| Darjeeling owes' its grandeur to its natural beauty,
its clean fresh mountain air and above all, the smiling resilient
people for whom it is a home. Known for its natural splend or, Darjeeling's
best gift to its' visitors is the dawn of a new day. The mountains
awaken first with a tentative peeking of the sun. A steep ride, five
kilometers from Ghoom, or an invigorating walk up a steep incline,
leads sun worshippers to Tiger Hill. The air is chilly with darkness
and damp. |
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| Strolling up the Mall, past the quaint
Tibetan market, you arrive at the Observatory Hill, the popular
meeting place for tourists as well as residents. It is a major
tourist spot of Darjeeling, not only for its religious importance
but also for the picturesque views the place offers. The view
of the magnificent Mt. Kanchenjunga and the entire landscape
below is a site worth seeing. |
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| Himalayan Mountaineering Institute |
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Located about two kilometres from
the marketplace is the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, which
was established after the conquest of the Everest in 1954 by
the then Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru. The institute
has an interesting Everest Museum and also offers some mountaineering
and adventure courses. Situated on the Jawahar Parvat, the institute
is famous for its unique collection of mountaineering equipment
and findings. |
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| No visit to Darjeeling is complete
without a visit to Ghoom, which is six kilometres away from
the main town. The hillock is dominated by the famous Yiga Choeling
Monastery and a 4.5-metre tall image of the Maitreya Buddha.
Ghoom is at an altitude of about 2,407 metres, and offers a
spectacular view of the Valley. |
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A strategic point to watch the spectacular
sunrise is Tiger Hill, located at an altitude of 2,590 metres
above sea level. It offers a magnificent view of the rising
sun over the snow-capped Mt. Kanchenjunga and other great Eastern
Himalayan peaks. You can also witness some of the high Himalayan
peaks from here on a clear day. |
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| This park which commands a good view
of the hills surrounding Gangtok is perched on top of a hillside
that plunges almost vertically deep into the valley. It was
established in the late fifties and is located adjacent to the
new Secretariat and is also called the Rustomji park so named
after one of the Dewans of the Chogyal of Sikkim and the author
of the book "Enchanted Frontiers". The park has a
big open enclosure in which different types of deer can be seen.
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It was built by the late King of
Sikkim, Tashi Namgyal, it is situated 4 km from Gangtok town
from where one can have a clear view of opposite hills, besides
Mt. Khangchendzonga. This site offers a breathtaking panorama
of the majestic Mt. Khangchendzonga and surrounding hills. |
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| It is a very small temple dedicated
to Lord Ganesh, a diety worshipped by Hindus. The temple is
so small in size that it can hardly accommodate one person and
one has to crawl to get inside it. It is located on the hill
adjoining the TV Tower. It is on a hillock on Gangtok-Nathula
Road. |
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The drive from Gangtok takes about
2½ hours by bus. The lake is about 1 km. long and oval
in shape, 50ft deep . This is an alpine zone and snowbound from
December to April and the lake is regarded extremely Holy holy
and head of all lakes in Sikkim remains frozen from January
to April, and attracts 99% of tourists visiting Gangtok, Sikkim.
It is also a home of Brahmini ducks besides stopover for various
migratory ducks. |
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The pass Nathula means the whistling
pass. Nathula is the Indo-China border at Jawahar Lal Nehru
Road whereby Indian troops and the Red army stand face to face.
This is the closest an Indian Tourist can travel and pose a
photo or two with the Red Army.
The days for tourist visit is restricted and needs to be applied
at least 24 hrs in advance and limited days of operation. The
days permitted to visit Nathula are Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday
and Sundays only. Photography is strictly prohibited in and
around Nathula. |
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