Resuming from last 2 parts, here I will share my experience of some other sightseeing of Darjeeling.
This my last blog from the series Darjeeling tour with friends.
Tiger Hill-
Tiger Hill (2,590 m) is located in Darjeeling, in the Indian State of West Bengal. It has a panoramic view of Mount Everest and Mt. Kangchenjunga together.It is basically famous for the sunrise. The sun after it has risen quite a bit in the sky spreads its multicolor hue on the snow capped peaks. You can notice all the 7 colors spreading on the snow capped peaks.Its very beautiful and its an unique destination in the world.
Darjeeling's weather can change anytime. The fog and the mist play a mystical game here all the time. They can come from nowhere and put a white blanket all around. You can't predict that. In fact, looking at the weather and the sky from Darjeeling Town is almost no indication of how the weather might be at Tiger Hill. Cloud and fog in this area lie at various levels of the mountains, some times they may be above you, other times you may be above them. So no one can guarantee a perfect sunrise view from Tiger Hill or for that matter from anywhere in Darjeeling.
For viewing the sunrise you have reached the site within 4.15 am. At that time, it was chilled cold(about -2 deg C temp).You can also see snow flakes all around.Its an mesmerizing experience.
Yiga Choeling Monastery of Ghoom-
The external structure of the Yiga Choeling Monastery or the Ghoom Monastery was built by the monk and a famous astrologer Lama Sherab Gyatso in 1850. He was the first head of the monastery and continued his tenure until 1905. He later went back to his birthplace Tibet.
The Monastery belongs to the Yellow Hat sect also known as the Gelupka. One of the key attractions inside the monastery is the 15-foot model of the Lord Buddha which is known as The Maitreya Buddha or the Gyalwa Shampa which means the Buddha of the future or the Coming Buddha.
This is one of the biggest and oldest statues of Buddha in Darjeeling area. This statue was created with clay that was all brought from Tibet. In front of the Buddha's statue there are two huge oil lamps that keep burning all the time and all through the year.
View from the Monastery.
Batasia Loop Darjeeling-
Batasia means airy space. the As you stand on one side of the garden and see the toy train making a complete loop while hooting its whistle along the way and trying to negotiate the spiral track with a double loop, it's a fabulous experience.
Batasia Loop was commissioned in 1919 because it was an engineering requirement for the toy train to be able to handle a steep gradient. Just after Ghoom (which is the highest railway station) there is a sharp fall as the toy train moves towards Darjeeling. There was no way the toy train could negotiate such a drastic fall of about 140ft unless there was a way to somehow reduce the gradient of the slope.
Batasia Loop was created by the British to counter such sharp descent. You won't even realize how the toy train actually descends by about 140ft as it completes the loop through a large circular area and on a gentle slope and then crosses its own track near the beginning of the loop through a tunnel below. It is considered as one of the greatest engineering feats.
At the center of the Batasia Loop is the War Memorial. This was opened in 1995 to commemorate the Gorkha soldiers of the Darjeeling Hills who sacrificed their lives in various wars after India's independence. At an elevated platform there is a Cenotaph and a statue of a soldier paying homage.
Rock Garden & Gangamaya-
The Rock Garden is also known as the Barbotey Rock Garden which is located some 10kms (or 6.2 miles) away from Darjeeling town in a valley down below. Ganga Maya is another park area located further down.
There are sharp hairpin bends on the way and the gradient of the road is very steep. However the view of Darjeeling's landscape and the mountain range from the road is unparalleled. If you love scenic views, I am sure you will ask the cab driver to stop on the way several times for photo shoots.
One of the great scenes you will notice on the way is the position of the clouds. You will see them somewhere down in the deep gorge, and as you descend quickly you will see them rising above you. It's just simply spectacular.
There is a wonderful waterfall that comes all the way from the top and over the rocks to down below. You will need to keep climbing stairs, go up the ramp and cross small bridges across the rocks to reach up to the top. From the bottom, it's not possible to see the point where this water flow is entering the garden. The climb all the way up may be tiring for some. However, there are beautiful flower gardens, trees and shrubbery at all levels along with nice seating arrangements. So you can rest and relax, enjoy the views around as you go up.
In Ganga Maya Park there are beautiful small bridges built over the stream from where you can look at the crystal clear water flowing over the rocky bed. There is a small lake where one can also enjoy boating on paddle boats. At the end of the park, there is also a lovely fountain. If you walk around the park, there are wonderful flower gardens, trees and shrubs all across. It's easy to get to one of the many large rocks that are sitting right on the stream.
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