East India

Darjeeling

Darjeeling in India owes’ its grandeur to its natural beauty, its clean fresh mountain air and above all, the smiling resilient people for whom it is a home. Known for its natural splendor, Darjeeling’s best gift to its’ visitors is the dawn of a new day. The mountains awaken first with a tentative peeking of the sun.
A steep ride, five kilometers from Ghoom, or an invigorating walk up a steep incline, leads sun worshippers to Tiger Hill. The air is chilly with darkness and damp. To the east, a dull orange sun emerged painting the sky with brilliant strokes of magenta, gold, orange and fuchsia. The snow capped Everest, Kabru, Kanchenjunga, Jannu and other peaks slowly emerge from slumber to start a new day. The sun worshippers gasp at the magnificent sight.

Observatory Hill is a hill near Chowrasta square, or The Mall as it is popularly known, in Darjeeling, West Bengal, India. Magnificent views of snow-clad peaks, including Mount Kanchenjunga, are visible from the Observatory Hill. The Bhutia Busty monastery was originally located here. Now the hill has the temple of Mahakal. Two important arteries of the town, Nehru Road and Bhanubhakta Sarani, meet at Chowrasta.

Monastery: The Bhutia Busty monastery, the oldest monastery in Darjeeling, was first located on Observatory Hill. It was built in 1765 by Lama Dorje-Rinzing. The name Darjeeling is believed to have originated when monks of the monastery referred to the region as “Dorje-ling”, meaning the land of the thunderbolt. Another school of thought believes that it was named after Dorje-Rinzing. The monastery was sacked by a Gorkha invasion in 1815. It was rebuilt in 1861 and was moved to its present location in Bhutia Busty in 1879. The ill-fated monastery was again destroyed by a 1934 earthquake and owes its present existence to the Raja of Sikkim.

Temple: Rising abruptly from Chowrasta is the hilltop. Situated atop is the ancient temple of Mahakal, a form of Lord Shiva. There is a cave sacred to worshippers in the temple. In Sanskrit, the word “Durjay Ling”, means “Shiva of invincible prowess, who rules the Himalayas.” There is a suggestion that the name Darjeeling could have emanated from this name.
Tourist centre: Chowrasta and The Mall around Observatory Hill are the main centres of tourist attraction in Darjeeling. They spread on hill slopes at an altitude of 2,134 metres (7,000 feet). In clear weather, one can see Mount Kanchenjungha and twelve other peaks, all above 20,000 feet. The view is clear during October to November. At other times of the year, it is a matter of luck, with clouds engulfing the entire area and some portions of the view available at opportune moments. There are many people similar to the characters in Satyajit Ray’s Kanchenjungha, who wait for long periods of time for the mist to clear so that they may have a view of third highest peak in the world.
Around the hill: There are several important places around Observatory Hill. Birch Hill, or Jawahar Parbat, an off-shoot from The Mall, is an exclusive residential section where the Raj Bhavan is situated.[7] The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute is located on the western spur of Jawahar Parbat, about a kilometre and half from Observatory Hill.

Apart from Darjeeling( in West Bengal State ) ,East India  can also proudly boast of many other breath taking  sites popular amongst International and domestic Tourists namely Gangtok which is the capital of Sikkim State , Pelling, Kalimpong, day Treks such as Rimbhik,Trek Garihas etc.

Not to mis the mention of the famous Kazhiranga National Park which hosts single horn Rhinos and is the only place in the world where these rhinos are found.

The Brahmaputra River which is the longest river in india is also the crown of the East.

Important festival: Losar( Tibetan new year celebrated in Feb every year)

This is an all round the year destination for trekkers and for regular travelers, Dec Jan,Feb can be avoided.

Come Explore Experience Enriche !