DARJEELING - The queen of hills...|| Places of interest..|| Top 15 places to visit... || Bengal

If u want to lured by the dazzling snow peaks of Kanchenjunga overlooking the hill town? And the beautiful tea gardens on the slopes of rolling hills, the orchids, pines & rhododendrons, the cute Himalayan toy train whistling its way through the mountains? And you want to combine all that with great sightseeing tours, food, shopping and other exciting activities....??
Then, DARJEELING is the right choice....
Darjeeling is a hill town is located at an altitude of 6,710ft in north east India and is part of the state of West Bengal

TOP 15 ATTRACTIONS:-

1. DARJEELING HIMALAYAN MOUNTAIN RAILWAY -
The Toy Train as it is fondly called, has been the romantic heart of Darjeeling that has touched everybody who has been to this hill paradise. It was introduced in 1881 by the British connecting Siliguri with Darjeeling with a narrow gauge line.

2. TIGER HILL-
Located at the highest point in Darjeeling area, Tiger Hill is best known for the dazzling sunrise view of the Kanchenjunga and the snow covered peaks of the entire eastern Himalayan range.

3. BATASIA LOOP-
Batasia Loop as the name suggests, is a loop or a spiral of a narrow gauge railway track where the Toy Train negotiates a sudden sharp descent from Ghoom. It's a wonderful viewing place with manicured gardens, streams and falls.

4. PADMAJA NAIDU ZOOLOGICAL PARK-
The unique feature of this zoo is, it houses animals of high altitude and mostly from upper Himalayas. You can see some rare animals here like Red Pandas, Snow Leopards, Tibetan Wolf and lot more.

5. PEACE PAGODA-
Located in the Jalapahar hill, the Peace Pagoda where there are four large avatars of Lord Buddha. The view from the top is magnificent. You can see the snow peak range from here including the Kanchenjunga.

6. JAPANESE TEMPLE-
Close the Peace Pagoda, a wonderful area that is symbolic of peace and tranquility. The Japanese Temple is built in traditional Japanese style where you can join the prayers and feel the spiritual peace amongst humming and chants.

7. GHOOM MONASTERY-
Yiga Choeling Monastery is the original or the old Ghum Monastery. It was created in 1850 and is one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the Darjeeling area. The main attractions here includes a huge statue of Maitreya or Future Buddha that was created with clay brought from Tibet.

8. BENGAL NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM-
It started to display butterflies and birds of Darjeeling district, but now has large collections of mammals, birds & nests with eggs, reptiles & fishes and even insects. The displays are actually specimens of real creatures that had been captured, stuffed and preserved.

9. DALI MONASTERY-
Belonging to the well known Kargyupa sect of Buddhists, it's actual name is Druk Sangag Choling Monastery. Its one of the largest monasteries with white buildings built in typical Tibetan style and perched on a steep hill.

10. HAPPY VALLEY TEA ESTATE-
This is one of the famous tea estates in Darjeeling that was established by British planters in 1854. Many tea bushes here are over 100 years old and it's a treat to the eyes to watch the vast expanses of lush tea gardens on the slopes of the hills.

11. DARJEELING ROPEWAY-
From the ropeway of Darjeeling which is also known as the Rangeet Valley Passenger Cable Car, you can have mind blowing view of the valley below, see the spread of lush tea gardens, dense forests, mountain streams in their full flow, waterfalls, and the awesome snow peaks at the background.

12. HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINEERING INSTITUTE (HMI)-
HMI is a destination by itself and a said to be a pilgrimage for all climbing enthusiasts of the world. It was established in honor of Tenzing Norgay after he and Sir Edmund Hillary climbed the Everest in 1953. It has a well stocked museum with mountaineering displays and many expedition artifacts, a boarding school for mountaineering students, houses for the trainers, a restaurant, a souvenir shop and more.

13. MAHAKAL TEMPLE-
The Mahakal Temple, the central temple of Darjeeling of all faiths is located on top of the hill where the original Buddhist Monastery once stood.

14. OBSERVATORY HILL-
Observatory Hill is an ideal place to get a 360 degree view of Darjeeling and the peaks surrounding it.

15. TIBETAN REFUGEE CENTRE-
This center was established on October 2nd, 1959 for rehabilitation of Tibetans who followed Dalai Lama and escaped their homeland during the period of mayhem. The center is located on a hill top.