Darjeeling and Kalimpong

The town of Darjeeling is the headquarters of the district, and is most famous for its fine, delicate tea. At an average elevation of 6,982 feet (2,134metres) Darjeeling’s temperate climate led to its development as one of the primary hill stations of the British Raj in India, where British residents escaped the heat of the plains during the summers. Thus it became known as the Summer Capital or Queen of the Hills.

Darjeeling is not only internationally famous for its tea industry but also for the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tea plantations date back to the mid 19th century as part of a British development of the area. The tea growers of the area developed distinctive hybrids of black tea and fermenting techniques, with many blends considered among the world’s finest. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway connecting the town with the plains was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999 and is one of the few steam engines still in service in India.

Kalimpong the second town of the district, located about 50 kms east of Darjeeling is a bustling, lively market town noted especially for its schools. Once the headquarters of a Bhutanese Governor, the word ’kalim’ means King’s Minister and ’Pong’ – the stronghold of the King’s minister. It is also called ’Kalibong’ or the black spur by the hill people. ’Kalipong’ in local dialect stands for ’Kaulim’ which is a fibrous plant which grows in abundance in this region. The meaning that has found the most favour is the Lepcha meaning of the name – ’ridge where we play’. It is said that these local tribesmen used to organise field sports while not engaged in agricultural pursuits – hence its name. Somewhat secluded and tucked away in the corner under the big Darjeeling umbrella, Kalimpong offers a quieter and more relaxing alternative in beautiful countryside with a fine backdrop of Kanchenjunga.

The history of the Darjeeling District is intertwined with that of Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and Bengal. Until the early 19th century, the area around Darjeeling was ruled intermittently by the kingdoms of Nepal and Sikkim, with settlement consisting of a few villages of Lepcha woodspeople. In 1828, a delegation of British East India Company officials on their way to Sikkim stayed in Darjeeling and decided that the region was a suitable site for a sanatorium for British soldiers. The Company negotiated a lease of the area from Sikkim in 1835 and established a hill station there. The British began experimental tea plantations in Darjeeling in 1841. The success of these experiments led to the development of tea estates all around the town in the second half of the 19th century.

Darjeeling was annexed by the British India Empire a few years after an incident of discord between Sikkim and the Company in 1849. Scottish missionaries undertook the construction of schools and welfare centres for the British residents, laying the foundation for Darjeeling’s high reputation as a centre of education. The opening of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in 1881 hastened the development of the region. Darjeeling’s elite residents were the British ruling class of the time, who visited Darjeeling every summer. An increasing number of well-to-do Indian residents of Kolkata (then Calcutta), affluent maharajas of princely states and land-owners also began visiting Darjeeling and as result the town has continued to grow as a tourist destination. After India gained independence in 1947, Darjeeling was merged with the state of West Bengal.

Kalimpong was originally part of Bhutan. In 1865, after the Anglo-Bhutan War, it was merged with Darjeeling, and became a sub-division of Darjeeling in 1916, and developed as a hill station. It flourished as a wool trading centre with Tibet till 1950, when the Chinese took over Tibet. Here Buddhism rubs shoulders with Hinduism and Christianity. Gumpas, unusual churches, temples, monks and missionaries coexist in a jovial society. The quaint bustling bazaar, is a wanderer’s delight, and a host of surprises containing Buddhist thankas, hand beaten silver, Bhutanese weaves, Chinese lamps, Lepcha daggers, masks and a lot more. Kalimpong offers Buddhist Monasteries, Hindu Temples, Christian Churches, Flowers, Orchids and exotic flora, old colonial bungalows and scenic view points.

Darjeeling, along with neighbouring Kalimpong was a major center for the demand of a separate Gorkhaland state in the 1980s. The democratic movement for separation from West Bengal has begun again, this time without any accompanying violence. It has the virtually unanimous support of the local population who all speak Nepali and feel that the Bengali government of West Bengal make little investment in the Darjeeling interest and show interest only in exploiting the region’s considerable natural resources.

Business in the city Kalimpong’s perhaps best known industry is flowers. It has a number of flower nurseries and is particularly famous as an exporter of unusual species of orchids and gladioli all round the world. It also has a cactus nursery that is beautiful to visit. Perhaps the least known but best earner for the city is education. Kalimpong has upwards of 200 schools quite a number of which have 1000 or more pupils (the most famous of which is Dr Graham’s 3000) – and attracts pupils for all over the region. It also has a burgeoning hand made paper industry and a growing tourist industry both for its own attractions and for those of the villages in its vicinity. Darjeeling has a very well developed tourist industry as well of course as a huge tea industry. Like Kalimpong it is also strong on education and has several British-style public schools, which attract students from many parts of India and neighbouring countries.

Courtesy: http://wanderingindia.com/2010/darjeeling-kalimpong-interesting-facts-history/

Writer:  

Explore Wilderness in the Northeast!!!

Heritage and Travel are synonymous. Why do people go to beautiful Europe, Russia, the Far East? And why do these countries attract tourist in large number? One of the main reasons the heritage factor. And gain in this area does India lack. Tourism is one area of industry which can employ people. And also associate industries can start which can help boost the travel industry and vice-versa. Here is another article which was posted in the Times of India dated January 15th 2012. We can also have a look into home-stays which is emphasized in this article. Enjoy the article and think about the concept of home-stays.

"Imagine waking up in a Naga home, amid tribals who were once known for the practice of head hunting, and plucking tea leaves or lemons through the day. Or having a close brush with a herd of elephants in the morning and calling it a night with a mug of 'apong' or rice beer in an Assamese village. 

If you are looking for a vacation away from the usual hill stations, then exploring homestays in India's northeast could be the answer. According to tourism experts, the sector has grown by 10 per cent in the past year. Sabina Chopra, co-founder of travel portal yatra, told us: "The northeast is slowly but steadily catching the eye of the tourist. Due to lack of infrastructure, in terms of good hotels and resorts, tourists are willing to explore newer options like the homestays." 

This sector involves travellers staying with a host family to get a first-hand experience of local life and culture. Nestling in the lap of nature, the eight northeastern states - Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura - have a wealth of cultural diversity, wildlife, flora and fauna. Nagaland alone has more than 15 tribes and is a cauldron of different cultural practices, art and craft. The Shiyong village homestay in the northernmost part of Nagaland is one of the many in the region that one can explore to know about the Konyak tribe -- famed for the facial tattoos and headhunting. As part of the tour package, one gets to live with a tribal family, participate in daily farm work, pluck tea leaves in the family-owned tea plantation or oranges and lemon when in season. 

The village, which is situated 32 km from the district headquarters Mon, is well connected by road from Jorhat (147 km) and Dibrugarh (283 km) in Assam, which are in turn connected to Guwahati, Kolkata and Delhi by air and rail. If getting close to wildlife fascinates you, then homestays by the North East Social Trust (NEST) in Assam is your answer. "Our idea is that instead of living in a resort while visiting the Kaziranga National Park, why not stay with the local community on the fringes of the park? In any case, it's just early in the morning or evening that one is occupied in a safari and the rest of the day you don't have much to do in Kaziranga," NEST founder Arif Hussain said in an interview. 

By staying in a village, one can enjoy the wildlife, see the one-horned rhino and the tiger, as well as experience the culture and traditions of the locals. "For instance, in Dhuba Ati village you can see how villagers co-exist with wildlife by understanding nature's signals. How they ward off a herd of elephants or a tiger and how they have come to understand that the sudden chirping of birds indicates danger," Hussain said. 

The price of staying in one of these homestays is not much - Rs.800 for a double room, which excludes food. While the weather is pleasant through the year, you may want to avoid the monsoons. According to Hussain, the ideal time to visit is between October and April. If the hills beckon you, then you may like to head for Sikkim and stay at the Yangsum Farm, a heritage farmhouse which was built in 1833 and remodelled in 1966. 

The Tsechu Tharpa family, which runs the farmhouse, manages a 44-acre mountain farm which consists of pine, Himalayan alder, chestnut, magnolia, rhododendrons and other trees. One can soak in the beauty of the hills and enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables right from the kitchen yard. The family grows cardamom, avocados, orange, banana and seasonal vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes and peas. The charge is around Rs.3,600 per night. 

Yet another homestay in Sikkim is the Mayal Lyang in Dzongu. According to a manager at the homestay, the meaning of Mayal Lyang is 'Hidden Land' and the homestay lives up to its meaning because it is "hidden from the hustle and bustle" of the city. You could also head for the Bo-Ville homestay in Shillong, Meghalaya. A grand old house with aesthetic wooden touch, lush gardens and furnished with modern amenities, you would love to stay curled up here and sip your favourite brew. Of course, enjoying the beauty of the hills and the pleasant 'Shillong' weather is part of the package. The room tariff ranges from Rs.2,000 to Rs.2,300, inclusive of breakfast."

Seeking Buddha in Gujarat

Interesting news article I read in The Times of India dated January 17th 2012, so I am putting it in the blog here. I love anything related to heritage. The title of the article is 'Seeking Buddha in Gujarat'.

"Known more for Hindu and Jain religious places, Gujarat is now hoping to play host to Buddhist pilgrims too. 

While in January this year, Chief MinisterNarendra Modi shared the dais with His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the International Seminar on Buddhist Heritage at Vadodara, the state's tourism department is now trying hard to promote the "Buddhist Footprints in Gujarat" through its website. 

The earliest archeological evidence of Buddhism in Gujarat dates back to Emperor Ashoka's reign (269-232 BC). Saurashtra (known as Surashtra/ Saraostes/Syrastene in the past) finds a mention in early Buddhist literature such as the Indriya Jataka, Milinda Panha, Petavatthu, etc. In the sixth century, Bhattarkka, a general of the Gupta Emperors, established an independent principality around Valabhi (Vallabhipur). He was a devout Shaivite but the Maitraka rulers that followed him, though Hindus themselves were great patrons of Buddhism. On his visit to Gujarat in 640 AD, Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang noted the presence of 200 monasteries housing 10,000 monks at Bharuch, Atali, Kheta, Valabhi, Anandapura and Surashtra. Both Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism were prevalent in Gujarat. 

The following are some of the main Buddhist archeological sites in Gujarat: 

Vadnagar, Mahesana 

Nearly 128 km from Ahmedabad, the archeological site between River Banas and River Rupen, has a 12-cell structure that belonged to a Buddhist vihara or monastery and housed monks from the 2nd to 4th century AD. Hiuen Tsang, who visited Vadnagar (then known as Anandapur) in the 7th century, reported that the city had some 10 sangharams (resting places for Buddhist monks) with a 1,000 Buddhist monks. Archaeologists found around 2,000 artefacts including aBuddha idol, an amphora, figurines, a crucible, a grinding stone, seals, a terracotta head wearing a turban, shell bangles, necklace beads, copper and silver coins that are housed at the Museum of Archaeology at the Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara. 

Perched atop the Taranga Hills nearby, is a shrine dedicated to Devi Taranmata. The idols of Taranmata and Dharanmata are of Buddhist Goddess Tara, the "Mother of all Buddhas," which usually refers to the enlightened wisdom of the Buddhas. In the Dharanmata Temple, over the halo behind the head of the marble sculpture of the Goddess Tara, is a lotus on which rests the Amitabh Buddha. The lower register of the sculpture also displays the symbolic representation of the Buddha in form of an elephant, a horse and a chakra. 

Devnimori, Sabarkantha 

Better known for its hotsprings, Devnimori located 132 km from Ahmedabad has a large Buddhist establishment that dates back to the period between 2nd and 7th centuries AD. King Ashoka is said to have erected as many as 80,000 stupas across India. He unearthed the ashes of Buddha from their original place and distributed them across the country, building stupas accordingly. One such stupa, from the 4th century was excavated in early 1960s at Devnimori. Close to the major trade routes of Mewar and Dungarpur, Devnimori was the site of an important Buddhist monastic centre 1,600 years ago. The mahastupa's still there but the relics including a casket containing Buddha's ashes and 17 terracotta statues of Buddha are now housed in the Department of Archaeology at The Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara. 

Junagadh District 

A prominent Buddhist centre since Ashoka's reign, Junagadh district is sprinkled with rock-cut-caves, monasteries and stupas at 15-odd sites such as the Ashokan rock edict at Girnar, Baba Pyara Caves, Khapra Kodia caves, Upparkot caves, Panheswer Caves, Mai Gadechi, Matri, structural monastery at Intawa, brick stupa at Bordevi and Vajrapanat, Sana caves, caves around Prabhas Patan, Mandor Caves and Savni-Gir. 

Buddhist caves, about 2000 years old, are among the oldest monuments at Uparkot. Carved out of monolithic rock, these three-tiered caves are famous for their exquisite art. 

Getting there: 

Gujarat has one of the better developed road networks in India. State transport and private buses are the best and the cheapest modes of transport. Ahmedabad is well-connected to all major cities and towns by road, rail and air. 

(Compiled by Eisha Sarkar)"