~:Darjeeling Sightseeing:~
Places of interest in Darjeeling
Chowrasta
Chowrasta which in local dialect means a place where four roads meet,
 can aptly be called as the heart of Darjeeling town. It is the place where where every person visiting Darjeeling must go. It is a huge flat platform surrounding which are beautifully placed benches and further surrounded by different types of shops including bakery, restaurants, studios and many more. It is the hangout place for foreigners as well as Indians and a place where people of different cultures, religion, nationality come together and mingle. the mall is the main shopping center in Darjeeling with small stalls lined along the road selling woolen garments, accessories and many more. what makes a trip to Chowrasta more exhilarating is a view of the mighty snow clad Kanchenjunga at the backdrop, and if the time is right one might just see rhododendrons growing all around. A trip to Darjeeling without visiting the Chowrasta or the mall can be termed as fruitless. Natural History Museum
.jpg) Near to Chowrastha is the Museum of Natural History, containing a representative and comprehensive collection of the fauna of the region. Many specimens of rare species of birds, reptiles and animals found in different altitudes in the Eastern Himalayas are displayed in the museum in true to life attitudes. The section containing insects such as The butterfly and beetle merit a special mention. Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park
Established on 14th August 1958 under the Department of Education of the State for study and conservation of the Himalayan Fauna, Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological park can be termed as an unique zoo in the country. It is situated at an elevation of 2133.5 meters with the mighty and glorious Mt. Kanchenjunga as its background. This is the only Zoo in the world to successfully breed Tibetan Wolf in Captivity and is internationally recognized because it was the first South Asian Zoo to breed the Snow Leopard, Siberian Tiger, and red panda in conservation. This zoo in Darjeeling is the only specialized zoo in the country of Snow Leopard and Red Panda. On 21st November 1975, the zoo was dedicated by late Shrimati Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, to the memory of Shrimati Padmaja Naidu, former Governor of West Bengal. Since then the zoo has been known as "Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park". Himalayan Mountaineering Institute
In the year1953 Tenzing Norgay along with Sir Edmund Hillary became the first people ever to climb the Mightiest Mt Everest(8848 m/29,028 ft). this feat of the brave people gave birth to mountaineering as an organized sport in India. To mark this achievement by mankind the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute was formed with the personal initiative of Late Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India. The Institute was established on 4th November 1954 in Darjeeling,. which was the central hub of all Mountaineering activity in India. The first principal of the institute was Late Maj.N.D.Jayal and TEnzing Norgay was the Director of Field Training. the institute is situated at an altitude of 6800 ft above sea level. The HMI is presently a landmark in Darjeeling and an important tourist attraction.
Shrubbery Park
This beautiful park situated on the top of a hill is on the way to the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park. A magnificent view of Kanchenjunga Range and Singla Valley is unforgettable. Many local people are of the opinion that it is shaped like a ship especially “titanic” Observatory Hill
This Hill about a few minutes walk from the Mall Road is located above the Chowrasta and the mall and commands a view of the town below. There is a Sacred Mahakal temple which rests on the hill and is considered highly spiritual by the locals. Mahakal is considered as the incarnation of Lord Shiva, and just Adjacent to the temple is a Buddhist Shrine. The two religious bodies standing side by side manifests the complete harmony that exists between Hinduism and Buddhism. Darjeeling-Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway
The Darjeeling Ropeway connects Darjeeling with Bijanbari, a small town down in the little Rangeet Valley. From an elevation of 7,000 ft in Darjeeling's North Point, a bicable passenger ropeway, decends to 800 ft. at Singla, carrying 6 persons at a time, in a boxed car at a speed of 6.5 km an hour. This ropeway is of a monocable type, with one rope acting both as tractor and carrier. The 4,620 mts span is the biggest and longest ropeway in India. This thrilling ride is accompanied with the views of the lush green tea gardens, which looks as a green carpet covering the landscape and fall far below the cables. it is an experience of a lifetime and can never be forgotten. This bicable passenger-carrying ropeway is the largest of its kind in Asia.
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