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 The Might Kanchenjunga Range as seen from Darjeeling Town. Photo by Sila Prapinwong |
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| What is it? | A Town |
| In the District of | Darjeeling |
| In the State of | West Bengal |
| of Country | India |
| Geographical Position | Eastern Himalayas – Darjeeling Himalayas |
| Geometric Position (Latitude and Longitude) | 27° 1′ 48″ North, 88° 9′ 36″ East |
| Area | 10.57 km² (4 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 2,134 m (7,001 ft) Average |
| Population | 107,530 (2001 Census) |
| Density | 8,548 /km² (22,139 /sq mi) |
| Pin code | 734101 |
| Telephone code | 0354 |
| Vehicle Registration Numbers | WB – 73, WB – 741 GL – 01, GL -02 |
| Administered by | District Magistrate |
| Shri Surendra Gupta, IAS 0354-2254233/2256201(O), 0354-2256182(R), 0354-2254338(Fax), E-Mail : dm-darj@wb.nic.in, dm-drj@nic.in |
Introduction
Unanimously described as the ‘Queen of Hills’ Darjeeling is unique in its versatility. For the tourists, fresh from the sights of other lands, Darjeeling comes not only as a delightful surprise but as a veritable relief from the hot and sultry weather of the plains. From the surroundings of this unrivalled mountainous town which stands at an average height of 7,000 feet above sea level, one sees the breath-taking beauty of the snow covered peaks, the tips of which seem too silvery to be real, a dappled effect indeed of vivid white and patches of grey.
Darjeeling is at once, both old and new. The cosmopolitan town itself has come a long way since its modest beginnings in 1835. The new includes modern amenities, first class hotels, comprehensive shopping centers; some of India’s most famous boarding-schools, cinema halls and the world’s most sought trekking trails. Yet a few miles of the town one comes into contact with age-old customs and ways of living – hand plowed terraced hill side fields, surrounded by gaily painted huts, hollowed out bamboo pipes for carrying water and villagers still utterly unspoilt by the rush and materialism of the Twenty First Century.
A Brief History
The name ‘Darjeeling’ came from the Tibetan words, “dorje” meaning thunderbolt (originally the scepter of Indra) and “ling” a place or land – Hence, ‘the land of the thunderbolt’. This name could also have been inherited from a Buddhist Monastery of the same name once situated on the top of the Observatory Hill.
The town which originally consisted of a few mud huts surrounding the monastery on Observatory Hill was officially inaugurated by Captain Lloyd and Dr. Chapman. In 1839, the station was handed over to Dr. Campbell who was its first Superintendent. At this time there was not more than 20 families in the district of Darjeeling, and the further building up of Darjeeling, both physically and industrially was due almost entirely to Dr. Campbell’s twenty two years of untiring labour.
From a collection of a few mud-huts it has today grown up to be one of India’s premier hill stations, visited by tourists from distant corners of India and all over the world.
Was Darjeeling ever part of Pakistan?
The Pakistan National Flag fluttering over the Town Hall in Darjeeling. Photo reproduced from Fallen Cicada - Unwritten History of Darjeeling Hills by Barun Roy
In 1947, the then leaders of the Muslim League came forward with their own plan for Darjeeling and her merger with East Pakistan. A Muslim league team visited Darjeeling around the same time, held talks with the leaders of the local political party and participated in a convention on the merger issue. Some understanding appears to have been reached between them. This was reflected in the bizarre developments in Darjeeling between August 14 and 18, 1947. This Pakistani flag [see the only photo ever taken] fluttered on the Darjeeling Town hall for full five days in place of the Union jack. Darjeeling was popularly stated to have become a part of Pakistan in preference to India and Nepal. In fact, even sweets were disturbed and fireworks let off in joyous celebration of Pakistan’s independence.
The District of Darjeeling2
The District of Darjeeling has an approximate area of 12,000 sq miles with a population of 1,605,900 (2001 census). According to the census, 67 per cent of the population still lives in rural areas. The density of population is about 510 persons per square kilometer and the sex ratio is 940 females to 1000 males. The literacy rate is of 81.28% among males and 63.92% among females. Hindus and Buddhists form the majority in terms of religious groups and Muslims and Christians are relatively fewer in numbers.
The district extends from the marshy and tropical Terai, at an average height of 300 feet above sea level, to the cool heights of the Sandakphu Phalut ridge, about 12,000 feet above sea level. It borders on Sikkim to the North, Bhutan to the East and Nepal to the West. It includes the two other Hill resorts of Kurseong and Kalimpong, 4,864 and 4,100 feet above sea level respectively.
The People of Darjeeling
A Postcard from Darjeeling. Copyright Barun Roy
The original inhabitants of the Darjeeling Hills were Lepchas or Rongpa (the ravine folks) as they prefer themselves to be known as. Though their origin is obscure they are decidedly Mongolian in feature.
The greater bulk of the people in the Hills are Gorkhas. They are industrious and enterprising as a race and speak as many as seven different dialects – Gorkhali or Indian Nepali being the predominantly spoken language. Among the population are also the Sherpas originally from Solo Khumbu and Namche Bazaar. They are well known for their courage, stamina and surefootedness and for their immeasurable contributions to Mountaineering. Tenzing Norgay Sherpa the international hero who conquered Mount Everest along with Sir Edmund Hillary lived and died in Darjeeling. Also much in evidence in the Hills are the Bhutias, Bengalese, Marwaris, Biharis, Sindhis and Punjabis. The people from all these communities give Darjeeling a Cosmopolitan character. Read the rest of this entry »
