Darjeeling

Darjeeling, West Bengal, India: picking tea leaves

Darjeeling, also spelled Darjiling, Tibetan Dorje-ling, city, extreme northern West Bengal state, northeastern India. It lies about 305 miles (490 km) north of Kolkata, at an elevation of about 7,000 feet (2,100 metres) above sea level.

Darjeeling is situated on a long, narrow mountain ridge of the Sikkim Himalayas that descends abruptly to the bed of the Great Rangit River. On a clear day the city affords a magnificent view of Kanchenjunga (28,169 feet [8,586 metres]), and Mount Everest can be seen from a nearby viewing point. The name of the city means “place of the thunderbolt.” Darjeeling is a hill resort, and the city’s economy is based largely on tourism; the peak periods for visitors are April to June and September to November. The city has major road, rail, and air connections with Kolkata.

Darjeeling was ceded by the raja of Sikkim to the British in 1835 and was developed as a sanatorium for British troops. It was constituted a municipality in 1850. The Chaurastha (“Four Roads”) district encompasses the Mall, where the roads converge; it is the city’s main shopping centre and the most attractive promenade. Observatory Hill, Darjeeling’s highest point (7,137 feet [2,175 metres]), is crowned by Mahakal Temple, which is sacred to Hindus and Buddhists. Birch Hill contains a natural park and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. The Lloyd Botanic Gardens, well known for their varieties of Himalayan flora, were laid out in 1865. Besides those attractions, Darjeeling has a zoo, a natural history museum, and a racecourse. It is well known for its residential schools, and there are several colleges affiliated with the University of North Bengal (founded 1962) in and around the city.

The area in which Darjeeling is situated receives plentiful rainfall and has a wide range of climates, from tropical to subalpine, as a result of its varying elevations. Local coniferous and oak forests yield valuable timber. The local rural economy is based primarily on the production of black tea, which is made possible by climatic conditions in the region that are particularly suited for tea growing. Tea plantations are found up to elevations of about 6,000 feet (1,800 metres). Other crops are rice, corn (maize), cardamom, and wheat. Pop. (2001) 107,197; (2011) 118,805.