Visiting the playground of natural beauty, Darjeeling

Darjeeling is known as the ‘Queen of the Hills’. Last year I went to Darjeeling with my family. First, we travelled from Dhaka to Kolkata. After reaching there, we arrived at Howrah Railway Station very early in the morning and took the train named Vande Bharat to Jalpaiguri. It is known as the fastest train in West Bengal. Our train started its journey at 6:30am. There was a lunch and breakfast package on the train. They served breakfast at 7am. The breakfast menu included bread, butter, vegetables, eggs, tea, and juice. During the train journey, we enjoyed the surrounding natural scenery.

The natural view of this region will captivate anyone. From the train, we saw the Teesta Barrage. Although I had heard of the Teesta Barrage many times before, I had never seen it in person. We also saw rivers, animals, birds, and beautiful skies. Our train reached Jalpaiguri at 1pm. A car was waiting for us to take us to Darjeeling. We travelled to Darjeeling via Jalpaiguri and Siliguri. The weather in Jalpaiguri and Siliguri was hot. There are a lot of cows in India. We saw cows roaming on the roads. While we were in the car, we saw many cows walking on the road and in nearby fields. I learned from the driver that if a vehicle injures or kills a cow, there is a penalty. Therefore, those who drive on the roads are very careful to avoid harming any cows. It took us an hour and a half to reach Darjeeling. The cool mountain air refreshed our body and mind. We felt heavenly peace.

The flowing air was pure and refreshing. The air in Darjeeling is not polluted like that of the cities. The hotel we stayed in was located 7,500 feet above sea level. I felt like we had come very close to the sky. It seemed that if we just reached out our hands, we could touch the sky. We could reach the clouds. I stretched out my hand and touched a cloud. It was the rainy season. The sky was cloudy all day. The sun was rarely visible. Time passed, yet we could not see the sun. It was a new experience for me. Darjeeling’s weather is always cloudy. Sometimes it rains. Even if it rains all day, water doesn’t accumulate on the roads because the drainage system is very good there. After touching the clouds, I felt like the clouds were just droplets of water. I saw many flowers on the various trees in the mountains. The flowers were very beautiful and brightly coloured. Since the weather was foggy, the driver had to drive very carefully. The mountain roads were zigzag and at times narrow.

Many Nepali citizens can be seen in Darjeeling because Darjeeling shares a border with Nepal. The driver of the car we were travelling in was also Nepali. Many people come to Darjeeling from Nepal in the morning and return to Nepal in the evening after finishing work. We reached the hotel at 5pm. Most of the hotel staff were Nepali. They were polite and humble in behaviour.

The hotel we stayed in was called Pink Mountain. I was extremely surprised when I entered the hotel room because there were no fans or air conditioners. Later, I learned that most hotels in Darjeeling do not have air conditioning or fans because the weather is very cold here, and there is no need for them. The hotel we stayed in was located near Darjeeling Clock. After freshening up, we went to a nearby shopping complex. We bought some winter clothes from there. After that, we had dinner at a nearby restaurant and returned to the hotel. We had a bitter experience during our stay. We had sent our clothes to the laundry. We were charged 2,200 rupees for washing and ironing a few clothes. Due to the cold weather, washing and drying clothes here is very difficult.

The next day we had breakfast at our hotel. The breakfast menu included bread, butter, puri (luchi), chickpeas, and flattened rice pulao. The flattened rice pulao is a famous Indian dish, but to be honest, I did not like it. After breakfast, we went to see a famous pagoda named Peace Pagoda. The pagoda was completely white in colour. After seeing the pagoda, we went to see the ‘Himalaya Zoo’. It is a very famous zoo. We saw many animals there. The zoo was within the clouds. From there, we went to a local tea garden. During our visit to the tea garden, we drank two types of tea called Darjeeling tea and Masala tea. Among all the teas I have tasted in my small life, Darjeeling tea and Masala tea are the best in terms of quality. I feel like the taste of that tea is still lingering on my tongue. Tea leaves were sold beside the tea garden. We bought some tea leaves from there. Darjeeling is one of the top tea-producing areas in the world. Darjeeling is often referred to as the ‘Champagne of teas’. The tea gardens of Darjeeling are incredible. Darjeeling’s oranges and apples are also very popular and famous.

We visited several monasteries there. They were truly beautiful. Then we visited a famous school called St Paul’s School. The school had been used for shooting. While visiting the school, I kept thinking how nice it would be if I could study at this school. The school was situated in a wonderful natural environment. Then we went to Batasia Loop. It reflects the story of success of the Indian Army. The entrance is open to army personnel. There were some ropeways to enjoy the beauty of Darjeeling town. One of Darjeeling’s attractions is the ‘Toy Train’. People of all ages can enjoy the toy train. It is a fantastic ride. The next day we went to Tiger Hill. Even without going to Nepal, the Himalayan mountains can be seen from here. From Tiger Hill, we saw the world’s highest mountain, the Himalayas. After that, we went to Senchal. After seeing Senchal, we went to Mirik Lake. There is a boating facility for visitors here. One can also ride horses if he wishes. The lake is one of Mirik’s main attractions.

The lifestyle of the general people of Darjeeling amazed me. They are very hardworking. In the challenging environment of the mountains, they have to constantly struggle with nature to survive. Although the people here are very hardworking, they are peaceful and friendly. Bakhu or Chuba is the attire of the people of Darjeeling. During the visit to Darjeeling, there was an arrangement for tourists to wear the local dress. In our country, trucks are generally used to carry gas cylinders. But in Darjeeling, people carry one or two gas cylinders on their backs to move them. Just as the people in the hilly areas of our country are hardworking, so are the people of Darjeeling. Some people from Nepal come to India every day for work and return after finishing. They do not need a visa.

The food in Darjeeling is usually very salty because they use a lot of salt in their food. They need a lot of salt to meet their physical needs. So, they use a large amount of salt in food. After visiting Mirik, we went to a Nepali restaurant for lunch. The food menu included fish, beef, lentils, papad, plain rice, and vegetables. They served a small chilli with the food. This chilli is only found in the hills. Momo is a famous dish of Darjeeling.

We started the journey to leave Darjeeling; but my heart did not want to leave. This was an extraordinary journey in my life. The natural beauty of Darjeeling cannot be expressed in words, it can only be felt with the heart.

Amrin Hossain Apshora: Student