The imprint of British architecture is visible at every nook and corner of Darjeeling, from the buildings, memorials, churches, parks, schools, clubs and more. Rakesh kumar notices all this on his trip to the hill city
There are many reasons, which make Darjeeling a favourite
destination for many tourists. Be it its colonial history or a
haven for film-makers, where Rajesh Khanna in his jeep serenades
Sharmila Tagore with the song, “Mere Sapno Ki Rani Kab Aayegi Tu…”,
its tea industry, or the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. There are plenty
of reasons to include Darjeeling in one’s “must-visit” list. Located on
the lesser Himalayan range, Darjeeling has its fair share of history. It
was the abode of the British during summer, as they would come here to
ward off the searing heat of their Capital, Kolkata. The imprint of
British architecture is still visible at every nook and corner of the
town ~ from the buildings, memorials, churches, parks, schools, clubs
and more ~ all somehow wear the colonial legacy. Our journey to the
Darjeeling was a memorable one, from the time the plane landed at
Bagdogra to when I left in a car for the hills. It was an around
four-hour drive to Darjeeling, though the Google map showed it to be a
two-hour journey. (Moral of the story: Don’t trust Google every time!)
Darjeeling Heritage Train
Our first encounter with the town began with the Darjeeling Heritage Toy
Train. Its loud whistle could be heard far ahead of the main town. The
traffic came to a halt for a while ~ they were, like us, patiently
waiting for the train to pass. The moment the train crossed us we were
reminded of some scenes from old and new Bollywood movies, including
Burfi and Kahani. One thing that surprised us was the tracks ~ it was
very narrow, just 2 feet. Built between 1879 and 1881 by British, the
stretch from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling is 78 km. It runs from the
lower plains all the way up to Ghoom at 7,407 ft (the highest point on
any railway track in India) and then up to Darjeeling, and is considered
to be an engineering ingenuity and a marvel. But owing to frequent
landslides, most of this route is unusable today. Anyway, the fuming
smoke and the shrill whistle of the steam engine not only makes the ride
memorable but also nostalgic.
Colonial hotel
After having a first hand experience of the Toy Train, now it was time
for another surprise. This time it was our hotel ~ Windamere Hotel.
While checking into the hotel, Shubhana, the General Sales Manager told
us this colonial heritage property and every room in it had some history
connected. Here rooms are known by a name, not numbers. The room they
provided us was named Rinzing Namgyal. I was told that Bollywood
superstar Sharukh Khan too stayed in the same room for several nights
during the shooting of the movie Main Hoon Na in 2004. Situated on the
Observatory Hill in Darjeeling, the Windamere Hotel was established in
the 19th century as a cosy boarding house for bachelor English and
Scottish tea planters. The place was converted into a hotel just before
the outbreak of the Second World War. The rooms are exactly the same as
they were back then, with roaring coal fires, hot water bottles in the
beds and huge closets (that housed everything that a tea planter would
ever have needed for his stay). One is advised not to miss the afternoon
tea, which is a world-renowned affair.
Tea Garden
No doubt Darjeeling has been the world's top tea producing place and
known all over the world for the tea gardens producing "Champagne of
Tea". There are many tea estate laid during the colonial days and still
thriving. Many of them still have the original planters' bungalows with
the old colonial charm and aura. After having a look at the abode of
colonial tea planters, it was time to check their tea gardens. This led
us to the Happy Valley Tea Estate, originally established by Wilson, an
Englishman, in 1854. It was just 3 km away from Chowk Bazaar area but
seeing the tea processing was an awesome experience. There were guides
available to take us inside and show the entire tea production process.
They produce variations like White tea, Green tea and Black tea. Most of
the tea bushes in this estate are nearly 100 years old, some even
older.
Batasia Loop
Batisia Loop is another attraction of Darjeeling, which can’t be
ignored. Located on Hill Cart Road, Batisia Loop was commissioned in
1919. Trust me, there is no better place to get a panoramic view of
Darjeeling's landscape, including the hill town and the snow covered
peaks of the Eastern Himalayas with the majestic Kanchenjunga on one
side. And all this from the middle of a lovely garden with flowers,
around which the toy train track is laid, compelling one to fish out the
camera. At the centre of the Batasia Loop is the War Memorial, which
was opened in 1995 to commemorate the Gorkha soldiers of the Darjeeling
Hills, who sacrificed their lives in various wars after India's
Independence.
Age-old restaurant
Not only the places, the century-old restaurants in Darjeeling are
historic and came up during British time. One of them was Keventer,
which was converted from Edward Keventer's dairy farm in Ghoom. The farm
was once famous forits dairy and piggery products. Yes it has Bollywood
connection also ~ the Ranbeer Kapoor starer Burfi was shot here. The
other one is Glenary’s, which was founded by an Austrian named Pliva. It
has the famous bakery and Tea Room on the ground floor and a
multi-cuisine restaurant in the upper floor.
