Places Visit In Darjeeling

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, also known as the DHR or "Toy Train", is a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow-gauge railway that runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in the Indian state of West Bengal, India. Built between 1879 and 1881, the railway is about 88 km (55 mi) long. Its elevation level varies from about 100 m (328 ft) at New Jalpaiguri to about 2,200 m (7,218 ft) at Darjeeling.

Four modern diesel locomotives handle most of the scheduled services; however, the daily Kurseong–Darjeeling return service and the daily tourist trains from Darjeeling to Ghum (India's highest railway station) are handled by the vintage British-built B Class steam locomotives. The headquarters of the railway is located in Kurseong.

History

Siliguri, located at the base of the Himalayas, was connected with Calcutta (now Kolkata) by broad gauge railway in 1878. Between Siliguri and Darjeeling Tonga, services ran on a cart road (the present day Hill Cart Road).Franklin Prestage, an agent of Eastern Bengal Railway Company approached the government with a proposal of laying a steam tramway from Siliguri to Darjeeling.Sir Ashley Eden, the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, formed a committee to assess the feasibility of the project. The proposal was accepted in 1879 following the positive report of the committee.Construction began the same year.
Gillanders Arbuthnot & Company was given the responsibility of construction. By March 1880, the line was extended up to Tindharia. Lord Lytton, the first Viceroy to visit Darjeeling, was conveyed in the train up to Tindharia.The stretch from Siliguri to Kurseong was opened on 23 August 1880, and the Siliguri to Darjeeling track was inaugurated on 4 July 1881.The name of the rail company was promptly changed to Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Company. Initially the alignment of the railroad followed Hill Cart Road; however, it became apparent that in some areas the steepness of the road was more than the locomotives could easily maneuver. In 1882 four loops and four reverses (zig-zags) were constructed between Sukna and Gayabari to ease the gradient.The line was extended by a quarter mile to Darjeeling Bazar in 1886.The Darjeeling station was renovated in 1891, while Kurseong got a new station building and storage shed in 1896,but the railway suffered from an earthquake in 1897 and a major cyclone in 1899.

By 1909–1910, the DHR was carrying 174,000 passengers and 47,000 tons of goods annually.The first bogie carriages entered service, replacing very basic 4-wheel carriages. DHR extension lines were constructed up to Kishanganj in 1914, and Gielkhola in 1915.At Tindharia the railway works were relocated from behind the loco shed to a new and extensive site.The Batasia Loop was constructed in 1919, eliminating problems by creating easier gradients on the ascent from Darjeeling.However, the DHR started to face competition from bus services that began operating in the Hill Cart Road, and that took less time than the railway to reach Darjeeling. In 1934, a major earthquake in Bihar shook all of Northeast India. Many buildings in Darjeeling were heavily damaged and the railway was also badly affected, although it soon recovered and played a vital role in transporting repair materials.During World War II, the DHR played a vital role transporting military personnel and supplies to the numerous camps around Ghum and Darjeeling.After the independence of India in 1947, the DHR was purchased by the Indian Government and was absorbed into the Indian Government Railways organisationand then came under the management of the Assam Railways organisation. In 1952, Assam Railway, including the DHR, became part of the North Eastern Railway Zoneand later, in 1958, a part of the Northeast Frontier Railway zone of Indian Railway.In 1962, the line was realigned at Siliguri and extended by nearly 4 miles (6 km) to New Jalpaiguri (NJP) to meet the new broad gauge line there. It opened for freight that year and for passengers in 1964. The loco shed and carriage depot at Siliguri Junction were relocated to NJP.The DHR remained closed for 18 months during the hostile period of Gorkhaland Movement in 1988–1989. The railway was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999.

Singalila National Park

Singalila National Park is a national park of India located on the Singalila Ridge at an altitude of more than 7000 feet above sea level, in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. It is well known for the trekking route to Sandakphu that runs through it.

History

The park was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1986, and was made an Indian national park in 1992. The region had long been used as the trekking route from Manebhanjang to Sandakphu (the highest peak of West Bengal) and Phalut.

The park has no significant history of human settlement. However, small settlements have grown up along the trekking route to Sandakphu and Phalut. There is a reasonably large village at Kala Pokhri, around the lake of the same name. The Singalila Ridge was used as an approach route by the first documented mountaineering team which unsuccessfully attempted to climb Kanchenjunga in 1905. The team was led by Jules Jacot-Guillarmod and the famous occultist Aleister Crowley.

The national park falls in the Indomalaya ecozone, and the biomes corresponding to the ecozone which are present in the park are:Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests of the Temperate coniferous forests biomeEastern Himalayan broadleaf forests of the Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biomeHimalayan subtropical pine forests of the Subtropical coniferous forest biome.The subtropical biome roughly exists in the altitude range of 1800 to 3000 m, and the temperate biome exists in the altitude range of 3000 m to 4500 m.

The major issues at the park are trash collection on trekking routes and ensuring minimal damage of flora by trekkers, as flora at such high altitudes tend to grow really slowly. Grazing of yak and cattle from neighbouring villages can also be a problem. Forest fires can be a threat to the park, especially in spring when the accumulated debris from winter can be a hazard. A forest fire swept through the park on 6 March 2006.Even though the national park has a resident red panda population of only about 20-25 members, Project Red Panda (funded by the Central Zoo Authority) chose Singalila National Park for reintroduction of red pandas from its captive breeding program at the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling, mainly due to reasons of proximity. Two females, Sweety and Milli, were released in November 2004. Milli was killed by a leopard, but Sweety adapted to the wild and gave birth to an offspring - the first such successful re-entry for red panda. The reintroduction was filmed by noted Indian filmmakers Rajesh Bedi and Naresh Bedi. The documentary, named Cherub of the Mist, won the Best Conservation and Environmental Film at the 29th International Wildlife Film Festival in Montana.

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (also called the Darjeeling Zoo) is a 67.56-acre (27.3 ha) zoo in the town of Darjeeling in the Indian state of West Bengal.

The zoo was opened in 1958, and an average elevation of 7,000 feet (2,134 m), is the largest high altitude zoo in India. It specializes in breeding animals adapted to alpine conditions, and has successful captive breeding programs for the snow leopard, the critically endangered Himalayan wolf and the red panda. The zoo attracts about 300,000 visitors every year. The park is named after Padmaja Naidu (1900–1975), daughter of Sarojini Naidu. The zoo serves as the central hub for Central Zoo Authority of India's red panda program and is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums

History

A zoo was established on 14 August 1958 in the Birch Hill neighbourhood of Darjeeling under the Department of Education of the Government of West Bengal with a goal to study and preserve Himalayan fauna. Its first Director and founder was Dilip Kumar Dey. Mr. Dey, who belonged to the Indian Forest Service was on deputation to the Department of Education for the express purpose of establishing a high-altitude zoological park specializing mainly in Himalayan flora and fauna. The park's prized possessions were a pair of Siberian (Ussuri) tigers presented to the Government of India by Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in 1960. Over the years famous names in the world of Conservation have been attracted to and have visited the HZP. The zoo now contains endangered animals like snow leopards, red pandas, gorals (mountain goat), Siberian tigers and a variety of endangered birds. However, there has been concern regarding the fact that the Himalayan animals may face a threat due to rising temperatures in the hilly area.In January 1972, the park became a registered society, with an agreement that maintenance costs would be shared by the central and state governments. In May 1993, the park was transferred to the West Bengal Department of Forests. The park was renamed in 1975 when Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India, visited the park and dedicated it to the memory of Padmaja Naidu.

Tiger Hill

Tiger Hill (2,590 m) is located in Darjeeling, in the Indian State of West Bengal, and is the summit of Ghoom, the highest railway station in the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has a panoramic view of Mount Everest and Mt. Kangchenjunga together.

It is 11 km from the town of Darjeeling and can be reached either by jeep or by foot through Chowrasta, Alubari or Jorebangla and then climbing up the incline to the summit.

At sunrise, the peaks of Kangchenjunga are illuminated before the sun is seen at lower elevations.From Tiger Hill, Mount Everest (8848m) is just visible. Makalu (8481m) looks higher than Mt. Everest, owing to the curvature of the Earth, as it is several miles closer than Everest. The distance in a straight line from Tiger Hill to Everest is 107 miles (172 km).

On a clear day, Kurseong is visible to the south and in the distance, along with Teesta River, Mahanada River, Balason River and Mechi River meandering down to the south. Chumal Rhi mountain of Tibet, 84 miles (135 km) away, is visible over the Chola Range.Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary is close to Tiger Hill.

Tiger Hill is the best point in Darjeeling for watching sunrise. Located at a height of 7,407 feet above sea level, the hilly trails through the mountains lead to the hill top. On a clear day, the entire Himalayan range can be seen. It is at a distance of 11 km from the main city of Darjeeling.Sunrise tours to Tiger Hill are arranged by hotels. Normally, the pickup time from the hotel is around 4 am. It is better to reach a little early in order to secure a place. There are tea stalls selling flavoured Darjeeling tea along with snacks. There are also shops from where one can pick up souvenirs like hand crafted items or picture post cards of Kanchenjunga and Darjeeling.

Observatory Hill

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. Another school of thought suggests that the presence of the megalithic core to have been a place of worship of the Rongs, representing a sacred location of the classic Long Chok (erect stones) type. The term 'Dotsug' was thus a literal translation of 'Long Chok'

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.

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. The place where the Mahakal Temple stands was once occupied by the Buddhist monastery. It is still a place of great sanctity for the Bhutias. Bells ring in the midst of fluttering flags, which are used to pray in the shrine. Monkeys are seen in plenty at the Observatory Hill

There are several important places around Observatory Hill. Birch Hill, or Jawahar Parbat, an offshoot from The Mall, is an exclusive residential section where the Raj Bhavan is situated. The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute is located on the western spur of Jawahar Parbat, about a kilometre and half from Observatory Hill. The Windamere Hotel and West Bengal Government’s Tourist Lodge stand above The Mall. Windamere, a cozy boarding area of the bachelor English and Scottish tea planters, was converted into a hotel in 1939. There are a number of hotels and restaurants in and around Chowrasta or The Mall. A road from The Mall leads to "Step Aside" - the house of the eminent freedom fighter Chittaranjan Das. He died in Darjeeling on 16 June 1925. The latest addition coming up is a large “Ranga Manch” (theatre) overlooking the Chowrasta.The range on which Darjeeling is located is Y-shaped with the base resting at Katapahar and Jalapahar and two arms diverging north from Observatory Hill. The northeastern arm dips suddenly and ends in the Lebong spur, while the northwestern arm passes through North Point and ends in the valley near Tukver Tea Estate.

Batasia Loop

The Batasia Loop is a spiral railway created to lower the gradient of ascent of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India. At this point, the track spirals around over itself through a tunnel and over a hilltop. It was commissioned in 1919.

There is no better place to get a 360 degree 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 flowering garden around which the toy train track is laid.Batasia means airy space. the As you stand on one side of the garden and see the toy train making a complete loop while hooting its whistle along the way and trying to negotiate the spiral track with a double loop, it's a fabulous experience.

There are seating areas as well to enjoy the views. The entire area along with the gardens and an approach bridge that leads to the garden is about 50,000 square feet. It has been covered with grass and beautified with both seasonal and perennial flowers and shrubs.Batasia Loop was commissioned in 1919 because it was an engineering requirement for the toy train to be able to handle a steep gradient. Just after Ghoom (which is the highest railway station) there is a sharp fall as the toy train moves towards Darjeeling. There was no way the toy train could negotiate such a drastic fall of about 140ft unless there was a way to somehow reduce the gradient of the slope.

Batasia Loop was created by the British to counter such sharp descent. You won't even realize how the toy train actually descends by about 140ft as it completes the loop through a large circular area and on a gentle slope and then crosses its own track near the beginning of the loop through a tunnel below. It is considered as one of the greatest engineering feats.
You can walk along the track and complete the loop for yourself. I do it every time I am there. Or take the many pathways in the garden and walk around, enjoy the many flowers and the surroundings. There is also an Eco Garden in Batasia. It provides a lot of information about organic farming and plantations in Darjeeling. Here you will find many rare species of plants like the Gingko biloba. And there are Rhododendrons, Silver Firs and even tea plants.At the center of the Batasia Loop is the War Memorial. This was opened in 1995 to commemorate the Gorkha soldiers of the Darjeeling Hills who sacrificed their lives in various wars after India's independence. At an elevated platform there is a Cenotaph and a statue of a soldier paying homage.

Happy Valley Tea Estate

Happy Valley Tea Estate (Bengali: হ্যাপি ভ্যালি চা বাগান) is a tea garden in Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Established in 1854, it is Darjeeling's second oldest tea estate. Spread over 177 hectares (440 acres), it is situated at a height of 2,100 metres (6,900 ft) above sea level, 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) north of Darjeeling, and employs more than 1500 people

History

It is the second oldest tea estate of Darjeeling (after Steinthal Tea Estate, which was established in 1852), and, at a height of 2,100 metres (6,900 ft), is also one of the highest tea factories in the world. David Wilson, an Englishman, had named the garden Wilson Tea Estate and by 1860 had started cultivation of tea. In 1903, the estate was taken over by an Indian, Tarapada Banerjee, an aristocrat from Hooghly. In 1929, Banerjee bought the Windsor Tea Estate nearby, and merged the two estates under the name of Happy Valley Tea Estate. G.C. Banerjee was the next owner of Happy Valley Tea Estate. He with his wife Annapurna Devi and three daughters (Nonimukhi, Monmaya and Savitri) lived there for some time. Annapurna Devi was related to the Ganguly family of Khandwa; her maternal uncle was Kunjalal Bihari, father of the famous cine Gangulys. Nandini Balial (Ganguly), a young prolific writer in LA is the great granddaughter of Late Monmaya Debi.

In March 2007, after remaining nearly dormant for nearly four years as the tea industry had experienced a slump, the estate was bought over by S K Bansal, of Ambotia Tea Group, which established a new factory within the premises, and started modernization process, replating and switching to organic farming. Finally, the estate reopened to public in 2008, with the original factory turned into a working museum. It also displayed single piston slow-speed engines, and the shaft machines and sells tea-related mementos. Today, over 1500 people worked in the tea estate and processing unit.

In 2008, the hand-rolled tea produced by Happy Valley was chosen to be sold at Harrods in UK, with price ranging from ₹5,000 (US$78) to ₹6,000 (US$94) per kg,The tea estate is spread over 177 hectares (440 acres), at a height of 2,100 metres (6,900 ft). The bushes in the garden are very old — the minimum age is 80 years, and some are 150 years old. Very little re-plantation has been done in the recent past. Situated around 3 km north of town, below Hill Cart Road, accessible via Lochnager Road from Chowk Bazaar, this tea estate is the closest tea estate to Darjeeling town, and tourists often visit the garden. The months of March to May are the busiest time here. when plucking and processing are in progress. It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Joey’s Pub

Joey's pub is probably the nucleus of Darjeeling's nightlife. If you relish a beer or a drink, you don't want to be missing out on the charm of this old British style country pub. Every time I ask a local who joins me at the front bar here, I keep getting the reconfirmation that this is the only true pub in Darjeeling.

Joey's pub is located few steps into a lane close to Big Bazar shopping complex and opposite to the post office of Laden La road. From outside, this one storeyed building looks like an English country home with a small front porch having a triangular roof. There is a small iron gate outside and then you reach the main door. An wooden board hangs outside from the beam with a bold signage of "Joey's Pub". The pub is run by Puran Gongba. This building was originally built in 1948 by his father who ran a small hotel and a restaurant here for the backpackers.

Puran was deeply immersed into music in his early days and had his own band. He used to be and is still a great guitarist. However, he could not continue with his passion beyond a point and came back to Darjeeling. He converted the hotel into this cozy pub which he himself has been running since 1991. It's named after his son Joey who lives in Brighton, UK. When I asked Puran why did he name it after his son, a local sitting next to me replied "because he misses his son a lot". I looked at Puran and he smiled in acknowledgement.As you walk in, the interior is completely wood paneled including the ceiling providing a warm and cozy feeling of a cottage. Right next to the door there is a stand that has a large collage of old magazines and news papers.A soft music plays at the background. There is only one large room in the pub. At one end of the room is the bar counter with few high bar stools. Puran himself serves drinks at the bar. On both sides of the room there are tables with cushioned chairs laid out. The wooden walls have nicely framed pictures hanging from several places. In one corner there is a TV running a sports channel. Over all the ambience is charming and simple yet having an old classy touch.
Once the power went off and it was dark inside for a minute and we couldn't see anything around. I was wondering what kind of backup power they would have. The staff quickly lit up several candles, placed them on empty soda bottles and put them at different corners of the room. The candle lit room was looking magical. I heard the Swiss man sitting next to me saying "let it be like this.... we don't want the lights back".
You will meet people from different walks of life here. This bustling pub is always full of foreigners. Once I met a young man Alex who came to Darjeeling from Australia. He took a break for a while and was teaching students in a school which is part of Dali Monastery. For him, Joey's Pub had become an inevitable week-end obsession. The bar is well stocked with both Indian and imported liquors including whiskey, vodka, gin, rum and other drinks. There are different types of beer and wine as well. When I once asked Puran about draft beer, he mentioned that there is a technical difficulty in stocking draft beer here. Once opened, it has to be consumed within fixed hours or otherwise it would get stale. So unless there is continuous demand, stocking draft beer is not possible. Unfortunately, there is not many takers of draft beer in Darjeeling. So this is one thing missing in this pub. There are few other things you won't get here either. There is no food served at Joey's Pub. They do offer some complimentary fried mixture (light snacks), but that's all. Another thing which Puran himself talks about is a lack of proper toilet. Yes there is one which is of Indian style and very basic, although clean.

Japanese Peace Pagoda

Peace Pagoda, Darjeeling or Darjeeling Peace Pagoda is one of the Peace Pagodas designed to provide a focus for people of all races and creeds to help unite them in their search for world peace. It is located in the town of Darjeeling in the Indian state of West Bengal. Like most of the other Peace Pagodas, it was built under the guidance of Nichidatsu Fujii (1885–1985), a Buddhist monk from Japan and founder of the Nipponzan-Myōhōji Buddhist Order.

Peace Pagoda is a well-known Buddhist temple and monastery which is set in the beautiful town, Darjeeling. The temple was built under the supervision of Nichidatsu Fujii who was a Buddhist monk from Japan and who also advocated the Nipponzan-Myo-ho-ji Buddhist Order. This revered place is considered a symbol of religion and peace.The foundation stone of the pagoda was laid on 3 November 1972 by Nichidatsu Fujii, and was inaugurated on 1 November 1992. The pagoda was designed by M. Ohka, and it took 36 months for constructing it. It houses the four avatars of Buddha including Maitreya Buddha. The height of the pagoda is 28.5 metres (94 ft) and diameter is 23 metres (75 ft).The Pagoda is situated on the slopes of the Jalapahar hills of Darjeeling, a few kilometres from the town of Darjeeling.

Perched on a hillside at the end of AJC Bose Rd, this gleaming white pagoda is one of more than 70 pagodas built around the world by the Japanese Buddhist Nipponzan Myohoji organisation. During the drumming puja (prayers) sessions, visitors are offered a hand drum and encouraged to join in the rituals. Getting here involves a pleasant, gentle 30-minute walk from Clubside junction along Gandhi and AJC Bose Rds, past the curiously named Institute of Astroparticle Physics and Space Science.

Rock Garden

The Rock Garden (also known as Barbotey Rock Garden) at Chunnu Summer Falls and Ganga Maya Park are recently added tourist attractions in the hilly town of Darjeeling in the state of West Bengal, India. It is a showpiece meant to lure people to Darjeeling after political agitations disrupted tourism in the 1980s. There is another rock garden in Darjeeling known as Sir John Anderson Rock Garden, which is part of Lloyd's Botanical Garden

The British secured Darjeeling from the Raja of Sikkim in 1835 and developed the area. They introduced tea gardens in the area. Townships sprang up, hotels were built and the population in the area grew rapidly. From a mere 100 souls in 1839, the population had shot up to 10,000 by 1849. Spread on hill slopes at an altitude of 2,134 metres (7,000 feet), the town and the area became a major centre of tourist attraction.

The garden is about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Darjeeling. While proceeding from the town along Hill Cart Road, one has to turn right, well before reaching Ghum. The road descends rapidly into the valley. With sharp bends all the way, there are scenic views at many points. Tea gardens dot the hill slopes.Constructed by the Gorkha Hill Council Tourism Department, it was inaugurated by Subhash Ghising, the GNLF supremo. The Rock Garden is not one in the conventional sense. A multi-level picnic ground terraced around a natural waterfall, its attraction is in it "being a sort of road-side facility but with a little too much concrete." The garden offers a beautiful view of a hill stream cascading over rocks along the slope, done up with flower gardens and sitting spaces at different levels. There also is a small lake. With tourists pouring in large numbers, tea shops and snack kiosks have come up
Ganga Maya Park is further down the road, about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from the Rock Garden. Named after an innocent victim of police firing during the GNLF agitation, "it meanders down the course of a chortling mountain stream, past gazebos, clumps of flowering shrubs and trees, over humped backed bridges under which koi-carp coruscate, and into a circular lake with paddle boats and a waterfall." It has a small lake where boating facilities are available. Gorkha folk dances are performed to entertain the tourists.The Rock Garden or the Barbotey Garden as its commonly known, is located a little far from the city around ~10 km away. The benches in the garden are made by cutting rocks at different levels.The flower beds are gorgeous and the garden also has a waterfall flowing through it, which is quite a pretty sight during monsoons. Despite the tourists attraction, the road to get to the garden is in a bad condition.

Nightingale Park

About 10 minutes walk from the Mall, the Shrubbery Nightingale Park in Darjeeling is a beautiful public park area. It's ideal for relaxing and enjoying the superb views of the Kanchenjunga and the other snow peaks of Eastern Himalayas.

During the tourist season, Nepali cultural programs like local dances are held here everyday in the evening. During the British days in early 1900s, this place was known as The Shrubbery. It used to be the private courtyard of Sir Thomas Tartan's Bungalow.

In 1934 it was completely destroyed by an earthquake. Following its destruction, there have been several developments that took place on this area. Initially it became a place where the British women resident in Darjeeling would come here to have a cup of tea and chat with each other. So it was more like a women's meeting place.
In 1950s and 60s, the park became a hot place for Bollywood films because of its scenic beauty. In 1976 the then Governor of West Bengal Mr. A L Dias created a grand plan to redesign the park to its present form. However in the 1980s the Shrubbery Nightingale Park was sadly neglected due to the tension in the Darjeeling hills during that period.

It has been redeveloped and opened to the public again. There is a covered archway entrance to the park. The park is slightly at an elevated level and so you need to climb a few marble stairs at the entry. There is a pebbled walkway that goes all around the boundary of this lovely oval shaped park area. The walkways also crisscross the park at various places.

On the left there is a large glass covered lounge area. This used to be a restaurant once where I have had snacks and tea several times in the past. But it's unfortunately closed now and there are plans to reopen it. It is now used for special functions only, and therefore you can see rows of chairs inside.

As you take a stroll around, one side of the park is lined with pine and other tall trees. The other side opens out to the great views of the valley with the mountain peaks in the background. Well you need to be in the right season (preferably October - November) to get the best views when the sky is clear. There are shaded seating all around the boundary and there are many other benches that are placed inside the park. The tin shades over the benches have different bright colors like red, yellow, blue, orange etc. And there are garden lamps installed all across the park that have white spherical tops. In the evening, all these along with many multicolored hidden lights are illuminated, and the park becomes a wonderland of lights and trees. At the middle of the park is a huge open circular stage where the cultural functions take place in the evenings. The visitors to the park line up around the stage to view the shows. For VIPs, there is a special glass covered lounge area that overlooks the stage. The lounge is known as the Bullet Proof Dias. Subash Ghising, the erstwhile chairman of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council created that special lounge which is actually covered with bullet proof glass. On the right end of the park there is a giant statue of Lord Shiva with an associated temple. There is a water falls that comes from the top of the Lord Shiva's statue all the way to a small artificial lake at the bottom. A musical fountain here is also a great attraction.