Darjeeling: The Land Of Thunderbolt

“Unless the lions compose their tale, the annals of the hunt will always laud the hunter,” goes an old African proverb said by Chinua Achebe. The story of the Queen of Hills is also a history only told through the eyes of the British. While exploring the rugged mountains and peaceful snow, Darjeeling has brought forward some stories that could only be narrated by the queen herself.

A history as royal as a queen; Image Source: Kesari

Darjeeling, sometimes monikered as the "Queen of Hills," is a Himalayan city in West Bengal, India. The remarkable blend of pure beauty of the hills, rustic graces of the past, and charmingly inviting residents to make it a perfect holiday place for both the young and the elderly. You might plan a bachelorette or an escape from your workaholic life and Darjeeling might be the perfect spot to land in. Situated at a height of 2500 metres above sea level, this place is like a huge sigh of relief from the excruciating Indian summer.

When you enter the city, the lush green plantations all around you will lure you into their charm. Women with baskets hanging from their shoulders could be seen collecting some of the finest leaves that the Darjeeling plantations have to offer. The plantations from the top look like green pastries, topped with icing all over them.

Standing on a mountaintop, sipping hot renowned Darjeeling tea with soft glacial breezes for the company and the "cotton clouds" in the backdrop is an experience that will stay with you forever. It's hardly a surprise that Darjeeling is the country's tea capital.

Darjeeling's pure, unadulterated glory includes the majesty of the towering Himalayas, panoramic views of the tea farms, miniature trains and hair-raising ropeway rides. But along with these majestic views, telling us how beautiful the place is, there is also an elaborate history of this town's evolving to be a hill station.

Darjeeling was originally known as Dorje-ling by its Lepcha inhabitants, which when translated to English is called “Place of the Thunderbolt.” The word thunderbolt could be related to the weapon that the Hindu god, Indra carries with him.

The hills of Darjeeling, Terai and Dooars were never originally a part of the Indian subcontinent. It was a region of an altercation between the four ancient kingdoms of Nepal, Sikkim, Tibet, and Bhutan. Before the British entered the land and transformed it into something unimaginable, several local clans including Limbus, Mangar, Rai, Lepchas, and Rajbanshis thrived in Darjeeling. The year 1642 was one of the turning points in the history of Darjeeling as it got its first king, Phuntshog Namgyal, from the Chogyal dynasty of Sikkim.

However, the migration of these aboriginal tribes was not without problems. The local clans like Mangars and Limbus were apprehensive of the growing power of the Bhutia kingdom. This led to creation of further tensions and wars broke out in the newly established kingdom. To save the kingdom from falling apart with all the wars and conflicts raging like wildfire, Phuntshog Namgyal came forward to strike a deal with the local tribes of Darjeeling. Together, they all signed a pact called Lho-Mon-Tsong-sum and laid the foundational structure for the Limbu-Bhutia-Lepcha trinity in Sikkim.

After 1642, the play of dates did not come to an end as the next important year arose- 1707. During that time, Bhutan had already conquered most of the regions of Sikkim, except Kalimpong. By the 1750s, the Gorkhalis had become extremely strong and began attacking Sikkim, and then in 1777, they finally took over the region.

This entire situation forced Tenzing Namgyal to flee from his capital and take refuge in a different place. The Chogyal's son attempted to reclaim his empire with the assistance of his Tibetan friends but was defeated.Further warfare destroyed the old Sikkim capital.

It was finally in the 1820s when the British entered the region of Darjeeling. Impressed by its serenity, they decided to make it a sanitorium for their soldiers. In the year 1835, the EIC took on lease a part of Darjeeling. Later on, Arthur Campbell, a surgeon, and Lieutenant Napier were credited to have found the hidden hill station of Darjeeling.

In 1841, the British built trial tea plantations in Darjeeling. The success of their attempts resulted in the establishment of tea farms all over town in the second part of the nineteenth century. But soon the lease turned into an annexation in 1849 after a disagreement between the EIC and Sikkim.

Darjeeling was walking on the path of development with the increase in the tea plantations, opening up of Scottish schools and laying down of railway lines. But in 1898, an earthquake struck the region called Darjeeling Disaster and everything changed, causing severe damage to the town and its people. The British applied the "Non-Regulation District," implying that any law of the British Raj would need discussions and debates before actually applied to Darjeeling.

Darjeeling received special attention from all. Many British families went to Darjeeling and settled there, to become the elite ruling class of the town. Aristocratic families of Kolkata, Maharajas of princely states and landowners too, began visiting Darjeeling. The town grew in popularity as a tourist attraction, earning the title "Queen of the Hills.”

During the freedom struggle, Darjeeling was not very involved with the political activities that were going on throughout the country owing to its remote location and small population. Today, Darjeeling has merged with West Bengal, and people from various ethnicities have come and settled here.

Set among emerald-green tea estates and snow-capped Himalayan peaks, this region was created by the British in the nineteenth century and today has a Tibetan element in its industry, culture, and food. This charming small village is dotted with beautiful colonial buildings. The magnificent Kanchenjunga rises above this lovely town and is the world's third-tallest peak. Darjeeling is a popular tourist destination recognized for its picturesque beauty, old woods, charming buildings, friendly people, and scenic beauty.

Darjeeling: Your way to heaven; Image Source: EastMojo