IT Professional, Raj, fills us in on why Darjeeling, India is a wonderful place to live
What makes Darjeelling stand out compared to nearby places?
Darjeeling has always been a home to me. A home is always welcoming, warm and loving, when you have nowhere else to go, there is a home.
Whenever I visit the plains of Siliguri, a 78 km drive from Darjeeling, in the searing heat of the city, I am always reminded of the “air-conditioning” Darjeeling has always provided. The cool, refreshing weather is one of the best assets of the town.
When I return from the plains, there has always been a stark contrast not only in the weather but also in my state of being. My ears always feel the respite from the raucous city. My mind is at peace once again.
Apart from the various beautiful locations and landscapes here, I am in love with the simplicity of the people here; they are always being polite and helping each other. Darjeeling is undoubtedly one of the safest places in the country. You will seldom hear about loots or violence, especially against women. Honestly, I feel it to be a blessing to be born here.
What is one thing Darjeeling should be known for and why?
To just choose one would be like choosing a favourite child. It’s very difficult.
Darjeeling is a town in India’s West Bengal, in the foothills of the Himalayas. She is old, and she is interesting; she is a queen-“The Queen of the Hills”.
Darjeeling used to be a summer resort for the British Raj elite owing to its temperate climate. The history of the “Summer Capital” is intertwined with that of Sikkim, Nepal, British India, and Bhutan which is a whole different story to tell.
Today, she is famed for her beautiful landscapes, the “toy-train”, the “fine wine of teas”, her backdrop Mt. Kanchenjunga and the peaceful lifestyle to name a few.
If I were just to talk about one thing then it would be the weather!
It is holiday weather here in Darjeeling. There are spring-like weather conditions almost all year round, except for a short monsoon and a chilly winter. Thousands of tourists plan trips to enjoy the weather, the subtropical highland climate in Darjeeling. Humidity levels can be between 82-96% from June-September influenced by the Bay of Bengal. Fog, mist, cloud, and rain are all integral parts of Darjeeling’s weather.
However, the Darjeeling weather can be quite an unpredictable diva at times. Sometimes you can even experience all four seasons in a single day. This is the very charm of the hill station.
Best time to visit
October- March:
Monsoon makes way for winter. The average temperature ranges between 7 and 5 degrees Celsius. This time is perfect for the ones who enjoy the cold. If we are lucky, there may even be a snowfall. October-November also marks the festive season in the hills. It becomes full of colour and life though a bit too crowded and hectic also.
April-June:
The summer season is perfect in the hills. The days are bright and carry a cheer in the air. This the best time for sightseeing and other tourist activities. Temperatures do not exceed 25 degrees Celsius. This is the time for a perfect and the most comfortable vacation. After all, Darjeeling is rightfully the “Summer Capital” for a reason.
July- September:
This is when heavy rainfall is observed in Darjeeling. It is not recommended to visit at this time of the year. However, if you are not too intimidated by the rains and are willing to take up all the inconveniences that come with the monsoons, then a great adventure awaits. Also, this is the time when great photographs are taken; everything looks clean and lush green. The sights are breathtaking!
Tell me about your favourite restaurant in Darjeeling, India
Keventer’s
Location: Chauk Bazaar
The place is a hotspot, especially during weekends. I like going here alone. It’s a very reserved place with a breathtaking view of Mt. Kanchenjunga in the backdrop. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. I prefer the indoor arrangement. I usually order hot chocolate or a cheese sandwich while here and slowly let the peace sink in. Whenever I feel the need for some “me” time, this breakfast restaurant is the first place that comes to mind!
Narayan Das
Location: Darjeeling Bazaar
This place holds so many memories for me. I have almost always ordered chola bhataura followed by a gulab jamun (locally called rasmithai). This place has always been a family favourite. It’s a great place if you want to dine with your family. The pricing is great and serves a variety of Indian cuisine and some sweet sweet snacks.
Penang
Location: Ladenla Road, near the Rink Mall
This restaurant is a charming place to be in. It has an upscale look owing to its well-lighted interior and cushioned sofas with wood top tables but is very budget-friendly. It is the best in town when serving the Nepali Thali – a full meal served on a platter (thali) that includes daal (lentils cooked in a soup), bhaat (boiled rice), tarkari ( vegetable curries), chutney(pickles), and papad usually followed up with a sweet like rasmithai (rasogulla). I have been here on numerous occasions with friends and family and have never been disappointed with what they offer.
Tell me about how you spend your weekend in Darjeeling
If there is no rare occasion when my family and I are visiting a tourist site, then on my weekends I am usually going to one of these three places:
- Chauk Bazaar
Location: Chauk Bazaar
Things ranging from groceries to reasonably priced electronics are available in this market, visited by hundreds of people daily. I usually accompany my mother to the shopping. It’s always very busy and the narrow streets with the huddled shops having kind-faced owners make it look like a picture straight out of a children’s storybook.
- Rink Mall
Location: Laden La Road, Chauk Bazaar
Apart from being a shopping complex, there is also the INOX theatre along with many food joints which makes it a perfect getaway for me and my best buddies!
- Keventer’s
Location: Chauk Bazaar
Sipping the hot chocolate and getting lost in my musings, here I find the perfect opportunity to get in sync with myself!
We usually hire a taxi for intra-city transport but most of the places in Darjeeling require you to walk across the hilly regions. Walking remains one of the most widely used for traversing through the town. Two-wheelers are also popular.
If you could suggest for me to just do ONE thing what would it be and why?
It would be great if you would take a stroll early in the morning along the Jawahar road spanning from the Mall Road to the Darjeeling Himalayan Zoo. It’s usually very quiet around that time, fitting to be on a date with nature. The air you breathe in wakes up all your senses. I promise you, it’s going to be one of the most fulfilling things you will ever do. It may be just a walk but the fresh, chilly air, the quiet, the chirps are therapeutic, healing you right to your bones. It feels like you are so close to realizing your calling.
The walk energizes you and no matter where you begin, the end always has a special place waiting for you-on one terminus you have the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park while on the other end you have the majestic Chowrasta. This is one of those things in life that make you realize that “the best things in life are for free.”
Tell me about your favourite outdoor activity in Darjeeling
My favourite outdoor activity is undoubtedly taking a stroll early in the morning along the Jawahar road. I love the quiet around that time, making it a perfect rendezvous with the essence of oneself. The air wakes me up and gives me clarity. It has been one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done. It’s just a walk but the fresh, chilly air, the hush, the cuckoo bird’s calling are salutary, heals me right to my bones. It gives me peace of mind and the sense of direction I need in life.
When I reach Chowrasta, I find an empty bench and enjoy the pleasant things in life. The children’s laughter, the elderly sitting hand-in-hand, the peaceful faces of the otherwise very busy men and women, and the bright, cheerful day makes me want to be a better person.
Tell me about your favourite indoor activity
One of my favourite indoor activities in Darjeeling is visits to Hayden Hall.
Hayden Hall
Location: Chauk Bazaar
Hayden Hall is a private non-profit organization that works for the development of the underprivileged women in the area and helps them be self-sufficient. The Hayden Hall Shop on the ground floor facing the road which sells items handcrafted by the women there. There are also about 300 underprivileged children who are given the help they need. There are also welfare programs for the aged. A day spent in their service is a day well spent. Whenever I go there, I am usually asked to teach the children and spend some time with the elderly. The joy in their faces and the hope in their eyes make it all worth it!
Imagine I am blind. If I come to visit Darjeeling, how would you describe it to me?
One of the first things you will experience upon arriving here is how the chilly but smooth breeze gently kisses your cheek almost like a welcome. When in a romantic park-like Nightingale Park or sitting on a stone-carved bench in the Rock Garden, surrounded by the soft grass you will feel the warm sun shining on your face. This is how the people here are. Just like the sun’s rays may be having various wavelengths, the people here are of various ethnicities but they are always kind, gentle, polite, and ready to help each other.
When in Chowrasta, the place where four roads meet, sitting on a bench you will hear the giggles of children, the clip-clops of horses, the hooting of pigeons, and the whistle of the man selling cotton candy. This is one of the liveliest places in Darjeeling but never noisy.
The tea plantations will give you one aromatic adventure. Darjeeling is green, not the green that feels like jealousy and greed but a lighter shade that makes you calm and makes you feel like you belong. After various flushes of rain, it is a speck less green. One moment the sun smiles down on you and the other you are covered in mist. At night, the hills look dark and looming and the lights from the buildings look like diamonds and sparkles sprinkled on top of them. Above we always have the hopeful sky full of twinkling stars. It’s euphoric.
What is the best thing to do with children there and why?
The adventures of the Mahakal Baba Temple would be one of the best experiences for the little tourists.
The temple is located in Observatory Hill atop Mall Road. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva and was built by the Buddhist monk Lama Dorjey Rinzing in 1782. This place is a perfect amalgamation of Hindu and Buddhist religions and philosophies. This would be a very important lesson for children to see. It could teach them to live in harmony with others and see the magical results of co-existence and equal respect for all others. There are glorious sights to see here be it the colourful idols of the Gods and Goddesses, the Tibetan prayer flags, the abundant flora and fauna, the golden bells, or the monkeys stealing your offerings.
There are also a lot of children and their mothers usually begging on the way to the temple. It is still a moral question as to whether we should give them money or not but this does not take away the fact that it could instil in us, especially the younger hearts a desire to help those who are not as privileged as we are. After returning from the temple with a new perspective on life, don’t forget to relax in Chowrasta and perhaps even have some puchka!
What is the best thing to do as a solo traveller in Darjeeling and why?
Tiger Hill: 11 km from the town at an altitude of about 2590 m, this is a tourist favourite famous for its view of the sunrise from its summit. It has a bird’s eye view of Mount Everest and Mount Kanchenjunga. At sunrise, you can see their peaks illuminated. On a clear day, Kurseong is visible to the south while the Teesta, Mahananda, Balason, and Mechi Rivers can be seen meandering down to the south.
It would be great to reach early, find a comfortable spot and view the sunrise before the rest of Darjeeling all the while recalling your dreams and using the spectacular view as a stimulus to fill your heart with courage.
Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary and The Senchal Devi Dham (Temple of Goddess Senchal) are other popular attractions. It is a popular belief that if you sincerely ask the Goddess for the things you need, you will receive Her abundant Blessings!
What is the best thing to do as a couple there and why?
The major attractions for a couple in Darjeeling would be:
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway/Toy Train: The DHR is a 2 ft gauge railway and runs between Darjeeling and New Jaipaiguri, an 88 km long track. This was built between 1879 and 1881. The railways were initially built as a Tramway to exploit the differential price of rice in Darjeeling and Siliguri.
With Darjeeling being the terminus, the line follows Hill Cart Road, a part of National Highway 110. The track is on the roadside for long stretches. Hence, to warn pedestrians and drivers of an approaching train, the train drivers sound very loud horns and whistles almost constantly. To overcome the steepness of the terrain, loops and zigzags were placed along the route to achieve a gradient. The entire track has 13 stations in between. There are daily tourist trains from Darjeeling to Ghoom- India’s highest railway station, handled by 6 diesel locomotives. The steam-hauled Red Panda service from Darjeeling to Kurseong is hauled by vintage British-built B-Class steam locomotives. The railway’s headquarters are at Kurseong. On 2nd December 1999, UNESCO declared the toy train a World Heritage Site.
As the tiny train sees its way through numerous hills and valleys, the figs, pine, and the rhododendrons that Darjeeling is notorious for along with the mystical fog will make for one very romantic journey
Describe the local cuisine or food that Darjeeling is famous for, or should be famous for. Where can you get it?
- Kinema
These are fermented soybeans and a local favourite. You will generally find them being sold by roadside vendors.
- Darjeeling Tea
One of the most valuable assets of Darjeeling-“The Champagne of Teas” is the tea famous for its special aroma. The tea is made from Camellia sinensis and is produced, processed, and manufactured in the region itself before being exported all around the world. Darjeeling teas are best known for the muscatel flavour-“a musky spiciness”. Apart from the famed black tea, the Darjeeling tea estates are also known for their green, white, and oolong teas. To relish a cup of Darjeeling tea at Nathmulls is something you will not want to miss out on.
- Darjeeling Oranges
There are several orange orchards here that have been producing oranges for more than two centuries. The oranges are smaller with thinner peels but are not lacking in flavour and smell. They are all you need on a warm, sunny day sitting on a bench in Chowrasta enjoying the delights of life.
I think Darjeeling should also be mentioned for the festivals and culture we have
India itself is a very diverse country. Situated in India, Darjeeling is without surprise a land of varied culture and festivals. With Hinduism and Buddhism being the predominant religions, the main festivals are:
Dashain/Dusshera
The festival marks the victory of good over evil. Celebrated in September or October, it is the most anticipated festival. Each of the nine days (Navaratri) leading up to the 10th day Dashami, carry special importance. Families gather and share gifts while the elder puts tika on his/her family members wishing for their long and blessed lives
Tihar/Diwali
Usually three-day-long, Tihar celebrates Kaag Tihar (worshipping crows) on the first day, Kukur (dog) Tihar on the second day, and Gai (Cow) Tihar and Lakshmi Puja on the third day. On this day, people light diyas inside and outside their homes. There is hope and good cheer all around. Deusi and Bhaileni are songs performed by men and women, respectively during this time.
- Buddha Jayanti- celebrates the Birthday of Gautama Buddha usually in May.
- Holi- the festival of colours
- Maghe Sankranti- observed on the first of Magh in the Vikram Sambat calendar (about 14th January), it a major harvest festival that welcomes longer days and worships the sun god. People usually have tarul (sweet potatoes) on this day.
- Losar
The Buddhist ethnic groups of Darjeeling like the Lepchas, Bhutias, Sherpas, Gurungs, and Tamangs celebrate the new year-Losar in January/February.
The monasteries, the crafts, the folk songs, and dances are just a few witnesses of the rich heritage of Darjeeling. Add this to the great food and nice people, and this is why I love to live here.
