 527. dzonga (8,588 m/28,209 ft), adjacent, and is famous for its
India’s highest peak (see p306), high-altitude fauna, including
The name Darjeeling derives dominates the town. Some snow leopards, Siberian tigers
from the monastery of Dorje of the best views of the entire and red pandas. To the south,
Ling (meaning Place of the snow-clad range of the Eastern the Lloyds Botanical Gardens
Thunderbolt) that once stood on Himalayan peaks can be enjoyed are home to an interesting and
Observatory Hill. The British chose from the windy, prayer flag- varied collection of Himalayan
this sunny, west-facing ledge of lined Observatory Hill. flora – the hundreds of species
the Himalayan foothills to build
a sanatorium in the mid-19th
century. Subsequently, it became
Bengal’s summer capital, and the
government would move up
here when the plains grew too
hot. Today, much of Darjeeling’s
Raj splendour is still in evidence,
contrasting with its Tibetan,
Nepali and Bengali character.
This picturesque town
squats rather precariously on
the hillside, and has three main
thoroughfares, Hill Cart Road,
Laden Road and The Mall. The
Mall is the hub of Darjeeling,
leading to the crowded
Chowrasta (crossroads), lined
with bookshops such as the
Oxford Book and Stationery,
which has a wide range of
books on India. Other shops
sell teas, curios and souvenirs.
Vendors offer sets of postcards
and guided tours. On one
corner of the Mall, the Tea
Museum relates the history
of tea plantations in North
Bengal. A rather jolting ten-
minute pony ride round the
Chowrasta is also available.
Nearby is the Bhutia Busty
Monastery, built in 1879. The
cult text, The Tibetan Book of
the Dead, was found in the
library attached to this shrine, Carved-and-painted façade of the Yiga Choeling Monastery
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp697–8 and p711

300-301_EW_India.indd 300 26/04/17 11:45 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
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Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm