THE CHARMS OF THE QUEEN
(By Subbaram Danda)
It
was a delight to watch the snow-clad mountain of Kanchenjunga, the third
highest peak in the world (28,209 feet), glistening alluringly against the
backdrop of the blue morning sky close to the horizon. Slow moving streaks of clouds playing hide
and seek with the peak provided a touch of romance to the enchanting scene. We were viewing the mountain from the
precincts of a resort in Darjeeling, the Queen of Hill Stations in India, where
we stayed – Sterling Silver Oaks.
Son-in-law Sendil Kumar, daughter Aishwarya Devi, grand-daughter Divyashree, wife Sampuranam and myself were on a short summer sojourn
in the hill station nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas in the state of
West Bengal. Darjeeling, meaning
thunderbolt in the Tibetan language, attracts thousands of tourists every year from
all over India and abroad. Though our
primary reason to head there was to enjoy its cool climate, we did not like to miss
the other attractions that the city had to offer. Our stay at the resort, which is located on a
higher terrain at an altitude of 7,400 feet, while most other parts of the city
have a lesser elevation, enabled us to take a good look at Mount Kanchenjunga. Some hotels also have a view-point for the
mountain.
The
Toy Train
For us another tempting appeal came from the Darjeeling
Himalayan Railway, popularly known as the Toy Train, which runs on a two-foot narrow
gauge track from the town of Kurseong to Darjeeling. It is the recipient of the World Heritage
status accorded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
organization (UNESCO). After flying
from Chennai to the airport town of Bagdogra, we took a taxi to Kurseong and
boarded the train. Senior citizens can
recall that the block-buster Hindi film of yesteryears “Aradhana” featuring
Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore immortalized the Toy Train by including a song
sequence “Mere Sapnon ki Rani” shot along the route.
It
took three pleasingly meandering hours to cover the 30-kilometre distance. For the most part the track ran alongside the
ghat road with no separating wall or fence between the rail-line
and the road. So, when the train entered
villages or towns, it came very close to street-side shops and had to keep hooting
all the way. People took everything in
their stride and expressed no surprise or shock at the approaching train! At one
point on the way, it stopped for a few minutes on a siding to allow an
on-coming train to pass by on the main track.
People in our train got down and found to their astonishment several vendors
selling fresh vegetables having spread them on the ground close to the
siding. Soon our train resumed its
journey and in unpopulated areas we could take a look at the steep valleys,
occasional streams, tea estates and other verdant vegetation. Softly caressing cool hilly breeze kept us in
good humour.
Batasia
Loop
At a place called Batasia, after the train passed
the station of Ghum and about five kilometres before Darjeeling, it negotiated
a sharp descent of about 1,000 feet in an incredibly marvellous fashion. An imaginative engineering feat made this
possible. Here the train moved on a
gently sloping large circular track. After
completing the loop it passed through a tunnel below the earlier track, thus
making a smooth descent. On both sides
of the circular track, a well-tended beautiful garden with seasonal and
perennial flower plants had come up. At
the centre of the loop, we could see a war memorial, opened in 1995 to
commemorate the sacrifices made by Gorkha soldiers of the Darjeeling Hill in
various wars after Indian independence.
On a raised platform stood a memorial pillar and a statue of a soldier
paying homage.
The
Ropeway
The best way of appreciating the beauty of the
hill-station in a panoramic setting is by taking a ride in the Darjeeling
ropeway. Buying tickets at the rate of
Rs.150 per adult we got into a cable car and glided over the city watching
closely-packed houses on its slopes, green valleys, sprawling lush tea gardens
and ghat roads. The 40-minute to-and-fro
ride was exhilarating. In summer time,
we were told, there would always be a long queue to buy the tickets and to get
into the cable car. We stood in the line
for about 45 minutes.
Sunrise
at Tiger Hill
A major item in the itinerary of many people
vacationing in Darjeeling is an early morning visit to the Tiger Hill. This is the highest point from where one can
have a spectacular view of the sunrise, provided the weather is fine without any
mist or cloud formation. For this, one
has to get up at 3:30 a.m., as the sun rises at about 4:30 a.m. in summer, and
take a car to the site braving harsh cold winds! The sun first emerges as an orange spot on the
horizon and gradually grows into a ball of fire. The entire skyline of the
mountainous terrain glows swathed in brilliant crimson light to the exhilaration
of the sun gazers. I and my wife were
not witness to this spectacle, as we did not want to expose ourselves to the
early morning biting chillness. Our
son-in-law, daughter and grand-daughter, however, made it.
The
Japanese Peace Pagoda
One attraction that left a lasting impression on
us was the Japanese Peace Pagoda.
Located at a 10-minute driving distance from the centre of Darjeeling
and completed towards the end of the last century, it is a dome-shaped Buddhist
structure (stupa) on the slopes of the Jalapahar hill. Designed as a symbol of world peace, it
serves as a source of inspiration for people of all races and creeds to strive for global harmony. It came up under
the guidance of Japanese Buddhist monk Nichidatsu Fujii.
The
gleaming white pagoda presents Buddha in four postures. Strikingly sculpted on its walls facing the
four cardinal directions are large Buddha statues in four styles – sitting,
sleeping, standing and meditating. The
images shine in rich golden colour.
Between them are realistically etched sandstone panels depicting the
outstanding episodes in the life of the peace apostle. Walking around the pagoda at the top level
visitors can see from a close range the statues and the panels.
We
were told that similar pagodas have been erected in other parts of the world. The Darjeeling pagoda is the tallest
free-standing circular edifice in the hill station. Its height is about 94 feet and diameter 75 feet.
From there one can watch the wonderful
sights of Darjeeling. In the same
premises, there is a Japanese Buddha temple, which the visitors see first.
Monasteries
There are several Buddhist monasteries in and
around Darjeeling. They are essentially
shrines where people throng to offer prayers in front of large colourful Buddha
statues. We visited a monastery in the
locality of Ghum close to our resort. Belonging
to the Tibetan school of Buddhism, it is said to be the oldest in Darjeeling,
founded by a Mongolian monk in 1875.
There are also big open-air statues of Buddha at some points in the city.
Himalayan
Zoological Park
Visitors to Darjeeling make it a point to visit
the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park named after the former governor of
West Bengal. Situated on a vast hilly
terrain, it is said to be the only specialized zoo of its kind in India,
internationally recognized for its conservation and breeding programmes aimed
at saving the endangered animal species of the eastern Himalayas. It houses some exotic types of high altitude
animals such as red panda, black bear, snow leopard and yak, besides colourful
Himalayan birds.
Himalayan
Mountaineering Institute
Located behind the zoological park is the
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, which functions as a centre of education
and research in mountaineering. Set up
in 1954 at the instance of the then Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru,
it also has a rich collection of models, paintings, sculptures, photographs,
manuscripts, autographs and equipments of well known mountaineers. Of interest is the “samadhi” of Nepal-born
Tenzing Norgay, who was the first to step on the summit of Mount Everest in
1953 along with New Zealand’s Edmund Hillary.
Tea
Estates
There are numerous tea gardens in Darjeeling
producing a wide variety of teas – black, green, white, blended, flavoured and
scented. They have their own distinctive
taste, colour and aroma. Darjeeling has
acquired the reputation of being the world leader in high quality teas. Climatic conditions, hilly slopes, appropriate
soil and labour from nearby Nepal have all joined together to make this
possible. Tea tourism, marked by visits to gardens and processing units with a
possible stay there overnight, is getting good encouragement. Of course, shopping for Darjeeling tea is a
priority with tourists.
Mark
Twain
Celebrated American writer Mark Twain had once
described Darjeeling as a “land that all men desire to see.” It is true even today but at the same time one
cannot brush aside the appalling conditions in which the city finds itself. The
first impression that a visitor gets has nothing to write home about. Bumpy narrow streets, shanty shops selling
wares of all kinds, dirty public places and four-wheelers occupying every inch
of road space are dampening pointers.
However, this view slips into oblivion, when one sees the other side of
the coin and experiences the bounty that the nature has uniquely bestowed on
the city in the form of Himalayan wonders, lush valleys and salubrious summer
climate. After all, the queen’s charms
still stand out!
(All photos are our own)
May 21, 2014
