Doting Darjeeling

The online dictionary defines Tourism as a travel for recreational, leisure, or business purposes. Touring or in today’s term commonly known as “Leisure travel” was associated only with the elite classes, the aristocratic and fashionable society. I’m sure all you travel frenzies out there, including myself, have heard about “The Grand Tour” which was the traditional trip of Europe practiced by mainly upper-class Europeans, mainly the British nobility from England. However with the advent of low airfares, alternate modes of travel and affordable tour packages “The Grand Tour” is merely become a myth and travelling has become a standard hobby and a passion for all. Cox & Kings was the first official travel company to be formed in 1758.

The Incredible India, as the name suggests has many incredible tourist attractions. Every state, every city, to every nook and corner of this land, has a story to tell and every wall screams of a hidden fact, some true and some made up. Incredible India mostly known for its spices, herbs and “saris” and its rich cultural heritage and the origin of the Kama sutra, a contradicting fact for a place where talking about sex in open is considered a taboo, let alone practicing it. Young India still carries with it, the same flavor and the same tag but along with all that, it is now associated with high rise apartments, fancy offices, women clad in saris riding two wheelers, young professionals who wear suits to work and stir their coffee clockwise. Yes, this is our India and isn’t it attractive? India attracts large tourist every year from all over the world. Amidst the hustle bustle of its faced paced cities, lies a quiet snail paced town in the hills, our little Darjeeling.

Darjeeling is famous for three T’s, tea, tourism and timber. Although it’s a clichéd line but it is a well known fact. Until the early part of the eighteenth century, Darjeeling was under the king of Sikkim. Later the Gorkhas invaded the region and procured the area, which they eventually lost to British. The British used this place to escape the heat and later developed it into a hill station and it was widely used for tea plantation. What does Darjeeling have that other hill stations don't? Yes, the snow-clad Kanchenjunga ranges. I doubt any other hill resort has a backdrop so spectacular, like ours, it is the world's third-highest mountain. Then we have the narrow-gauge steam railroad that draws train buffs from all over the world and of course, the tea plantation which records the world’s finest tea being produced in this area that quenched the thirst for all tea lovers.

Darjeeling, snuggled among the mountains, is a perfect destination for travel enthusiasts. Popular places to visit include the Tiger Hill from where you can experience a mesmerizing sunrise as early as around 4 am, the Batasia Loop, the Himalayan Zoological Park and Snow Leopard Breeding Center, The Rock Garden, Japanese temple etc. Darjeeling is also considered one of the educational hubs that provides quality education for the school level, considering the fact that it has the oldest missionary school in India that dates back to 1846 (Loreto Convent). The school was established during the British Raj by a group of Sisters of Loreto; hence the educational system is British like and is fancied by most parents. There are about 52 primary schools, 21 high schools and 4 colleges in the town attracting a lot of students from the mainland India and abroad.

Also, how can we leave behind our “FOODIES” At Glenary's they still serve the most authentic ready to eat snacks, Keventer’s gives you the best British breakfast including bacon, eggs, cheese, ham, salami and sandwiches, hotdogs with a Chocolate shake makes the finest order, at Joey’s club they fix you a perfect drink with the classic Beatles to go with it, then the little road side food joints like “bennis’ aloo dum”. At the Windamere and other fashionable hotels, they'll bring you marmalade and bread for your morning toast without your even asking. All this goes on to make our Darjeeling a doting one.

Tourism is one of the main sources of income for the local residents. However, with the political turmoil off late with the Nepali residents clamoring for Darjeeling to become a separate state called Gorkhaland; quite unfortunately and with little foresight, the politics has directly affected tourism, hence affecting the economy of our little town.