West Bengal Tourism
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About Darjeeling
Darjeeling is also called as the "Queen of the Hills". One of the most famous destinations in West Bengal, in the Eastern Himalayas, Darjeeling is a dream destination for all the travelers who love nature. It is an ideal getaway for those travelers who want to relax in the lap of nature. This place is invariably a paradise for nature lovers and adventure seekers. Darjeeling means "abode of god" in Lepcha dialect. Darjeeling the name is derived from the Tibetan word "Dorjee" which means the precious stone which is emblematic to the thunderbolt of Indra (the King of the paradise) and "Ling" a place. Hence it is called the land of thunderbolt. Darjeeling is synonymous with aromatic tea gardens, which earned Darjeeling the international fame. Enveloped in captivating natural beauty, Darjeeling is a hill station in the culturally rich state of West Bengal. The pride of North Eastern Tourism, Darjeeling is no doubt one of the best places to spend your holidays. Lying on the lap of majestic Mount Kanchenjunga, the scenic natural splendour of this tiny hill station will leave you spell bound. Majorly famous for its beautiful tea plantations, rich flora and fauna and cold weather, the hill station proudly boasts on her nickname The Queen of Hills.
Darjeeling is the most important and organized hill resort of Indian state of West Bengal. at a height of 2134 meters with a backdrop of the mighty snow clad Himalayan Peaks. One can get a clear view of the worlds third mightiest and highest mountainous snow peaks, Kanchenjunga, from town as well as the world's highest peak The Everest can also be seen from Tiger hill, a picturesque tourist spot. During the British Raj in India, Darjeeling's temperature and cool climate led to its development as a hill station (hill town) for British residents to escape the heat of the plains during summer time making it a Summer Capital. Darjeeling is internationally famous for its tea industry and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Another happening place of the town is the Darjeeling Clock Tower. This famous landmark of Darjeeling provides superb view of the valley below. Built by Late Rai Sahib Kharga Bahadur Chettri who founded Darjeeling town, the Darjeeling Clock Tower is also known as "The Capitol".
Being located in Himalayan foothills, Darjeeling is home to exotic variety of flora and fauna. Some of the rare species of animals including one-horned rhinoceros, elephant, tiger, leopard and hog deer, while the main bird species include the Bengal florican and herons are found here. Tourism is a prominent factor for Darjeeling's economy, after the tea industry. To be precise, Darjeeling can certainly be defined with six T's -Tea, Teak, Tourism, Toy Train, Tiger Hill and Trekkers' paradise. The adventure seekers enjoy rafting in the challenging water of river Rangeet and river Teesta. But for foreigners, they need to present their passports before undertaking a rafting expedition. The summer months of April to June and September to November are the best time for visiting Darjeeling when the climate remains in a pleasant mood. The visitors should carry light woolen for summer and heavy woolens for winter. For precaution raincoats and umbrellas can be carried. The average temperature in summer ranges from 8 degree to 14 degree Celsius. The average temperature in the winter months ranges from 1 degree to 6 degree Celsius.
