Darjeeling Things to Do

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The war memorial is situated at Ghoom - Batasia loop. It's visible when you enter or depart from Darjeeling. The toy train from Darjeeling stops here at the loop for nearly half an hour. You can also visit by road. Here you will find the Gorkha Dresses for your personalised photo session.

The War Memorial stands as a reminiscence of the Gurkha martyrs of Darjeeling, who sacrificed their lives for their country in the wars and operations that have taken place since independence. In 1976, Manish Gupta, the then Deputy Commissioner of Darjeeling, took the initiative to construct a War Memorial, to pay homage to the 76 brave sons of Darjeeling who gave the supreme sacrifice of their life, for the cause of their nation.

We where lucky and had beautiful views of the white mountain peaks from Darjeeling. We walked from Chowrasta and around the hill. Unfortunatley there was always a cloud around the peak of Mt. Kangchendzonga...

Next time when you would be travelling to Darjeeling, you can try the less expensive hotels in Dr. Zakir Hussain Rd. or Gandhi Rd. These hotels are cheap but clean. As vehicles are prohibited on The Mall Road (Chowrasta), you have to take a different route to reach there. There are star hotels too. If you stay in these places, a small hike can easily take you to The Mall in no time. You can check other options too, if you have a tight budget. C.R. Das Rd., Tenzing Norgey Rd. and Tungsung Road also have budget hotels and The Mall is not so far from this places.

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The rope way was started in 1968 by the forest development department and comprised only a single car which ran one way. Later, it was upgraded to 16 cars and went to and fro. From an elevation of 2,134 m (7,001 ft) in Darjeeling’s North Point (Singamari), this bicable ropeway descended to 244 m (801 ft) at Singla on the banks of the Ramman river, which with Little Rangeet river, meets the Great Rangeet. Stopping at Tukver, Burnesbeg and Singla tea estates, it took 45 minutes to reach Singla Bazar, 8 km away. The rope way passed over dense forests, mountain ridges, water falls, flowing rivers, green valleys and tea gardens.

The Great Rangeet flows from the glacial elevation of Kabru, in the lower regions of the Kanchenjunga, meeting first the Ramman and then the Little Rangeet further down. Singla offers is a fascinating view of the lovely valleys of these two streams. The Little Rangeet flows across the lush green Bijanbari valley. While the Little Rangeet is overflowing with trout, the valley has wildlife, flowers and butterflies.

The passenger rope way was operated as a joint venture of the West Bengal Forest Development Corporation and the Conveyor and Rope way Services Private Ltd. It had been revamped in 1988.

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A zoo was established on August 14, 1958 in the Birch Hill neighbourhood of Darjeeling under the Department of Education of the Government of West Bengal with a goal to study and preserve Himalayan fauna. Its first Director and founder was Dilip Kumar Dey. Mr. Dey, who belonged to the Indian Forest Service was on deputation to the Department of Education for the express purpose of establishing a high-altitude zoological Park specializing mainly in Himalayan flora and fauna. The Park's prized possessions were a pair of Siberian (Ussuri) tigers presented to the Government of India by Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev in 1960. Over the years famous names in the world of Conservation have been attracted to and have visited the HZP. The zoo now contains endangered animals like snow leopards, red pandas, gorals (mountain goat), Siberian tigers and a variety of endangered birds. However, there has been concern regarding the fact that the Himalayan animals may face a threat due to rising temperatures in the hilly area.
It specializes in breeding animals adapted to alpine conditions, and has successful captive breeding programs for the Snow leopard, the critically endangered Himalayan wolf and the Red panda.

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Just up the Mall the temple of Mahakal ( Lord Shiva) is very sacred place for the locals and tourists as well. This place is visited by many throughout the day! We sat here on the New Year's Eve of 2001 ( 1st January). We also offered our prayers to Lord Shiva.

Rising abruptly from Chowrasta is the hilltop. Situated atop is the ancient temple of Mahakal, a form of Lord Shiva. There is a cave sacred to worshipers in the temple. In Sanskrit, the word "Durjay Ling", means "Shiva of invincible prowess, who rules the Himalayas." There is a suggestion that the name Darjeeling could have emanated from this name. The place where the Mahakal Temple stands was once occupied by the Buddhist monastery. It is still a place of great sanctity for the Bhutias. Bells ring in the midst of fluttering flags, which are used to pray in the shrine. Monkeys are seen in plenty at the Observatory Hill.

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Observatory Hill is a hill near Chowrasta square, or The Mall as it is popularly known, in Darjeeling, West Bengal, India. Magnificent views of snow-clad peaks, including Mount Kanchenjunga, are visible from the Observatory Hill. The Bhutia Busty monastery was originally located here. Now the hill has the temple of Mahakal. Two important arteries of the town, Nehru Road and Bhanubhakta Sarani, meet at Chowrasta.

Chowrasta and The Mall around Observatory Hill are the main centres of tourist attraction in Darjeeling. They spread on hill slopes at an altitude of 2,134 metres (7,000 feet). In clear weather, one can see Mount Kanchenjungha and twelve other peaks, all above 20,000 feet.The view is clear during October to November. At other times of the year, it is a matter of luck, with clouds engulfing the entire area and some portions of the view available at opportune moments.

In spite of the high tourist flow, The Mall is the cleanest area in Darjeeling. Apart from the mountain views, tourists flock to the Chowrasta for pony rides (mostly by children) and collecting souvenirs. There are benches for tourists to sit and enjoy the "show". Vehicles are not allowed in The Mall, except for a small stretch near Raj Bhavan and Windamere Hotel.

The place if full of locals and tourists as well throughout the day. There are several family owned shops here since British days selling Tea, Souvenir, paintings or handicrafts. You may buy Darjeeling souvenirs from mone of these shops.

Darjeeling Gymkhana Club Ltd. was established in the year 1909 and occupies an important place in the tourism map of Darjeeling,”Queen of Hills.” One of the most well equipped Clubs of the region with facilities of Indoor and Outdoor games, it is prominently located above the Mall Road next to Raj Bhawan. At present, it has a membership strength of around 400 permanent members and 49 special members (mainly 1st Class Gazetted Officers).

The club also offers temporary membership to the tourists.