JANUARY 2016

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Any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author (sender) and do not necessarily reprasent those of the publisher. We expect the content send in the email in authorised and no cross check is being done. We have full right to publish the content and there will be no breaching of copyright act and infringemnt. If it is the case we assume the credible source or authority will mention in the mail. �e publisher will not accept any liability in respect of such communication, and the employee responsilble will be personally liable for any damages or other liability arising.

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NEED A “VOICE”

FOR YOUR “EXPERTISE”

FOR YOUR “RISE”WE CAN BE

THE VOICE

REACHING YOUR

TARGET...

An All New Travel & Tour Magazine from Siliguri.

To Reach Out to Everyone that Matters in this Sector.

CONTACT US FOR OUR ATTRATIVE AD RATES

Head O�ce : Inspiria Knowledge Campus Himachal Vihar, Phase-II, Matigara, Siliguri - 734010, West Bengal, India.

Peroidicity: QuarterlyNumber of pages: 100 pages

Print: Digital: Golssy: ColourContact Us : contact@isnpiria.edu.in 0353-2571111, +91-8900755550

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Explorea… a venture to accustom the unexplored

andunidentified

places innorth-east

India.”

EDITOR’S NOTE

Extraordinary but untraveled.

“The whole idea behind this launch is to swim against the flow and bring the unidentified places across north- east India to the forefront. The motive is to break-through the common trend of visiting common places and encour-age travellers to explore the hidden beauty of the region. An initiative to develop tourism for little known and un-mapped places in and across this region.

An astonishing result is seen on a comparative study done by our team on the places most visited and paces un-reached. Unexplored places are found to be equally beau-tiful but yet facing identity crisis. Our team is inspired and forced to take the lead to work on their recognition and importance.

Thus, ‘Explorea’ is an initiative to make the unexplored at par with the explored. This will definitely boost the tour-ism and will benefit the local natives of the region. It is important to bring these place to the limelight to justify their existence. Hope this launch and initiative will be help in the exposer of the places unexplored.

Atul Gupta Editor-in–chief

NEED A “VOICE”

FOR YOUR “EXPERTISE”

FOR YOUR “RISE”WE CAN BE

THE VOICE

REACHING YOUR

TARGET...

An All New Travel & Tour Magazine from Siliguri.

To Reach Out to Everyone that Matters in this Sector.

CONTACT US FOR OUR ATTRATIVE AD RATES

Head O�ce : Inspiria Knowledge Campus Himachal Vihar, Phase-II, Matigara, Siliguri - 734010, West Bengal, India.

Peroidicity: QuarterlyNumber of pages: 100 pages

Print: Digital: Golssy: ColourContact Us : contact@isnpiria.edu.in 0353-2571111, +91-8900755550

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• COVER STORY

DARJEELING HIMALAYAN RAILWAY

• PLACES MOST VISITED

1. CHOWRASTA

• St Andrews Church• Gorkha rang Manch• Mall Road

2. BATASIA LOOP

• Yiga Choeling Monastry• Druk Sngag Choeling Monastry

3. TIGER HILL • Sinchel Lake• Mata Mandir

CONTENTS

page 12

page 18

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• PLACES YET UNEXPLORED

• TEA GRADEN

• PLACES MOST-VISITED VS UNEXPLORED

1. TEESTA VALLEY 2. DHOTRE

VS

page 34

page 44

page 40

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• DIVERSITY- FLORA & FAUNA

1. FLORA

• PLANTS• FLOWERS

2. FAUNA

• ANIMALS• BIRDS

page 50

• PLACE OF INTEREST

1. MIRIK LAKE

3. KURSEONG - EC

5 .LAMAHATTA

2. KALIMPONG - DEOLO

4. SONADA - GROTO

page 54

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• BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE VIEW FROM DARJEELING page 60

• SPORTS AND ADVENTURE

ROPE WAY

page 74

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“The Himalayan Paradise”

EXPLORING...

DARJEELING

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Darjeeling is synonymous with three things – the majestic sight of the snow-capped Kanchenjunga, The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway popularly known as the toy train and its famous tea gardens. Who can think of visiting this enchanting hill station and not take a ride in the historic toy train. Few people reflect on the fact that the toy train has been around long before motor cars came to existence and was the only means of transport to Darjeeling. Today of course,

COVER STORYDarjeeling- The Beautiful Himalayan heaven

it functions for sight seeing and joy rides and also for its immense heritage value.Indeed, the toy trains features in exqui-site framed photos on the walls of drawing rooms and hotel lobbies as well in Bollywood popular films. After a massive landslide dis-rupted its service for nearly five years, the toy train is back in its track again from the 2nd of this month (December 2015).Today of course, it functions for sight seeing and joy rides and also for its immense heri-tage value.Indeed, the toy trains features in exqui-site framed photos on the walls of drawing rooms and hotel lobbies as well in Bollywood popular films. After a massive landslide dis-rupted its service for nearly five years, the toy train is back in its track again from the 2nd of this month (December 2015).

DARJEELING HIMALAYAN RAILWAY

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The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) remains as one of the most outstanding feats in hill train transport. Inaugurated in 1881, it is an example of an ingenious technolog-ical solution to fulfill the challenge of es-tablishing a rail service in the mountainous terrain of the Darjeeling hills. It is still fully operational and retains most of its original features intact. The DHR is a result of the ini-tiative taken by Franklin Prestage, the agent of Eastern Bengal Railway (EBR), a private company who in 1858 received the contract for construction and management of rail-way lines along the Hooghly River towards the Eastern and Northern part of Bengal, in-cluding a track to Darjeeling. However the company directors did not wish to construct the line to Darjeeling for two reasons. One, they thought it would not be profitable and two, the daunting task of constructing a rail track up the formidable terrain of the Dar-jeeling hills.However Franklin Prestage took up this challenge in his individual capacity. He de-cided on a two feet rail gauge, and formed the Darjeeling Steam Tramway Co., re-named as the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Co. on September 15, 1881.

Gillanders Arbuthnot and Co. supervised the financial, legal and purchasing interests of DHR and of other small railways from its Calcutta office. A manager and engineer were posted at Kurseong and a mechanical superintendent was at Tindharia.The DHR began services in 1880, beginning first with a Siliguri to Kurseong route. Ser-vices from Sonada to Ghoom on April 5, 1881, Ghoom (Jorebunglow) to Darjeeling on July 4, 1881 and Kurseong to Sonada be-gan on August1, 1881. The highlight of the DHR is the Ghoom Sta-tion which until recently was the highest rail station in the world and the highest altitude with railway tracks. Other unique features of Because of the steep climb up to Darjeel-

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ing, loops and z-reverses are used to ease the climb. Of the five loops originally con-structed on the route, only three exist now at Chunbhatti, Tindharia and Batasia on the outskirts of Darjeeling. The loops at Agony Pont (Tindharia) and Batasia offer majestic views and have been the favourite locations of film producers of Mumbai and Kolkata over the years.The Z-reverses are the fascinating aspects of the DHR route. In these reverses, the train halts and reverses on a track going up, halts agan and moves forward on another uphill track. In this manner steep climbs are made possible for the toy train.The DHR today is inadvertently linked with the social and economic life of the people of the Darjeeling hills. Small hamlets have grown up surrounding each station from Rongtong to Sonada. The railway has been a source of direct and indirect livelihood to the local people. Besides, it has been and continues to be a chief source of national and international tourist attraction. It brings in memories of old and adds tremendous heritage value.

The DHR has been extensively and reg-ularly featured in national and interna-tional media. According to Wikipedia, the BBC made a series of three documentaries dealing with Indian Hill Railways, shown in February 2010. The first film covers the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway, the second the Nilgiri Mountain Railway and the third the Kalka-Shimla Railway. The films were directed by Tarun Bhartiya, Hugo Smith and Nick Mattingly and produced by Ger-ry Troyna. The series won the UK Royal Television Society Award in June 2010. Wes Anderson’s film The Darjeeling Limited also showcases three brothers riding the Darjeel-ing Himalayan Railway.

Today the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is a UNESCO World Heritage site. This status was accorded in response to a proposal by National Rail Museum (India), the focus of India’s Rail heritage, on 29th June 1998 for inscribing the Darjeeling Himalayan Rail-way (DHR) as a World HERITAGE Site. UNESCO’S World Heritage Committee in-scribed DHR as a World Heritage Site on 2nd December 1999.

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DHR,BATASIA

LOOP

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PLACES MOST VISITEDBeauty that spreads like a wild fire through the travellers & explorers

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1.Chowrasta & Mall “Chowrasta” is the most popular and loved place in Darjeeling. Even the locals are found strolling around the Chowrasta, enjoying the fresh air with family and friends. At Kaventers people enjoy the fun of licking delicious ice-cream bars in the chilling breeze or sipping tea/coffee which tastes like never before in the presence of the pleasant brezze, realizing that heaven is no different. It is a mid-point for four different famed destinations like Singamari, St. Andrews Church, Gorkha Rangamanch and Shrubbery Nightingle Park. Mal road is the connecting point for all the above four places and is the second heaven for crazy shopaholic people- i.e. from hand- made to best designer woollen apparels and antique pieces are available. Foodie visitors have option of exploring diversified cuisine.

Darjeeling - is amongst the place that is familiar to one and all world-wide. It is a shining jewel in the north-east region of the country, India. It is very well-known all over the world for the tea and as a tourist spot. The Chowrasta is one of the most import-ant tourist destination in the hill town of Darjeeling. It is heaven for crazy shopaholic people who come here during vacations for leisure trips.It is the heart of the hill station with the oth-er places around it looking like the nerves extending from the heart. People throng to the area for shopping and have a great time with friends and family. It has a number of food stalls, book stores and shops selling different kinds of artefacts on the side of the road.

Pony rides offer another great experience around the Mall road.

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Other than shopping people can go for a joy pony ride at this place. The young boys of the area offer pony rides to people of all age groups in return for a certain sum of mon-ey. Nehru Road is the place where people come to sunbathe and watch the scenery around.

A small open space auditorium is here which is used by local bands to perform and enthrall the people and crowd that come to witness it. The Chowrasta and the Mall are located at the top of Nehru Road where people come to sunbathe.

The place got the name “Chowrasta” be-cause Chow means four while Rasta means road. This was done because four roads converge and meet at this place. To get the feel of Darjeeling, one needs to visit this place. The area gives a feel of the Victorian age in Darjeeling.

Chowrasta, an ideal spot for the joggers and morning walk..

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St. Andrew’s Church is one of the most beautiful structure found in Darjeeling, it is located in the most attarctive spots in the town, the Mall road or Chowrasta. Con-structed by the British, during the 18th century it is one of the oldest and pristine churches in Darjeeling Hills .The founda-tion stone of this church was laid down on St. Andrew’s Day on November 30th 1843. It is one of the ‘Gems’ which adds upon the beauty of the place. St. Andrews church which stands as a land-mark of British tradition is named after the saints of Scotland, it is an Anglican church. It is one of the engineering marvels which depict the excellent architectural skills of the British. Being one of the most beautiful edifices, it has been admired and praised by the tourists as well as the locals.

ST ANDREWS CHURCH

St. Andrews church which stands as a landmark of Brit-ish tradition is named after the saints of Scotland,

The first divine service was held in October 1844. In September 1867 the spire of the building had collapsed as it was struck by a lightening and so all the services were sus-pended as the shock had rendered the build-ing unsafe and it took several years to recon-struct the damaged building and hence the regular services started off only after 1877. The clock tower with its bell which chimed every hour was built in the year 1883, which was heard all over the town of Darjeeling. The church is able to accommodate the con-gregation of about 200 persons.

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Gorkha rangamancha is an open-audito-rium which is used by the local people for various programmes such as drama, musical performances, cultural activities, seminar conferences and also political stunts. It has been beautifully designed and it is located in the location where every- one would love to visit and take photographs for memories.

GORKHA RANG MANCH

Open-auditorium of the localpeople for various programmes

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The Mahakal Mandir in Darjeeling is very popular and highly revered religious tem-ple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Also known to the locals as the “Holy Hill”, it is just a few minutes’ walk from the Chowrasta and is situated on the highest ridge of the town. The Mahakal temple atop the hill is a revered place for the locals and visitors will be surprised to find a Hindu priest and a Buddhist monk sharing a common altar.The Mahakal Mandir holds a religious sig-nificance both for Hindus and Buddhist living in Darjeeling. The temple is a unique amalgamation of the two most important religions of the region. Legend has it that the place where the temple stands today was once home to a Buddhist Monastery. Besides the main temple, there are other smaller temples dedicated to Gods like Kali, Durga, Ganesh, Hanuman etc. There is also a cave which is considered to be sacred and worshipped by the people.

MAHAKALMANDIR

The Mahakal Mandir holds re-ligious significance both for Hindus and Buddhist living in Darjeeling.

The sound of the Hindu temple bells amidst the fluttering Buddhist flags give a serene and divine atmosphere.The Observatory Hill where the temple stands today is considered to be the very place from where civilization in Darjeeling started. Initially, this was the only place inhabited by people before the population began to spread and took the form of present Darjeeling. The myth also has it that the place was initially home to a Buddhist monastery and was under the rule of the kingdom of Sikkim. It is believed that the town Darjeeling got its name from the word “ Dorje-Ling” or the Land of the Thun-derbolt, a name given by the monks of the monastery.

The present day temple is built in the Hin-du architecture. It is round in shape with the Shiva-linga placed at the center. Along with the shiva-linga, there are also idols of Bud-dha. The statue of Nandi, the sacred bull of Lord Shiva adorns the entrance of the tem-ple. The main entrance is lined by the Hindu bells and the Buddhist prayer flags. Among all the important festival celebrated here, Siva Ratri is the most important, during this festival people are seen in huge number to offer prayers at Mahakal Temple.

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2. Batasia LoopThe landscape of hill town and the snow covered eastern Himalayan, Mt. Kanchanjunga is best viewed on the way to Darjeeling via. Darjeeling Himalayan Railways (DHR). The railway track loops around beautifully structured ‘War memorial’ and a garden with beautiful flowers beside railway -line. The beautiful mountain kanchanjunga is can be no better viewed from else -where.

The unique feature about this loop is the 360 degree turn the Toy-train takes.

Batasia loop was made by the British while laying down the railway whereas the beauti-fication and the ‘war memorial is structured around it recently, by the tourism depart-ment. While taking a trip to Darjeeling in “The Toy Train” – Batasia Loop is the most beautiful sightseeing in the entire journey. The most specific and unique feature about this loop is the 360 degree turn the Toy-train takes. Many Bollywood and Tolly-wood movies shoot in this location. The Toy- train is most popularly used in the old Bollywood movies and even in recent Bol-lywood movies. Batasia loop is mostly used in the Tollywood films. Batasia loop is one of the most visited place on the way to Darjeeling. It is located on Hill Cart Road, N.H.-55(National High-way) which connect Siliguri.The Toy- train is most popularly used in the old Bollywood movies and even in recent Bollywood movies. Batasia loop is mostly used in the Tollywood films.

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BATASIALOOP

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Yiga Choeling monastery is one of the most visited places of Darjeeling.Yiga Choeling Monastery of Ghoom is one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monaster-ies in Darjeeling built in the year 1850. The monastery belongs to the Gelukpa or the Yellow Hat sect and is famous for its 15 feet high special statue of the Maitreya Buddha which is known as ‘The Maitreya Buddha or the Gyalwa Shampa’ which means the Bud-dha of the future or the Coming Buddha. The external structure of the building was established in 1850 by the famous Mon-golian astrologer and monk Sokpo Sherab Gyatso. Since 1850 to 1905 he had adminis-tered as the head of the monastery.

YIGA CHOELING MONASTERY

This statue is one of the big-gest and oldest statues of Buddha in Darjeeling area.

This statue is one of the biggest and oldest statues of Buddha in Darjeeling area. It was made with clay, which was brought from Ti-bet. In front of the Buddha’s statue there are two huge oil lamps that keep burning all the time and all through the year. This 15-foot statue of the Buddha was con-structed during the tenure of the second head of the monastery Lama Domo Geshe Rinpoche (1910–1952). Inside the Yiga Cho-eling Monastery there are images of many Buddha deities and lamas such as the Chen-rezig (Avalokitesvara), Buddha of compas-sion, and Tsongkhapa who was the founder of the Gelupka sect to which the Monastery belongs.

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He was considered a well-known Religious teacher during his time. The monastery be-longs to the Kargyupa Sect. it also serves as the headquarters and residence for Druk-chen Rinpoche the XII, who is the supreme leader of the kragyuga sect.The structure is built in the traditional Ti-betan style. The building offers a splendid view when one looks at it from a distant. The colors used in the walls are bright and bold which depicts the life and teachings of Lord Buddha.Currently, there are around 200 monks and disciples from the nearby Himalayan re-gion who live and study in the monastery. A small library containing Buddhist scripture and other literary works on the philosophy of life is present inside.The perfect time to visit the monastery is during early mornings or at the evening when the prayer session is going on. The prayer timings are from 5 am to 6 am and 5 pm to 6.30pm. In 1993, his holiness the Da-lai Lama had inaugurated the recent com-plex of the monastery when he had come for his religious teachings on Buddhism in the region.

This is one of the largest monasteries lo-cated at a place called Dali which is 5kms away from Darjeeling.It was built during the time of Kyabje Thuksey Rimpoche in 1971.

DRUK SANGAG CHOELING MONASTRY

The structure is built in the traditional Tibetan style. The building offers a splendid view when one look at it from a distant.

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TIGER HILL, DARJEELING

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3. Tiger hillDarjeeling is known for its tea and tourism along with the cynic beauty of the area. Tiger Hill is the highest point of Ghoom which is the highest railway station in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tiger Hill is located in Darjeeling, West Bengal. It is about 11kms from Darjeeling town and can be reached either by jeep or foot.

During the sunrise, the first rays of the sun shed light on the twin peaks of the Kanchenjunga painting it pink and then in a beautiful orange colour. From Tiger Hill, Mount Everest is just visible in between the two peaks standing by its side. The distance in a straight line from Tiger Hill to Everest is 107 miles.While on Tiger Hill one can visit Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary which offers great pic-nic spots and has two artificial lakes which serve as reservoirs for water supply to the town of Darjeeling. In the hills, one simply has to wake up to the stunning sunrises. The first glimpse of the golden horizon makes one’s day.

The Golden hourat Tiger Hill during Sunrise

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TIGER HILL, DARJEELING

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The sun plays its true colours behind the mountains and the horizon turns crimson as the sun comes out of the mountains like a perfect yolk. It is relishing to see the sun become stronger as it goes into the sky. Kanchendzonga Hill which stands on the North changes its colour from blue to white to pink to gold.

The mountains look so close that they de-ceive people. It looks as if the sun is doing its chores for the first time.Tiger Hill is a desti-nation in itself offering not just great views during the sunrise but it’s also a place where one can soak themselves in the Himalayan serenity anytime of the day.

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Mata mandir is the most respected and worshipped place for all the Nepali/Gorkha Hindus all over the globe, actually Mata mandir is well known as Sinchel Mata Mandir or Sinchel Mandir please correct it.

the lake is a water reservoir for the entire Darjeeling town it is situated in the middle of the Sinchel Wildlife sanctuary. The whole of the area of Tigerhill falls under Sinchel Wildlife Sanctuary

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PLACES YET UNEXPLOREDThe Heavenly beauty unseen & unreached

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Places of heavenly essence that enchants with its charmingvista. Experience the real feeling of wow moments with every breath taken.

TEEATA VALLEY, DURPIN DARA

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TEESTA VALLEY

DARJEELING

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The serpentine river Teestaflowing from the Himalayas.

1. Teesta valleyDarjeeling, being the queen of the hills and worldwide recognized tourist destination has many corners yet unexplored. There remains a number of beautiful potential tourist destinations which are unreached or rarely visited.’Teesta Valley Durpin Dara’ is amongst one of them. It is situated about 25 km away from the township of Darjeeling, and it is an excellent view point.

River ‘Teesta’ flow through this valley thus its named after the river. It is one of the oldest tea gardens in Darjeeling established in the year 1841. The tea estate is a ‘Gold medalist’ for the production of the world’s finest tea.

Tea gardens around the place are worth vis-iting, it is one of the most beautiful tea gar-dens in Darjeeling and attracts visitors by its magnificent scenery around. In between these beautiful green tea gardens, there is a famous Durpin Dara(local lingo) or view-point.Views from this place are totally mesmer-ising, one could easily be fascinated by the panoramic sight of the hills, mountains, forests and enchanting river Teesta in its serpentine form. It stretches from Sikkim, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and the township of Siliguri can be viewed easily.In order to enhance tourism, some local people have come out with the idea of de-veloping eco-friendly homestay so that the tourists could stay back to relish upon the beauty of nature.

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Snow fall at Dhotre during winter.

2. DhotreA place for experiencing the real feel of eco-tourism. It is a natural eco-tourism spot. In fact, eco-tourism is the only source of income for the people at Dhotrey. Being a village in the limits of forest region, everything available is natural and the source is nature and not man-made. The food they serve is grown by them and after sunset, there are no means of artificial lighting. It’s the natural moonlight that lites up the place.

Dhotrey is a small village with limited hab-itats. It is a forest village with 68 small huts within the buffer zone of ‘SINGALILA NATIONAL PARK’.Years back, wooden logs were collected by the Forest Department with a 5km long ropeway. The village was set up during that time.The ropeway was demolished in the mid-80s and the village economy suffered. In mid-90s, an effort was made to develop an eco-tour-ism/ a village tourism center. It took over five years, for an individual to motivate the vil-lagers to develop tourism. On 9th February 2008, a fire had destroyed 33 huts. Now, the village has been rebuilt with the help of the Forest Department and many volunteers, and with the help of the people in Darjeeling.

The Buddhist Monastery in that area has been renovated by Rumtek authorities of Sikkim. At present, any nature lover can stay at Dhotre, in village huts or at the trekker’s hut. Momo and roti are the usual dishes served. Electricity supply is out of reach as it is within the Na-tional Park limits.A stroll in the evening in the nearby forest is a great experience where the clouds play hide and seek with us. Dhotrey is a beautiful place in itself.

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VIEW FROMDHOTRE,

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Human beings have successes in exploring the world, even the universe. The strange thing is that the quest of exploring does not quench the thirst of exploring more and further more despite exploring the universe. The nature is so rich and diverse around us that still innumerable places are yet to be discovered and explored.

Darjeeling is a world famous place and a tourist interest destination. Thousands of people visit Darjeeling, every month and say they have explored “Darjeeling”. Is it re-ally true that they have explored Darjeeling?

PLACES MOST VISITED V/S

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The normal trend is to ask a tourist guide for the best itinerary and pay a visit, and its thought the place is explored. Its not true. They are the most popular and most visited place or already explored places and not the unexplored places.

“Explorea”- will take you through the unex-plored places in and around Darjeeling. It’s the jewel of hills in north-east, India. Dar-jeeling is famous world-wide for its natural beauty and its heavenly essence. Lets, compare the explored beauty of Dar-jeeling with unexplored beauty in disguise of Darjeeling.

PLACES YET UNEXPLOREDV/S

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TEA GARDEN, DARJEELING

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Tea gardens are one of the special features of Darjeeling and Darjeeling tea is world famous for its excellent and unique quality.The hilltops are covered with charming tea estates that stretch from one end to the oth-er, that stand apart in the list of places to visit in Darjeeling. These ‘Darjeeling Tea Estates’ are stunning vistas on the journey to various parts of Darjeeling.Tea was first introduced to this Himalayan city in west Bengal in the mid -19th cen-tury by the British, and these sprawling tea estates are still reminiscent of that culture.

TEA GARDENKnow how the world famous brew ‘Darjeeling Tea’ reach us

A trip to these vast stretches of tea planta-tions is all about misty mornings, tea leaves blooming under the sun, endless walks dis-covering various types of tea and of course, sipping your favourite brew.

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OF THE RENOWNED TEA-ESTATES IN DARJEELING ARE:

5. Gomtee Tea Estate:Lesser known than its famous neighbours Makaibari and Glenburn, visitors at Goom-tee get to stay in a 100-year-old heritage bungalow at a height of about 4000 feet, with sweeping views of the valleys and mountains.

3.Happy Valley Tea Estate:Wandering through tea gardens settled on the gentle hill slopes of Darjeeling is the perfect way to start your day at the Happy Valley Tea Estate. With plantations as old as 150 years and picture-perfect stretch-es of lush green tea bushes beckoning you, this tea estate will floor you with its scenic charm. Stop by the gardens during the pro-cess of plucking, processing and packaging and you’ll be privy to one of a fascinating tea garden experiences.

4.Chamong Tea Estate:Nestled in the misty hills of Darjeeling, Chamong Tea Estate stretches over 900 acres of lush green land that houses a tea planta-tion, a tea factory and a village for the tea pickers. Most of the land is forested, with an abundance of flora and fauna. The incredi-ble splendour of the rolling hills, the verdant tea bushes and the quiet daily life makes this area popular amongst visitors.

2.Makaibari Tea Estate:Makaibari Tea Estate, the producer of Dar-jeeling’s costliest tea, was established in 1859—making it one of the oldest fami-ly-owned tea gardens in Darjeeling.

1. Glenburn Tea Estate: Step into the idyllic world of Glenburn, a tea estate established by Scottish tea plant-ers in 1860. It sprawls over 1600 acres of verdant forests, rolling hills, tea picker vil-lages and a pair of river valleys.

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Darjeeling tea has its significance worldwide, and a unique part of Darjeeling tea is that its entire procedure is followed and manufactured by man and not machines. The production of Darjeeling tea not done the machines but the workers and their hands. Each tea leaves are plucked, dried and rolled by them. The entire process is carried out in a very systematic and clean manner.Which is remarkable to look at.

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It’s the main source of income for the region- Darjeeling. The tea manufactured here are exported worldwide and has huge demand. The surprising of all is that the huge demand cycle is still main-tained and met by the worker and not machines.

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LLYOD BOTANIC GARDEN

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1.Flora DIVERSITY

Unique diversity that is rich and preserved flowering plants

Bird Of Paradise Paphiopedulum Villosum

Abies Densa , F-Coniferie

Pleone Praecox Sobralia Amesiania Eria convallarioides

Rhododendron maddeni

Calanthe biloba Phaius tankervilleae

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DIVERSITY2.Fauna

Diveristy of animals and birds found and preserved

blus whistling thrush Barking Deer chestnut bellied rockthrush

verditer flycatcher common hawk cuckoo Himalayan Black Bear

Himalayan Palm Civet Green Backed Tit little pied flycatcher

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GREATERYELOWNAPE

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PLACE OF INTEREST

Kurseong is a hill station in the town of Darjeeling which is in the state of West Bengal. In the Lepcha language, it means the land of the white orchids. The weather in the town of Kurseong is always pleasant. The town is amongst the green canopy of myriad tea gardens.

A well-kept secret from where one can view an amazing sunset in all the desired calm-ness & silence. A fascinating aspect about the Eagle’s Craig situated just a kilometre distance from Kurseong is that not many people know of it and hence there are few tourists around.

Once one makes his/her way up the spiral staircase to the steel-caged observatory – the viewpoint, he/she is definitely in for a visual treat. The lookout point offers a stun-ning panoramic view of the sunset and the lush green slopes around the small town of Kurseong. One can also see the river Bal-ason snaking its way through the valley.The Eagle’s Craig has an observatory close to it which is known as ‘Netaji Kothi’. It is called so because at one point of time it used to be the abode of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose.

EC, KURSEONG

The lookout point offers stun-ning panaromic view of the sunset and the lush green slopes around the small town of Kurseong.

Captivating places which takes you to a different world

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Mirik is one the most famous tourist spots in Darjeeling. It is famous for its beauty and obscurity. When we are on the way to Mirik the scenery is breathtaking and it seems we are going amongst the white fluffy clouds. There is greenery on one side with the tea gardens, mountains and pine trees along the way. The road trip from Darjeeling to Mirik makes a person fall short of words.The Mirik Lake or Sumendu Lake is the fa-vourite tourist spot in the region. Boating and Pony Riding is available in the region. There is a flip side to it. Careless tourists often spoil the area making it dirty. It is a quiet place where one can stay for the whole day and not get bored. The person is sent to-tally into a different space due to the natural surroundings which are breathtaking.

The area around the lake has pine trees on one side and a garden on the other side. Both the sides are linked by a foot bridge which is called the rainbow bridge. The place where the present lake stands used to be a marshland with a very thick growth of plants while what is the garden now was a polo ground used by the British.Mirik has very recently been added to the tourist location of Darjeeling. Earlier Mir-ik town used to be a meadow which was surrounded by hills. In 1970, the West Ben-galTourism Department made a small dam which blocked the water from flowing out thus creating the lake in the process. Now the lake has become one of the biggest tour-ist attractions of Mirik town.

There is a temple named Singha Devi Mandir on the west of the lake. The two points near the lake namely Rameetya Dara and Deosi Dara have the best view of the snowcapped Himalayan range and the valley. The sunrise and the sunset are the best from this partic-ular area. A trip to Darjeeling needs to have a visit to the Mirik lake else it would be like going to Agra and not seeing the Taj Mahal.Places of interest:

Mirik lake, Kawla Dara, Doesi Dara, Rai-Dhap, Tea estates, Orange orchards, Cardo-mom grove and Devi-sthan.

MIRIK LAKE

A trip to Darjeeling needs to have a visit to the Mirik lake else it would be like going to Agra and not seeing the Taj Mahal.

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Dello or the Deolo hill is one of the definite-ly-must-visit places in the Darjeeling dis-trict of West Bengal. Only 6 km away from Kalimpong and at a height of 1914 metres, it definitely is one of those places suitable for a getaway with loved ones from the busy schedules of life.Be it a horseback ride or a simple casual stroll in the evening that is what it takes to cov-er Dello. The Govt. Guest House (DGHC) compound is a landmark. Although Dello is suitable as a picnic spot but a night-stay at the local hotels is a must if one is interest-ed in experiencing the Kanchanjunga range bathed in the early morning sunrise which is a visual treat indeed.

For those with a nose-for-thrill Deolo of-fers an exciting opportunity for paragliding, overlooking the hills and the Teesta valley. Although a one-night stint, but it is high-ly recommended one it is duly advised for the ones visiting this little piece of heaven to carry their medicines & baby-food if re-quired for the nearest market is at a 3-4 km walking distance.The nearest market is the 14th Mile Market. It is recommended for visitors to definitely try out a sip of the most famous Darjeeling tea, a refresher against the chilly weather. It is a must visit for any tourist visiting the hills of North Bengal.

DEOLO,KALIMPONG

Deolo is suitable as a picnic spot but a night-stay at the local hotels is a must if one is interested to experience the Kanchanjunga range

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Sonada is a beautiful town in the Darjeeling District of West Bengal which comes on way to Darjeeling just after leaving Kurseong be-hind. It is 17 km from Darjeeling town and 16 km from Kurseong and it lies on Nation-al Highway 55 connecting Darjeeling with Siliguri. Gorato Nalichor Intek Cider’s is a pilgrim

centre there are status reflecting the life of Lord Jesus Christ including the beautiful statue of Mother Mary in debited to the families for their contribution and generous donation of the land.

While travelling on the way from Sonada to Darjeeling a beautiful view of the Sherpa Monastery can be seen just near the Nation-al Highway 55, Hill cart Road Sonada. It is a must visit place for people who love cynic beauty.

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway(DHR), a UNESCO world heritage site profoundly known as toy train passes through the town as there is a DHR (Darjeeling Himalayan Railway) station located here.Sonada has a beautiful monastery known as the Samdrup Darjay Choling Monastery, here is the inter-national seat of the Shangpa Kagyu Lineage, founded by his eminence Dorje Chang Kab-je Kalu Rinpoche, who was born in Tibet but in 1993 he was enthroned in this Monastery.

SONADA GROTO,DARJEELING

Chorten of Sherpa Monas-tery can be seen just near the National Highway .

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Darjeeling is a place which is blessed by mother nature in abundance. It is known all over the world for its tea and beauty. It is a place which is frequented by tourists for spending their vacations with family and friends. There are a number of tourist desti-nations all over Darjeeling and Lamhatta is one of them.It is still an upcoming eco-tour-ism destination located at an altitude of 1700 m and around 23 km from Darjeeling. Lamhatta has been identified as a paradise for honeymooners. From treks to viewing the landscape of the magnificent Kanchen-junga Hills, the Balason River from a cen-tral watchtower, this place offers it all.

If one is looking for a place to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life, all that concrete, noise and smoke, the picturesque mountain village of Lamhatta is the perfect spot. The locally situated twin ponds ‘Jore Pokhari’ are a must see. Garden benches are a major attraction of the village.

It may be observed that the twin ponds may seem to resemble the ‘for couples’ ambience as the place is predominantly popular as a ‘Honeymoon Point.’ The inhabitants of the place work closely with the private and government authorities to promote this place.

LAMAHATTADARJEELING

Trek through the ‘zig-zag’ walkways between the pine trees, makes this place is predominantly popular

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LAMAHATTADARJEELING

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MIRIK LAKE

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PEACEPAGODA

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TIGER HILL

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SINCHELLAKE

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BATASIALOOP

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Darjeeling is an adventurous place for lovers of sports and adveture

- it serves with thrilling experiences inriver rafting, rock climbing and ropeway.

The 45 mins ride is a sizzling experience over the valleys, mountains, peaks, tea gar-dens and waterfall. It’s one of Asia’s greatest Traveler Ropeways and India’s earliest and first Traveler Ropeway is the “Darjeeling Rangit Place Traveler Wire Car” generally known as the ‘Darjeeling ropeway’ - situat-ed at 27 ° 3’40” N 88 °15’15”E at an elevation of 7000 legs above sea stage.

It was started by the forest development de-partment of Darjeeling in 1968 the cable car ride takes one to an elevation of about 7000 feet in Singamari, North Point.It is now managed as a joint venture of the West Ben-gal Development Corporation & Conveyor and Ropeway Services.

ROPEWAY,DARJEELING

This is one of the best places to visit and is sure to provide one a relaxation time while the wonder car glides in the air.

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It was started by the forest development de-partment of Darjeeling in 1968 the cable car ride takes one to an elevation of about 7000 feet in Singamari, North Point.It is now managed as a joint venture of the West Ben-gal Development Corporation & Conveyor and Ropeway Services.

Having to smoothly glid over the valleys, mountains, peaks, waterfalls, tea gardens and beautiful landscape of Darjeeling in a cable car, this is one of the best experienc-

The present rope way has been extensive-ly modernized and visitors can now safely travel over the clouds to witness the aerial view of the lush green tea gardens below. As you ride the cable car, you will travel from an altitude of about 7,000 ft. (or 2134m) down to 800 ft. (or 244m) where the last station Singla Bazar is located. This ropeway cable car can take six passengers at a time and you will be able to get breathtaking view of the valley below, see the spread of lush green tea gardens on the hill slopes, flowing rivers, forests, waterfalls and to top it all the magnificent view of the Eastern Himalayan range including the snow capped peaks of the Kanchenjunga. Over the year many people has taken a ride of this thrilling cable and has felt an utmost adventure, you must try coming into a gulf of venture where ev-erything happens just at a click of one. Being at a site where greenery has blessed a multi ambiance and at a same time a grace of deli-cate Darjeeling which has touched a heart of million makes the journey even more allur-ing. The best time to discover this wonderful experience of March to May and September to November. Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway operates from 10 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. in summer. In winter it oper-ates only till 4 p.m. The Ropeway generally remains closed on the 15th of every month for carrying out maintenance work

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