Day 245 of Indian places giving smiles.- The tea hill station of Darjeeling

I had seen the natural beauty of Darjeeling, as it was captured in so many Hindi films. Still I was not prepared for the overwhelming feeling of awe that I felt at the miles and miles of tea gardens that we saw on the drive upto this hill station in 1993! As we entered this popular tourist destination and drove through the mall road, the cafes looked as if they were from some Enid Blyton story book. We just had to walk in to Glenery, the Master Baker for some hot tea and fresh croissants, quiche and brownies!

We stayed at the old fashioned small Shangri-La hotel close to the market place. This was the first time I lived in a room with a real fireplace. My small children were fascinated trying to get the warmth from the live fire as the crackling logs  burnt before our own eyes!

It was a cold evening. My children were excited to see smoke like figures coming out from their mouths when they blew into the air. We walked around the place on foot, and my daughter got tired…I still remember her shouting, “Halt!”  We then took a pony ride for them. We just had to go to the bustling market and purchase some more colourful woollen clothing like caps and gloves. December end was a cold time to visit this place.

Next morning, at the Himalayan Mountaineering  institute, we took a photo in front of the Tensing Norgay statute in his full Mountain climbers gear and I imagined the harsh conditions and the effort that it must have involved to achieve the feat of reaching the mountain peak! As we came out, my son got impressed by a bunch of tough looking military personnel and even got up to their truck to take his picture with them.

Our kids were very thrilled to see the many animals at very close quarters at our next stop – the Darjeeling zoo. For the first time they saw animals like the porcupine, the panda bear and the snow leopard. We also saw many interesting displays at the Ava Art Gallery. The fine silk thread was used to make wonderful portraits of many old wrinkled faces. The cold weather here is the reason why I saw so many old people with many wrinkles on their face. However the local youngsters, especially children look so adorable with their pretty smiles and naturally red coloured cheeks!

Our next sight seeing stop was at the Peace Pagoda or Shanti Stupa and we hardly had any peace trying to control my excited children as they ran up and down the steps of this white round structure. We also spent some time watching the children run around in the beautiful Rock garden.

One of the most unforgettable chilling experience in our lives was the early morning visit to the Tiger Hill. We reached the place in a special drive jeep amidst pitch darkness, biting cold and gusty winds. Even though we were wrapped in layers and layers of warm clothes, we just couldn’t bear the chill wind factor and my daughter cried non-stop in her cold misery. Instead of admiring the beauty of the rising sun, I was more bothered in trying to keep the kids warm. And the hazy morning did not give as good a view of the peaks as I expected. Maybe the next time I visit this place, I would be better prepared!

We also went to the famous Ghoom Monastery, this was another first time experience for me as I watched the many monks in their robes, walking with a serene look on their faces.

We had to visit one of the famous tea estates of Darjeeling and loved to sample the hot tea in the cold weather. I understood the meaning of what it feels to be rejuvenated  by just  inhaling the special aroma of Darjeeling tea. It was a fun- filled experience when all of us dressed in the local costumes to click pictures in the tea garden.

We also went to the Bhutia Busty monastery from which came the origin of the name of this hill station. Dorjee means thunderbolt and Ling means resting place. We admired spiritual peace felt here along with the superb view from the place!

On the last day of our stay here, we  looked forward to the ride on the famous Toy train which runs on the narrow gauge in Darjeeling. As a child I remember my favourite Hindi film hero singing  a  romantic song, with the heroine sitting on this train. As the train slowly made its way past the beautiful landscape, I saw a local boy running much faster on the small road next to us. And that was what added to the charm of this little train ride experience. The early morning hazy scenery was breath taking. Luckily for us the mist cleared in time and with every loop of the train, a different view was waiting for us!

Darjeeling…the place is as cute as the name!

So which Indian place made you smile today?

Please share your experience of Indian places that make you smile!