| |
|
|
|
|
|
DARJEELING
|
|
|
|
Darjeeling town
(elevation 2,134 m) is located on a spur with houses hugging the hillside.
|
|
The places to visit are
|
-
Chowrasta, a wide promenade atop a ridge lined with shops and
restaurants;
-
Mall Road, starting and splendid views;
-
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park which has the Siberian
tiger, Himalayan black bear, red panda, snow leopard and many other animal
and bird species, and the nearby snow leopard breeding centre
-
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, a training centre for
mountaineers which also houses the Everest museum;
-
Natural History Museum, with its fine display of Himalayan wildlife.
-
Observatory Hill which has Hindu and Buddhist shrine
-
Tibetan Refugee Self-Help Centre, a major center for the production of
Tibetan carpets, woodwork and leather goods
-
Thupten Sangag Choling (Dali) and Yiga - Choling(Ghoom) - the
Buddhist monasteries of Bhutan Busty
|
-
Batasia Loop, a marvelous feat of railway engineering
-
Tiger Hill for its renowned sunrise view over Kanchenjunga and the
eastern Himalayan.
|
|
 |
-
Japanese Peace Pagoda, established by the Japanese Buddhist order,
Nipponzan Myohoji; and Lloy's Botanical Garden which has a varied collection
of Himalayan flora.
|
|
Visitors can also stake a ride in the Darjeeling -
Rangit valley passenger cable car or hop on the toy train which wheezes and
winds all the way from Siliguri to Darjeeling town
via Kurseong.
|
|
|
Back |
|
|
KALIMPONG |
|
|
Kalimpong, a sleepy little town situated at an altitude of
1,200 m. It is some 50 km to the east of Darjeeling .
It once used to be the hub of the trans-Himalayan trade between India and Tibet
when merchants used to ferry commerce by mule craven over the Jelepla pass on
the Sikkim- Tibetan border.
The places to visit here are
|
-
Kalimpong Arts and Crafts Centre for handicraft goods.
-
Tharpa Choling Monastery, a repository of old scriptures and
documents;
-
Thongsa (Bhutan) Monastery, the oldest in the area
-
Dharmodaya Vihar, a Nepalese Buddhist temple
-
Parnami Mandir, belonging to the Parnami sect of Hinduism
-
Durpin Danda from where the mountain ranges of Sikkim, including Jelepla, Tiger Hill and the confluence of the
Relli. Riang and Tista rivers
can be viewed
-
Zong Dog Palri Fo Brang Monastery at Durpin Danda
-
Kalimpong's famous flower nurseries.
|
|
Back |
|
|
KURSEONG |
|
|
|
Kurseong( elevation 1,458 m) is a quaint little town about 30 km to the
south of Darjeeling on the way to Siliguri.
The market consists of rows of shops lining the main road which is crisscrossed
at several points by the railway tracks of the toy train.
|
|
The places to visit here are
|
-
Eagle's Crag which has a park from where glorious views of
Kanchenjunga on one side and the southern plains on the can be taken
in;
-
Dow Hill which has the forest museum
-
Deer park
-
a water reservoir, all set amidst moss-laden conifers
-
and Chimney, a serene, open meadow.
|
|
Back
|
|
|
|
MIRIK
|
|
|
|
Mirik (elevation 1,765 m approx) is another tiny hill
resort easily accessible from Siliguri, Kurseong or Darjeeling. The centerpiece of the
town is
the Sumendu lake where boating under the
serene gaze of Kanchenjunga makes for a most relaxing |
|
 |
|
pastime. Tameeta Danda and
Deosi Danda are two elevated points near the lake from where the view all around
is terrific.
|
|
Back
|
|
|
|
|
