Small Hill Orchids

small hill orchids

Cymbidium Faberi—–red leaf 4 growths $20.00

Cymbidium Faberi—–short leaf 4 growths $10.00

Tourist Attractions in Darjeeling   by Shubhajit Chakraborty

Ghoom – Blanketed by mist and clouds round the clock has probably earned this small township its name – Ghoom in local parlance means ‘sleep’. Ghoom is a small hamlet with a single monastery, located 8km from Darjeeling. About a couple of kilmometers from Ghoom is the engineering marvel Batasia Loop, a horse-shoe shaped double loop, whose surrounding has now been landscaped and made into a pretty tourist attraction.

Tiger Hill – According to popular adage no place in the world can beat the beauty of the ‘sunrise at Tiger Hill and sunset at Dover’. About 12km from town, and located at a height of 2,590m, the hilltop offers only a magnificent view of the sunrise but also a panoramic view of the Himalayan peaks as well. During popular tourist season, there is hardly standing space in the ‘viewing tower’, which also has a pleasant lounge. There are nominal and separate entry fees for the lounge and the tower.

Senchal Lake and sanctuary – Nearly 10km from Darjeeling and two kilometers from Ghoom railway station, Senchal Lake consists of three large water tanks that supply the hill town with potable water, located in the middle of a part forest and part landscaped area, it offers a quiet escape from the din of the town. The verdant hill slopes are home to bears, wild hogs and barking deer. Entry fee is nominal.

Lloyd Botanical Garden – On a ledge below the town us/taxi stand in Darjeeling and near the Bazaar, is the sprawling botanical garden built in 1878. It offers a closer look at the local flora. Alpine trees and orchids are its major attractions. Open in all day except Sunday, and holidays from 6am to 5pm.

Rock Garden & Ganga-Maya Park – Nearly 20km from town, the Rock Garden and the Park are the latest of the attractions to be developed here. A sprawling landscaped area comprising verdant slopes, hilly springs and flower beds, the Garden also contains the Chunnu Summer Falls. Nominal entry fee.

Natural History Museum – Although not quite on the traveler’s itinerary and a bit unkempt, the museum offers an opportunity to see some of the alpine fauna. The collection of butterflies would delight any budding lepidopterist. Open between 10am and 4pm from Friday to Tuesday and till 1pm on Wednesday.

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Garden – Adjacent to the mountaineering institute, the zoological garden lies across several ledges on the slopping hillside. The zoo maintains a combination of cages and natural habitats. Apart from Siberian tigers kept in a special enclosure, you can also see some of he Himalayan fauna like red pandas, Himalayan black bear, leopard deer, etc. open between 8am and 4pm.

Bhotia Basti Monastery – Built in 1879, it belongs to the Nyingma-pa sect. The road from the Mall goes past several landmarks – Step Aside, where Deshbandhu Chitaranjan Das breathed his last; Roy Villa, where sister Nivedita spent the last few days of her life; the Tibetan Refugee Centre built in 1959 – and finally winds up at the monastery.

About the Author

To know more about India and its travel destination, you can visit author’s official website http://www.sewara.com/sewara/index.html and travel blogs http://heritage-rajasthan-tourism.blogspot.com/ and http://www.go4indya.blogspot.com/