Darjeeling
From Freepedia
| Darjeeling | |
| Image:WikiprojectIndiacities darjeeling.png Location of Darjeeling | |
| Location | 26.90° N 88.40° E |
| State | West Bengal |
| District | Darjeeling |
| Mayor | Subash Gishing |
| Altitude | 2,134 metres |
| Area | ? km² |
| Population (2001) | ? |
| Density | ?/km² |
| Codes • Postal • Telephone • Vehicle | 734101 +0354 WB-73 WB-74 |
| Time zone | IST (UTC +5:30) |
Darjeeling is a town in the Indian state of West Bengal and headquarters of Darjeeling district, situated in the foothills of the Himalaya at elevations of between 2,000 and 3,000 metres above sea level. With India attaining independence on 15 August 1947, the district of Darjeeling remained in the partitioned section of Bengal (West Bengal) and therefore in the Indian union. With the district's sub-Himalayan and geographical condition, it occupied an unique status in the state. The only remaining industry, that is the Tea industry, continued to play a major role in the economy of the area and the country as well. The other natural wealth forests have been adversely affected by the ever growing population, now estimated to be around 1,200,000. In the years since independence, much has been done for the area's education, communication, attention to cash crops like orange, potato, cardamom, ginger, etc. The region is best known for its tea, see the Darjeeling tea article for more information.
Darjeerling has a modest tourism industry, with attractions including the 'Tiger Hill' sunrise, the zoo, the monastery and of course the tea fields. The town is also sometimes used as a base by trekkers in the Himalaya, and served as the starting point for many attempts on Indian and Nepali peaks in the 20th century. Tenzing Norgay, one of the two men to first climb Mt. Everest grew up in the Sherpa community in Darjeeling. His Everest ascent provided the impetus to establish the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling in 1954.
The town of Darjeeling can be reached by the 80-km long Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (nicknamed the "Toy Train") from Siliguri, or by a road which follows the railway line. The railway was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is only the second railway to have this honor after the Semmering Railway in Austria.
Since the formation of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in 1988 the hill areas fall under its jurisdiction. It has elected Councilors and they have the authority in managing certain affairs of the hill like education, tourism, health etc.
Temperature The highest ever temperature was 26.7 degree Celsius i.e. 80.1 degree Fahrenheit on 23 August 1957. The lowest ever temperature recorded in the district was minus 5 degree Celsius i.e. 23 degree Fahrenheit on 11 February 1905. [1]
Darjeeling is home to several public schools on the British model. A summer retreat for the British in India, Darjeeling soon became the place of choice for the establishment of public schools on the model of Eton, Harrow and Rugby. The children of British administrators could obtain a British education without returning to Britain. It helped that the weather in Darjeeling is cool and in some ways, similar to that in the UK. Institutions such as St.Paul's School, Loreto Convent and St. Joseph's School, are all over a hundred years old and they attract students from all over India and South Asia. Even with the independence of India, these institutions still adhere to the traditions that are a part of any public school.
Notable people
Notable people born or who have resided in Darjeeling:
- Vivien Leigh British actress
- Tenzing Norgay first Mr Everest climber.
External Links
- Darjeeling Police
- Darjeeling: Queen of the Himalayas
- Darjeeling Himalayan Railway - UNESCO World Heritage List
- Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society
- St. Paul's School
