Darjeeling / Sikkim
Darjeeling is a town in the Indian state of West
Bengal, situated on the foothills of the Himalaya at elevations ranging
between 2,000 and 3,000 meters above sea level.
It has good
potential for tourism, with attractions including the 'Tiger Hill'
sunrise and sunset, the zoo, rock garden, the monastery and of course
the tea fields. This hilltop town can be reached by the 80-km long
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (UNESCO World Heritage Site) from
Siliguri, or by a road which follows this railway line.
Until the beginning of the 18th century the whole area between the
present borders of Sikkim and the plains of Bengal (including
Darjeeling and Kalimpong) belonged to the rajas of Sikkim. In 1706 they
lost Kalimpong to the Bhutanese. Control of the rest was taken from
them by the Gurkhas, who invaded Sikkim in 1780.
Sikkim
is an extremely beautiful destination tucked between Nepal in the west,
Bhutan in the east, Tibet in the north and state of West Bengal in the
south. It covers an area of 7,300 km². Measuring 115 km from north to
south and 65 km from west to east with altitude ranges from 244 meter
to over 8550 meter. (mt. Kanchenjunga)
Mount Kanchenjunga, the
third highest mountain in the world, dominates this small but beautiful
land of Sikkim. Amidst the grandeur of the mountain peaks, lush green
valleys cascading waterfalls and fast flowing rivers together with her
beautiful monasteries and terraced hills, Sikkim offers her visitor a
rare and exotic experience.
Containing over 150 lakes, it is believed to be one of the richest
province of India in culture, customs, heritage, flora and fauna. There
have been over 600 species of birds recorded here along with over 4,000
species of flowering plants, including a huge variety of Orchids.
This once independent Kingdom was ruled by the Chogyal dynasty until
1975, when following popular support it became a state of India. Sikkim
has however retained much of its culture and unique identity.
