Resumo de Darjeeling : The Himalayan Queen

?Gaye Firdaus Bar ruye jameen ast / Hameen asto, hameen asto, hameen ast? (If there is anywhere Heaven on the earth, It is here, it is here, it is here.?) --- these lines of Firdaus, the Iranian poet, are apt for Darjeeling, the famous hill station in West Bengal (India) and the glorious home of Sherpa Tenzing who first stepped in 1953 on the highest mountain peak of the world, Mount Everest. Mark Twain seems to have visited this Himalayan city and described Darjeeling as the ?land that all men desire to see?. Surrounded by countries like Burma, Bangladesh, Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan, this beautiful ?Queen of the Himalayan Region? is abundantly enriched with natural beauty. Situated on the foothills of the Himalayas at an altitude of some 2000 meters, Darjeeling reflects the beauty of the Himalayan peak of Kanchenjunga. Kanchenjunga, literally meaning ?the golden thigh?, is a scenic mountain peak of the Himalayas. Tiger Hill is another major attraction of Darjeeling. This world-famous ?Window of the Sunrise? is situated at an altitude of 2590 meters offering a panoramic view of the Sun rising over Kanchenjunga.
Rains, thunder, roaring rivers, sky-scraping hills, industrious people, charming smiling girls, Buddhist flavor, sensational jungles, and varied wildlife are the quintessence of the life of Darjeeling. Darjeeling traditionally means ?Dorje Ling?, that is, the ?Land of the Thunderbolt?. Rains are quite unpredicted in Darjeeling. Heavy rainfalls also cause landslides making internal traveling very difficult. The local people, however, are accustomed to such difficulties. They are industrious and sturdy. Equality of men and women is a striking reality of Darjeeling. Women work out in the field, pluck tea, sell home-made items in the market, join hands with their male counterparts in all the work and are always cheerful. While the main inhabitants are Hindus, Buddhists are the largest religious minority group (14% of the total population) in Darjeeling. Christians and Muslims comprise some 8%. Gorkhas, Bhutias, Lepchas, Sherpas and Yolmos are some of the native tribes.
Darjeeling is packed with wonderful aesthetic points and interesting places for people of varied taste. Lofty mountain terrains and cascading rivers offer adventurous sports like trekking, mountaineering and rafting. Sandakphu, situated at an altitude of 11,929 ft. and 57 kilometers from Darjeeling, is a wonderful trekking place surrounded by bewitching scenery along winding roads. Himalayan Mountaineering Institute is a center of its own kind dedicated to training in mountaineering. Among the thrilling experiences that Darjeeling offers are viewing of the Rangat Valley Ropeway, the five kilometer long first passenger ropeway of India, and the railway loop of Batasia in Ghoom, one of the highest railway stations in the world. The toy train of Darjeeling is the most memorable delight for children. For animal-lovers there is the Himalayan Zoological Park teeming with Siberian Tiger, Himalayan Black Deer, Panda, Llama and birds like Monal, Emerald Dove, maroon Oriole, etc. For those interested in vegetable kingdom, Darjeeling is packed with evergreen spruce, chestnut, magnolia, oak, and silver fir trees. Lloyds Botanical Garden showcases a rare collection of various Himalayan plants and flowers. Rock Garden is yet another beautiful spot which attracts the tourists. For those who love art and history, Darjeeling has a rich legacy of invaluable worth. Natural History Museum as well as Himalayan Mountaineering Institute Museum offer a comprehensive collection of Himalayan fauna. In addition, there are Buddhist Monasteries in and around Darjeeling which have their own serene appeal. Both in their artistic shape and in their tranquillizing effect they leave an indelible impact. Suffices it to say that Darjeeling is truly a heaven for all.

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