A hideout in the hills
By Kingshuk Niyogy and Ranen Dutta
It all started when a patrol of the East India Company, which was exploring an easy access to Sikkim during the Anglo-Nepal wars, came across a sleepy hamlet atop a thickly wooded ridge with a brilliant view of Mt Kanchenjunga. It’s strategic value aside, the collective British soul pining for cold and rain instantly recognised a ‘hill station’ when it saw one. In its formative years, like most of these Raj getaways, Darjeeling was simply a scattered village of English cottages, confined to Birch Hill and Jalapahar. But it has a messy earlier history too.
Initially, Darjeeling was a part of Sikkim, which had been lost to Bhutan, then reclaimed and then lost once again to Nepal in the 18th century. Then, the Anglo-Nepalese War took place. After it ended in 1817, what Nepal had stolen from Sikkim was pawned to the English East India Company.
And thus, because of its location and fluid political situations, Darjeeling ended up becoming a sort of ‘frontier town’ in the 1840s and 50s, a haven for international misfits. Tibetan and East European refugees, fleeing Russians and displaced monarchs such as the Emir of Afghanistan, were all found here. And this political compost burped up spies of every persuasion — British, of course, and then Japanese. Some working for the Kuomintang, some for Bose’s INA. And then there were also the independent strays with bad cases of curiosity, plotting secret entry into forbidden Lhasa.
From that lost era of cosmopolitan intrigue, shrouded in high mists and whispered in small cottages, Darjeeling has grown hugely in its domains. But it has also reduced in stature. As it settles into benign middle age, this wild child of the hills has had too much tourism. And even though nothing can spoil its views of the mountains, one wishes Darjeeling’s coming of age had been better nursed.
It’s still a town made for long walks though, situated as it is over a ridge and spilling down the hillside in a complicated series of interconnecting roads. As you walk along, you’ll come across a lot of colonial architecture — English cottages with antiquated windows and smoking chimneys, graveyards cheered by mountain pansies and foxgloves, magnificent school buildings and churches. And when you do, squint a bit to blur the surrounding concrete and you might just see Darjeeling as it used to be.
Tiger Hill
Each morning, muffler-wrapped tourists make up a procession towards Tiger Hill to see what used to be, at least from 1838 to 1849, the highest mountain in the world — Kanchenjunga. Then, in 1856, the Survey of India confirmed an old suspicion, that actually Nepal’s Sagarmatha on its border with Tibet, named Everest by the Brits, was No. 1. If you are exceptionally lucky, you will see both the current and the former tallest mountains of the world from Tiger Hill. The difference in their height is a mere 827 ft. Kanchenjunga though, now relegated to being the third highest peak, is still called the most romantic mountain — an epithet one can understand, supposedly, only on seeing it. Countless poems and a movie by Satyajit Ray acknowledge this.
*Entry fee (for viewing tower) standing Rs 10, seated Rs 30; shared jeep Rs 65-70 for a return trip ex-Darjeeling
Gelugpas in Ghoom
Near Tiger Hill is the Yiga Choeling Tibetan Monastery of the Gelugpa sect, also called the Ghoom Monastery. Old records say it was set up not for higher spiritual purposes but for hushed-up political meetings. Given Darjeeling’s tempestuous beginnings, not surprising at all.
Now for the facts: It came up in the 1850s and was built by a Mongolian monk, Lama Sherpa Gyaltsho, whose faith brought him to India in the 1820s. In 1918, the 15-ft clay image of the Maitreya Buddha, built at an expense of Rs 25,000, was unveiled. Painted gold, the statue is said to be encrusted with precious stones. Also check out the thangkas on the walls. The monastery is also a storehouse of Tibetan translations of famous Sanskrit works such as Kalidasa’s Meghdoot, Nagamandala by Sriharsa and Nyaya Krit by Dharmakriti. Nearby, adjacent to Hill Cart Road, is another Gelugpa monastery, the Samten Choeling.
*Timings Open all day. Photography allowed outside
Bhutia Basti Monastery
The Bhutia Basti is the oldest monastery in Darjeeling, originally built on Observatory Hill in 1765 by Lama Dorje-rinzing. It was sacked by the Nepalese in 1815 and then rebuilt near St Andrews Church in 1861. It was finally moved to its present location in the Bhutia Basti, near Chowrasta, in 1879. It’s an unusual blend of Tibeto-Nepalese architecture and a storehouse of rare artefacts, including ancient Buddhist texts.
The Mahakal Temple now stands where the original Bhutia Basti Monastery used to be. An early morning walk up to the top is quite pleasant but be careful of the brattish monkeys.
*Monastery timings Open all day. Photography allowed outside only
Tenzing’s legacy
The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute was established in 1954, a year after Mt Everest was scaled for the first time in 1953. And Tenzing Norgay, who lived in Darjeeling, was the director of this institute for many years. The Mountaineering Museum here has interesting displays and records of some major expeditions. Next door is the Everest Museum, which traces the history of different attempts on the world’s highest peak. The institute also organises regular mountaineering courses for all levels. And one-off rock-climbing lessons can be taken at the Tenzing Norgay Rock, located on the northern fringes of Darjeeling, for Rs 10.
*Entry fee Rs 25 (includes entry to the Zoological Park) Tel 0354-2270158 Timings 10 am to 4.30 pm with half-hour lunch break; closed on Thursdays
Of tigers and trees
The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park is located right next to the mountaineering institute and is known internationally for its breeding programmes of the snow leopard and the red panda. You will also see Siberian tigers and Tibetan wolves here.
Below the main bus-and-taxi stand, near the Old Market are Lloyd’s Botanical Gardens, named after W. Lloyd, the famous banker who gifted this land in 1878. Walk along the pathways and spend a quiet afternoon in these large, open gardens. The hothouse has a fantastic collection of more than 50 species of orchids.
*Timings 6 am to 5 pm
The dusty but comprehensive Natural History Museum set up in 1903 has taxonomic displays of a wide range of birds, reptiles, animals and insects.
*Timings 10 am-4.30 pm. Thursdays shut
Home away from Tibet
The picturesquely situated Tibetan Refugee Self-Help Centre (Tel: 0354-2252552) is a 45-minute walk from Chowrasta. It was established in 1959, the year the Dalai Lama sought refuge in India. It has special significance for the Tibetans, since the 13th Dalai Lama (the present one is the 14th) spent his exile here in 1910-12. All that remains of his house now is the foundation and some crumbling walls, however.
Today, the centre is home to about 650 Tibetans and sells superb carpets, woodcarvings, woollens, thangkas, metalwork and an assortment of Tibetan curios. The best way to enjoy your visit to the place is take a tour of these various workshops, which are open to visitors.
Toy train
When built in the late 19th century, the World Heritage Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was something of a technological marvel. Its tracks rose from sea level to an altitude of 7,546 ft in just about 70 km. The engineers devised many zigzags, reverses and loops to overcome these gradients, but the most famous one is the Batasia loop, where the train does a complete figure of eight along the track.
If you haven’t taken this train up to Darjeeling, you can always take a short joyride from Darjeeling Station to Ghoom Monastery. And if you want to see just the Batasia loop, drive to watch the train turn from the well-maintained gardens in and around the loop.
TIP Go very early or late in the day to avoid the waves of tourists returning from Tiger Hill
The tea estates of Darjeeling
Though it might have been a hothouse of international spies once upon a time, it’s tea that put Darjeeling on the world map. Dr Campbell, the first superintendent of Darjeeling appointed by the East India Company, planted the first tea seeds in the garden of his lodge sometime in the late 1830s or 40s. Missionaries like the Barnes brothers, who set up modest-sized plantations in the late 1880s, took up his pioneering efforts. The plantation started by them is presently the Bannockburn Tea Estate (Tel: 0354-2276712).
The first seeds were from Chinese hybrid bushes brought from the Kumaon Hills, but gradually these strains metamorphosed into what is now known as ‘Darjeeling tea’. In 1886, one TT Cooper estimated that Tibet consumed 60,00,000 lb of Chinese brick tea annually, mainly produced in the Szechwan province. Cooper suggested that if this could to be replaced by tea from India, it promised a market of great value. The rest is history.
Perhaps it’s the region’s rich soil, coupled with the moisture-laden mountain air, that imbued Darjeeling tea with its exquisite quality. Today, there are some 87 tea estates in and around Darjeeling, employing over 50,000 people. Each garden has its own history and most have their individual blends of tea, which are collectively presented to the world as ‘Darjeeling tea’. The best time to visit the gardens is in summer, when the plucking takes place. The most convenient visit would be to the Happy Valley Tea Estate (Tel: 2252405), 3 km from the town. Here you can take leisurely walks along the gardens, watch the tea-pickers at work and visit the factories to see how the fresh leaves are converted into tea. Call in advance for a tour.
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Darjeeling’s restaurant cuisine is nowhere near as international as its population. The only respite from Chinese and tandoori would be the Tibetan momos. Also ask around for chaang, the local millet beer. Keventer’s, opposite Planter’s Club, is known for its breakfast spreads, especially good if you like cold cuts. Though Penang looks slightly seedy, it has some of the best Tibetan food. Another place for good Tibetan food is Devekas Restaurant (Tel: 0354-2254159). Dafey Munal, next to the jeep stand, is a good place for light meals and desserts. Hasty Tasty is a nice place for reasonably priced vegetarian meals and Glenary’s is a confectionery with a view. Taaja’s at the Planter’s Club has good food, served slow.
Tea of course. Among the best in the world is supposed to be ‘first flush superfine tippy golden flowery orange Pekoe’ in tea-speak. First flush refers to the youngest leaves, growing just below the bud. The younger the leaf, the more expensive the tea. You’ll find various grades of tea in Darjeeling but the best are usually exported. Even then, you’ll find that prices range between Rs 500 and 2,000 per kg. So be discerning while making your selection. Nathmull’s (Tel: 0354-2256437, 2253529), on the Mall, is a reliable outlet.
Besides tea, Darjeeling is also a good place to pick up handicrafts. The souvenir shops are at the Chowrasta or on the adjacent Nehru Road. Habeeb Mullick & Sons (Tel: 2254109) at the Mall was established in 1890, and has interesting photographs hung behind the counter from the shop’s early years, when it also used to sell fur merchandise. Also try Eastern Arts (Tel: 2252917) at the Chowrasta.
TIP Shops stay closed on Sundays
Name Either a corruption of Dorje-ling, literally the ‘land of the mystic thunderbolt’, or named after Lama Dorje-rinzing, founder of Darjeeling’s first monastery
Age Modern Darjeeling began with the British East India Company’s takeover of this sylvan hillside territory in 1835
State West Bengal
Location At a height of 6,814 ft in the eastern Himalayas in northern West Bengal
Distance 687 km N of Kolkata
Route from Kolkata NH34 to Dalkhola via Farakka and Malda; NH31 to Siliguri via Bagdogra; NH55 to Darjeeling via Kurseong
When to go
April to June, September to December
Tourist offices
Deputy Director of Tourism, Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, Silver Fir Bhanu Sarani, Darjeeling. Tel: 0354-2254879
Reception Information Centre
Darjeeling, Tel: 2255351
West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation, 3/2, BBD Bagh, Kolkata
Tel: 033-22485917
Website: www.westbengaltourism.com
West Bengal Tourism
State Emporia Building, A/2, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, New Delhi
Tel: 011-23742840
STD code 0354
Getting there
Air Nearest airport: Bagdogra (90 km/ 31/2 hrs), connected to Kolkata and Delhi by daily flights. Bagdogra also receives flights from Guwahati and Patna. Taxi fare to Darjeeling varies from Rs 1,000-1,500 depending on vehicle.
Rail Nearest railhead: New Jalpaiguri (81 km/ 31/2 hrs), connected to Kolkata by Darjeeling Mail and Kamrup Express and to Delhi by Guwahati Rajdhani. Taxi fare ranges from Rs 800-1,000. Toy Train runs daily New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling (8-9 hrs), though the service gets disrupted during the monsoons.
Road Take ‘rocket’ buses (from Dharamtala in Kolkata), or ITDC deluxe and AC buses. These buses will take you as far as Siliguri. From here catch a Trekker (fare Rs 72) or a Maruti Van (Rs 800-1,000) to Darjeeling.
1 comment:
Hey
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