Darjeeling, the tea garden of India

The aroma of fresh tea leaves awakened me as our jeep whizzed through the winding roads of
Darjeeling, the summer capital of British raj. Surrounded by Himalayan peaks and studded by tea
estates, we were mesmerized by the panoramic views that this quaint hill station offered. I was
eagerly looking forward to the visit to the tea estates and Tiger hills which is known for the view
of sunrise at 4 in the morning. It is said that as the morning sun lights up the Himalayan peaks,
you will witness a sunrise you would never have seen before.

Our home stay was located amidst the tea estate. We preferred a local home stay to the Victorian
manor-turned hotels of Darjeeling. We were attracted by the idea of walking through the tea
gardens, mingling with the locals of Darjeeling and trying out their cuisine. The heart of
Darjeeling lies in its tea estates. But, if you prefer to experience the luxurious villas of the British
raj, then these Victorian hotels are tailor made for you.

Having arrived early, we took a stroll along the picturesque mall road, also called Chowrasta.
The mall road is the meeting point of four roads, where you can relax and laze around under the
sun. Walking along this flat road that offers wonderful views of the mountain range, we caught a
glimpse of many locals and tourists, shopping at the old heritage stores and boutique shops.
While the shops lined one side of the mall road, there were pine trees along the other side giving
a glimpse of city life and nature’s beauty at the same time. We were told by a localite that
Darjeeling is a Tibetan name, derived from Dorje meaning thunderbolt and ling meaning land,
thus called the land of thunderbolt. We find a confluence of varied cultures here. Parts of
Darjeeling belonged to Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan before the advent of the British. And the
Tibetians migrated to Darjeeling after the Chinese captured it. Hence, Darjeeling comprises of a
mixture of Nepaleese populace (Gorkhas) and Bhutias belonging to Sikkim, Bhutan and Bengal.

After a wholesome meal comprising of Momos, Thupkas, (Tibetan noodles mixed with
egg/meat, vegetables with a predominant soup base) Shaphalay (Tibetan bread stuffed with
meat) and Aludum, we found ourselves walking through the tea gardens, sipping hot tea. Each
sip of tea took me into its own aromatic world. It reminded of a quote that said – Each cup of tea
represents an imaginary voyage – and how true it was! We were amidst the tea plantations, in our
own dream world, plucking tea leaves and chatting with the locals and no care for the outside
world….

Our evening was spent at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) dedicated to Tenzing
Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary who climbed the Everest in 1953. Located on the Birch hill that
can be accessed from Mall road, HMI is a museum with mountaineering displays and other
artifacts. It also comprises of boarding school for mountaineering students, houses for trainers
and others. We then visited the Darjeeling Zoo, located close to HMI. It is a home to rare
species found in high altitudes such as Red Pandas, Snow Leopards, Tibetan wolf and more.

The chilly night was spent in our home stay gulping hot homemade food and then huddled
underneath the thick blankets.
At 4 am, we were racing ahead of the sun to not miss the historic sunrise at tiger hills. It was a
spectacular event that got each one of us mesmerized. Initially, the silhouette of the clouds was
streaked by sunlight as though it was lighted by a matchstick. People were oohing and aahing as
the sun made a grand entrance amidst the fire-streaked clouds. Tiger hills gave us a breathtaking
view of the Himalayan ranges, gratified, we next ventured to our 2-hour toy-train ride through
the city of Darjeeling. Ghum is the highest point of the Darjeeling Himalayan railway, from
where the toy train makes a descent towards the Darjeeling city. The train goes along a spiral
path at the Batasia loop, this construction is considered to be an engineering genius, where the
train traverses along a steep path for about 1000 feet. The manicured gardens, streams and falls
along Batasia loop made the train ride a worthwhile experience.

The Observatory hill rising from behind the mall road, gave us a 360 degree view of Darjeeling
as we sat there enjoying the sunset. The hill houses the Mahakal temple which is the temple of
all faiths.

The following day, we went on a local tour visiting Darjeeling’s sprawling gardens, museums
and monasteries. Prominent among them are the Rock garden and the Natural history museum of
Bengal. The museum is an interesting place if you nurture a love for varied species of animals.
Specimens of Mammals, birds, fishes, reptiles and insects can be found here.

Our stay in this nature’s haven, located in the pockets of the Himalayas, transposed us to a
different time in history. The exciting local culture coupled with the simplicity of the tea workers
is memorable, making Darjeeling our home for three days.