TRIP - Moments of life

             DREAM TRIP TO DARJEELING


Lets have a trip to Darjeeling another beauty of India.Darjeeling is a town in India's West Bengal state, in the Himalayan foothills.Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, or “Toy Train,” 🚆completed in 1881😊. It's famed for the distinctive black tea grown on plantations that dot its surrounding slopes. Its backdrop is Mt. Kanchenjunga, among the world’s highest peaks👼.
 


                                                   Tiger Hill



Tiger Hill🌄, the highest point, a short drive away from the town is ideal for hiking and trekking through the day. Besides amazing views of the Kanchenjunga Range, the Tiger Hill rendkgers😉 perfect views of the sunrise🌈. 
During peak tourist season, you'll see hundreds of tourists get up as early as four in the morning to view the beautiful sunrise from the observatory on top of the hill. The wind is so strong here; it will make you shiver with cold in a matter of minutes✨.
                                    Batasia Loop
    
Reach Batasia😊 loop at nine in the morning and you'll see the most amazing spectacle ever - shopkeepers with their little makeshift stalls and curio-spreads on the railway lines wrap up their business with superb agility and speed as the Toy Train arrives to traverse this little loop🚆.

On a clear day, the Batasia Loop renders clear views of the surrounding valleys and mountains🌄.

                                                              Zoologizal Park
 
The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute was established by🐂 Tenzing Norgay, the sherpa who, along with Sir Edmund Hillary🐘, reached the summit of Mount Everest. The campus has a memorial for him, and it also houses a museum that showcases mountaineering equipment. These include the ones that Tenzing Norgay used. The Mountaineering Institute also has a small zoological park that houses various species of Himalayan animals🐯.                   Dali Monastery

      

                       

 The monastery was originally built at the time of Kyabje Thuksey Rinpoche in 1971🙏. He was a well known religious Tibetan teacher😮. Dali Monastery belongs to the Kargyupa sect. Today it is the head quarters and residence of Drukchen Rimpoche the XII, who is the supreme head of the Kargyupa sect of Buddhists. As you enter through the arch gate and walk up along the ramp, you will be awestruck with the structure of the buildings. Soon you will need to climb flights of many steep stairs. On the way you will see a prayer room on your right. There are several huge cylindrical golden colored drums on one side of the room✌. During prayer time monks sit in front of the drums and offer prayers. The chants and humming sound creates a wonderful spiritual ambience😊.  

                                              Japanese Temple 

   

  

There is a wonderful Japanese temple located at a 10 minutes driving distance from the Darjeeling town center😇. The temple is also known as the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Temple. The two storied white building was built in a traditional Japanese style in the year 1972.

Close to the temple is the Peace Pagoda that showcases four avatars of Lord Buddha. From the top of the Pagoda, you get a panoramic views of Darjeeling landscape including the Kanchenjunga range🌄
I had that opportunity once. In the prayer room you will see the present Guruji or the chief priest offering the prayers, beating a huge drum (also known as Ho-ko) from which a reverberating sound originates that fills the entire temple premises. The humming sound and the chants add to the solemn atmosphere✨.

As you enter the room, you will be invited to sit and join the prayer🙏. A small drumming pad and a stick will be given to you so that you too can drum in the same rhythm. I was amazed how such a small pad too can generate similar resonating sound🎵

.    TEA PLANTATION                                               A visit to a tea plantation is a must when in Darjeeling🌄. There are more than 86 gardens that produce the famous Darjeeling tea. Visit tea estates and take a guided tour and learn all that goes in to processing tea🍃. The estates in this region are renowned for the high quality Dooars and Terai teas. You can get a taste of all these teas at the plantations itself for Rs. 5 to Rs. 10. Else you can always visit the mall road for a tea tasting sessions at the shops of Nathmulls and Golden Tips tea🍃.