Darjeeling

Darjeeling is know as the “Queen of Hills” . Located at an Altitude of 2134 metres (6800 feet) form the sea leavl, total Population of Darjeling is 1.7 Lakhs. Darjeeling is nestled among the mountains with glistering Mt Kanchenjunga towering over azure sky. British came to Darjeeling almost 150 years ago; they fell in love with its natural beauty and came back again and again to escape the unkind Indian heat. The total area of Darjeeling is Area 11.44 Sq. Kms.

Darjeeling is the legendary British hill station perched in the foothills of the Himalayas. Located in the northern extreme of the Indian state of West Bengal, Darjeeling is just east of Nepal, just south of Sikkim, and a bit west and south of Bhutan. It is most famous for its once magnificent tea estates. Despite a steady and inexorable decline since independence, roughly a half century ago, these estates still produces a substantial portion of the world's tea.

History

The history of Darjeeling is intertwined with that of Bengal, Bhutan, Sikkim and Nepal. Until the early 19th century, the area around Darjeeling was ruled intermittently by the kingdoms of Bengal, Nepal and Sikkim, with settlement consisting of a few villages of Lepcha woodspeople. n 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 the Chogyal of Sikkim in 1835. Arthur Campbell, a surgeon with the Company and Lieutenant Napier were given the responsibility to establish a hill station there, and the former's efforts to develop the station, attract immigrants to cultivate the slopes and stimulate trade resulted in a hundred-fold rise in population of Darjeeling between 1839 and 1849. By 1852, a Hill Corps had been established to maintain order and communication, and a sanatorium, bazar and jail had been built.

Culture

Apart from the major religious festivals of Diwali, Christmas and Dussera, the diverse ethnic populace of the town celebrates several local festivals. The Lepchas and Bhutias celebrate new year in January, while Tibetans celebrate their new year in February–March. The birthday of the Dalai Lama is celebrated in mid-June with processions. Darjeeling Carnival, initiated by a civil society movement known as The Darjeeling Initiative, is a ten day carnival held every year during the winter with the high quality portrayal of the rich musical and cultural heritage of Darjeeling Hills as its central theme.

Education

Darjeeling's schools are either run by the state government or by private and religious organisations. Schools mainly use English and Nepali as their media of instruction, although the national language Hindi and the official state language Bengali are also stressed. The schools are either affiliated with the ICSE, the CBSE, or the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education. Having been a summer retreat for the British in India, Darjeeling soon became the place of choice for the establishment of public schools on the model of Eton, Harrow and Rugby, allowing the children of British officials to obtain an exclusive education.[41] Institutions such as St. Joseph's College (School Dept.), Loreto Convent, St. Paul's School and Mount Hermon School are renowned as centres of educational excellence.[42] Darjeeling hosts three colleges—St. Joseph's College, Loreto College, Salesian College and Darjeeling Government College—all affiliated to University of North Bengal in Siliguri.