Brabourne Park in its prestine Glory!

Brabourne Park in its pristine Glory!

Bhanu Bhakta and Brabourne Park

A brief history of the town and the Darjeeling Hills

In 1763, a group of monks traveled from the Pemi.iong.chi Monastery to Darjeeling. Though it is still unknown as to the objective behind their travel; today, it can be safely assumed that they were searching for a suitable place to build a monastery. And indeed they did find such a place: The monks upon coming to the ‘Observatory Hill’, where the present Mahakala Temple is situated were so fascinated by the site that they decided to build a monastery right there.

A contingent of monks and Bhutia tribesmen were thus, hastily sent for and as soon as they arrived, the construction of the monastery started. It had been the ambition of the monks to construct the monastery in a strictly ‘Vihar’ architectural style, whereby, a ‘Stupa’ would be surrounded by residential caves. In 1765, meanwhile the monastery was completed and duly christened as ‘Dorr.jeeling’. A small population of monks and Bhutia tribesmen from North Sikkim was also invited to populate the area surrounding the monastery.

However, the Dorr.jeeling Monastery was not to enjoy a long and glorious history. In 1780, the Nepalese army attacked and raged the monastery to the ground and instead built a makeshift temple dedicated to their patron deity – Lord Mahakala, which stands till date magnificently overlooking the town, 223 years after it was built. The monks of the monastery meanwhile, were able to save the relics kept at the Dorr.jeeling Monastery. Eventually, they took the relics with them and hit at the forests of Chun.g.thu.ng. By 1810, the Nepalese army eventually left the the Hills and as a result the monks began to move in. But in a rather surprising move the Monks did not reclaim the ‘Observatory hill’ where their ‘Dorr.jeeling Monastery’ had been recently razed to the ground. Truly, the monks could have ‘replaced’ the temple built by the Nepalese Army with the ‘Dorr.jeeling Monastery’ but they didn’t. Why they did do so is still unknown. Possibly, the fear of another invasion, or possibly, the Mahakala deity himself, who along with goddess Kali is greatly respected in Tibetan Buddhism which these monks had been followers of. The monks thence, reasons still unknown, moved to the present Bhutia Bustee where a monastery was envisaged to be constructed. This monastery today known as the Bhutia Bustee monastery was constructed between 1808 and 1809. The populace which had earlier lived in and around the Dorr.jeeling Monastery also shifted to the new Monastery. Though it is not known as to what this new monastery was originally christened as, a legend has it, that the monks and the people never forgot the ‘Dorr.jeeling Monastery’ and unofficially always referred to the new monastery as the ‘replaced’ Dorr.jeeling Monastery. Truly, this was indeed Dorr.jeeling Monastery merely replaced. This monastery enjoyed a long and glorious history. It was never attacked or threatened. Instead it became one of the great learning centers of Buddhism in the region.

Eventually a steady influx of monks and Bhutia tribesmen also ensured that the habitation soon covered a large are and began to take a form of a ‘Bustee’. The population of the ‘Bustee’ in due time also mingled with the native Lap.chees and soon a thriving population, with a centralized civic life and a semi-prosperous economy evolved. The ‘Bustee’ thence, began to be known as Dorr.jeeling for the simple fact, that it was where the Dorr.jeeling Monastery was situated.

G. A. Lloyd’s Tomb at the Old Catholic Cemetery

© Barun Roy

The eventual transformation of Dorr.jeeling into Darjeeling also was a result of an interesting paradox. In September, 1810, 18 years before Captain G. A. Lloyd and J. W. Grant were debuted to Sikkim to settle internal disputes; a young British official by the name of Andrew Princeton came to know of Darjeeling for the first time, while he was traveling to Tibet in an official mission. Though it is still unknown whether he visited Darjeeling or not, the fact remains that he reported the existence of ‘what the natives call Shangri La’. His letter to his superiors in Calcutta distinctly featured Darjeeling and Sikkim as a possible bulwark between the would not be entirely blasphemous thence, to postulate here that transliterated ‘Darjeeling’ as a word was actually a result of a rather curious transliteration of the English pronunciation of the word ‘Dorr.jeeling’ by Princeton himself. hence, undoubtedly, Princeton must be given the credit or discredit for unknowingly transforming Dorr.jeeling into Darjeeling.

The transformation, meanwhile was eventually made official in 1814, when British East India Company went into war with Nepal. In 1816, when the Nepalese were forced to secede from the Darjeeling Hills and the Terai, the British version of the treaty which the Nepalese were forced to sign read ‘Darjeeling‘. The subsequent treaty between the Rajah of Sikkim and British East India Company by which the Company handed back the sovereignty of the ‘Darjeeling Hill and the Terai’ to the Rajah of Sikkim also referred to the said tract of land as ‘Darjeeling…’. this treaty came to be known as the Treaty of Tital.liy.a and was signed on the 10th of February 1817.

And ultimately in 1835, the Sikkimpatee Rajah Cho-phoe Namgye while handling over the ‘Darjeeling Hills and the Terai’ to the British East India Company, also for the first time referred to Dorr.jeeling as Darjeeling giving his ultimate sanction to the transformation of Dorr.jeeling into Darjeeling. Truly, Darjeeling was now ready to rule the imagination and dreams of the rest of the world.

By Barun Roy

(Reproduced with permission from The Evolution of Darjeeling, Fallen Cicada, By Barun Roy)

Reproduction of this material is strictly prohibited. © Barun Roy

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Dr. Gopi Narayan Pradhan receives 11th Dr. Parasmani Pradhan

Dr. Gopi Narayan Pradhan receives 11th Dr. Parasmani Pradhan in Kalimpong

War Memorial and Batasia Loop

Tourists at the War Memorial and Batasia Loop in Darjeeling

Patrakar Manch Sikkim Namchi felicitate colleague

NAMCHI, May 23: The Patrakar Manch Sikkim, Namchi yesterday felicitated Puran Tamang, Reporter, Now Daily newspaper and Dainik Jagran from South Sikkim for winning the ‘Best Rural Reporter’ Award in the State this year.

“I would like to share this Award with all the reporters of Sikkim who are working selflessly for the development of the State through the field this medium and especially with the friends of Patrakar Manch Sikkim, Namchi,” said the State Awardee during a programme held yesterday.

Mr. Tamang also thanked the Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling, who is also the minister for the State Information and Public Relations Department for selecting him for the award.

“Till today, it was believed that only the reporters from the Capital were being awarded in various fields but this award to a reporter from South District has proved it wrong and has cleared that there is an award for every good work and hard labour. It has also cleared our doubts that the concerned department was biased,” he said.

While sharing his experiences of his reporting career over four and half years, Mr. Tamang also expressed his thanks to all individuals who have helped him in this journey and made him capable of the State award.
In the meantime, he gave the credit of the award to NOW! Daily and Dainik Jagran Siliguri, which according to him provided him the platform and guided him throughout.

The programme was chaired by the Deputy Chief Coordinator Indrakeel Natya Manch, Namchi, Hari Gurung who in his address said that amongst the mediapersons of the State, the reporters from South District are doing well and are dedicated towards their works.

Fruit Preservation Factory launch new seasonal pickles

By SAIMON PAUL RAI

GANGTOK, May 23: The latest in the seasonal pickle products launched by the Government Fruit Preservation Factory in the market includes Thotney pickle in oil, Kaapra pickle, Ningro pickle, Brocolli pickle alongside Dried Nettle (Shishnu) powder and RTS ( Ready to Serve) juice available in passion fruit and orange flavour.

This was highlighted by the Managing Director, Miss Nima L Yethenpa to mediapersons here today afternoon at the premises of factory at Singtam.

According to Ms Yethenpa, the raw products (ingredients) were procured from the ruralfolks in South and East Sikkim. While 5146 bundles of raw Shishnu was procured from the farmers in Damthang, Pangthang and Assam Lingzey, the factory had to buy 10,983 bundles of raw Thotney from the rural hamlets in Namchi. Likewise, 190 kgs of Kaapra, 142 kgs of Brocolli and 6,423 bundles of Ningro had to be brought in from villages located in the same districts (South and East).

She maintained that the village folks were largely benefited owing to the fact that they could procure a requisite and proper marketing to all of their seasonal harvests in fruits and vegetables.

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce Nathula bound on May 25

GANGTOK, May 23: At least 16 members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce are visiting Nathula on May 25 to discuss measures to boost two-way border trade through Nathula. Members of Parliament, Kashi Ram Rana, E Ponnuswamy, Nihilananda Sar, Thennala G Balakrsihnan Pillai, Banwari Kamchhal, Director, Rajya Sabha Secretariat Surender Kumar and other officials from the Ministry of Commerce will be reaching Gangtok on May 24.

On the same day, an interactive meeting with the Indian Border traders on the prospective of trade and commerce is also scheduled. The minister of the State Commerce and Industries RB Subba is expected to attend the meeting.

“We will be submitting a memorandum to the Standing Committee which in major includes the demand of revision of lists of items, infrastcrucral development, extension of the duration of the trade and also to issue permit for the vehicles drivers,” Anil Kumar Gupta, the general secretary of Indo-Sino Border Traders Association of Sikkim said.

According to departmental sources, the main purpose of the visit of the Standing Committee members is to have first hand information in terms of export excellence and export infrastructure at airport and other areas in North East areas.

South Sikkim set a Green Mission record – District records 60 % survival rate of saplings planted

By SUREN MOHRA

NAMCHI, May 23: In the first and second phase of the State Green Mission in South Sikkim, Temi Tarku and Ralong Constituency has set the record of 60 % survival rate of the saplings planted. This was informed today by the President of Namchi based NGO, Drishti, Vaskar Rai during the meeting organized here by the State Forest Environment and Wild Life Management Department, South District.

The NGO was provided with the responsibility of monitoring and evaluation of Phase I & II of the State Green Mission in the constituencies under South District.  While presenting the report, Mr. Rai informed that besides the two constituencies of South District, Damthang has 50% of survival rate while Rateypani constituency has 45 % only. Similarly, Melli has low survival rate of 40% and Jorethang too stood in the same row with the survival rate of 40%. The same was followed by the Khamdong Constituency where the survival rate as per the survey was 40% while Wok has recorded the survival rate of 45%.

With this information, he also suggested the departmental representatives and the Panchayats regarding the various preventive measures to make the mission more successful.

CHICKEN MAY THEIR WAY INTO THE STATE DESPITE BAN – Singtam shop found selling smuggled chicken

SINGTAM, May 23: In spite of the ban imposed by the Sikkim Government in import of poultry products into the State in view of the bird flu cases in neighbouring Darjeeling District, chicken have inevitably found their way into the State.

At least 24 dressed chicken and 30 live chickens were recovered from a shop in the Bazaar here today.
The discovery was made in a shop owned by KB Chettri when the Office In-charge cum Veterinary Officer of the State Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Department, Rangpo Check-Post today inspected various meat shops here with the help of Singtam Police.

After the spread of bird flu in neighbouring West Bengal, the State Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Service Department has completely banned the import of poultry chicken in Sikkim since the past five months.
When Dr. Bhutia inquired about the chicken, the shopkeeper did not give a satisfactory answer, after which the officer seized all the chicken.

Later, the chickens were buried. The department has also informed the Singtam Police to take necessary action against the shopkeeper for breaking the rule.  As per source information, some chicken dealers in the State, with the help of some truck and utility van drivers are bringing chicks from outside the State and selling them at various markets after they grow up. [Sikkim Express]

Sikkim to play in Santosh Trophy

Gangtok, May 20: Sikkim will end a four-year hiatus from national football tournaments by taking part in this year’s Santosh Trophy, but Bhaichung will not be there. [Inset: Some of the players of the Sikkim state team. (Pema Leyda Shangderpa)]

The Sikkim Football Association (SFA) has lined up a 20-member team to represent the state at the 62nd edition of the oldest national football championship in India, scheduled to be held in Jammu and Kashmir from next week.

However, the Indian captain will be away on national duty, playing against Taiwan on May 24 in Goa before joining a preparatory camp for the SAAF games.

Other big names like Nirmal Chettri (who has joined East Bengal), Ashish Chettri and Bijendra Rai (both are in the India Under-16 team) will also be absent because of various commitments.

Bengal CM rejects Gorkhaland demand, GJM firm on statehood

West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has rejected the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state but said he could consider giving further autonomy to the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) within the purview of the DGHC Act.

At a meeting with a delegation of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) leaders here yesterday, the chief minister ruled out their demand for a separate state and inclusion of any new area other than the three hill subdivisions of Darjeeling district in the council’s jurisdiction.

The delegation comprising GJM general secretary Roshan Giri presented a map of the proposed Gorkhaland to the chief minister and claimed that their demand was legitimate and within the ambit of the Indian Constitution.

State home secretary Ashok Mohan Chakrabarty said that the chief minister made it clear to the GJM delegation that they should not harp on the demand for a separate state as it would create mistrust among the people of the plains.

Bhattacharjee also rejected their demand for a separate police force but assured the delegation of his readiness to hold further discussion with the morcha on the extension of autonomy within the purview of thee DGHC Act.

Meanwhile, a Siliguri report said GJM president Bimal Gurung today rejected the chief minister’s proposal to find a solution without dividing the state and reiterated the GJM’s firm stand on the statehood demand.

Gurung said the GJM would not accept anything less than a separate state arguing that the demand for a Gorkhaland reflected the aspiration of the hill people.

The GJM president claimed that their movement for Gorkhaland was non-violent and the party would stick to “Gandhigiri despite provocations from some political forces, including the ruling CPI(M)”.

Gurung, who vowed to achieve Gorkhaland by 2010 including Terai, Dooars and Siliguri sub-divisions at a Siliguri rally on May 7 said, the strategy of the GJM would be decided in the central committee meeting of the party within a day or two after the party delegation returned from Kolkata.