Surrounded by the lavishing green tea plantation in a close encounter with the mighty Kanchenjunga peaks – Darjeeling is a great combo for every sort of travelers.
Darjeeling used to be the summer residence of the British hence the British colonial history and heritage got amalgamated with this beautiful hill station. Along with that, Darjeeling is inhabited by Nepalis, Gorkhas, Dorjees and many other communities and all of them left some marks of their culture and tradition here.
It is unknown to many that, the name Darjeeling has been derived from the monastery called “Dorje Ling”. Let us no know more about the untold facts about Darjeeling-
But before tracing the road let us note…
How to reach Darjeeling-
Being a popular tourist destination in North-East India, Darjeeling is easily accessible by bus and taxis.
Distance from-
Siliguri-
The distance between Darjeeling and Siliguri is approx 61 km and it takes almost 2 hours and 30 mins to reach there.
NJP Station-
NJP Railway Station is situated almost 69 km away from Darjeeling and it takes nearly 2 hours and 50 minutes to drive there.
Bagdogra Airport-
The distance between Darjeeling and Bagdogra Airport is almost 68 km. You can book a local taxi service and get Bagdogra to Darjeeling taxi at a reasonable rate.
Let us go on the journey of exploring the top 7 Untold Facts about the Living Heritage-Darjeeling-
1. Darjeeling Municipality Building- A famous colonial style building
#DidYouKnow The clock tower of Darjeeling was built in 1850. A few decades later, it became Darjeeling's municipality building. #DiscoverJoy pic.twitter.com/6WjS0Xqr1V
— Sterling (@WorldOfSterling) July 12, 2017
It is one of the most famous places in Darjeeling where the Clock tower forms the front part. Earlier it was known as Town Hall of Darjeeling. Every hour with the dings of the bell the clock plays a lovely music.
2. Planter's Club- A historical recreational center-
Old steam engine.Planter's club.Oxford bookstore.Remnants of a bygone era,holding out #Darjeeling #IncredibleIndia pic.twitter.com/uHIgPk0prb
— Smita Barooah (@smitabarooah) December 30, 2015
It was built for the British planters and their wives to enjoy the evening. This club was also the starting point of the Mount Everest expedition in the year 1924 led by Mallory and Irvine. It is also visited by many famous personalities.
3. St. Andrew's Church- An old Anglican church-
St. Andrew's Church, Darjeeling. Built- 1843, Rebuilt- 1873 #darjeeling #travel #travellers our website : https://t.co/aOyvwjBaMU pic.twitter.com/sr6G10lcD8
— theecotrip (@theecotrip) January 1, 2018
Built in the year 1843 at a cost of Rs. 9000, it is one of the best attractions along the Mall Road. This church also holds the memories of many great residents like Lt. General A. Lloyd who was the discoverer of Darjeeling.
4. Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and Darjeeling Zoo-
The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling proudly marks ascent of Mount Everest by Tenzing Norgay monument pic.twitter.com/ND33IbmEGq
— Venu Rajamony (@venurajamony) July 13, 2016
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute was built in memory of Tenzing Norgay who was the successful climber of the Mount Everest. Darjeeling Zoo which is also known as Padmaja Naidu Zoological Park is situated at the same premises. It is a home to many rare species of alpine forest animals such as Red Panda, Himalayan barking deer etc.
5. Bengal Natural History Museum- Specimens of flora & fauna of the region
Bengal Natural History Museum is also a popular heritage site in Darjeeling. It is a museum where you get to witness the specimens of flora and fauna of the region. It is a ferroconcrete structure which is three-storied and is a must visit place in Darjeeling.
6. Roy Villa- Sister Nivedita's house-
#Roy Villa at #Darjeeling on the #Lebong Cart Road is the #building, where Sister #Nivedita #breathed her last. pic.twitter.com/vHtcIFCql9
— Bengal Tourism (@TourismBengal) July 17, 2014
Roy Villa is widely famous for being the house of Sister Nivedita's house where she lived for the last few days of her life. Along with that, Himalayan Mountaineering Institute was first started here at the Roy Villa in the year 1954.
There are some other heritage places in Darjeeling and that are-
- Keventer's is a dairy farm in Ghoom
- Glenary's is a famous tea room and bakery
- Observatory Hill provides sweeping views of the surrounding mountains
- Darjeeling Gymkhana Club a fully operational centre
- Government House or the Raj Bhavan was a personal property of the British
7 The Toy Train Ride - A UNESCO World Heritage Site
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Debasish Das (@the_lastbenchguy) on
Hop into the Toy Train and go back in time as the train moves slowly on 2-foot narrow gauge. It provides the best views of the landscapes and along with that, you will also notice a little bit change in the temperature. The setup was built during 1848 and 1854 and it is the first railway in India