Darling Darjeeling – A Treasure Hunt

Day 1 – Ghoom Monastery / Batasia Loop / Rock Garden

After our exciting trip from Sikkim, we drove back to Darjeeling at around 10 PM. The weather in Darjeeling is similar to Gangtok. Rains come here unannounced and disappear without a trace. I found the weather to be mildly cold, which was a pleasant difference from the scorching hot place that we are from.

We wanted to leisurely enjoy the first day in Darjeeling after our somewhat crazy travel during the previous day. Our intention to hit Darjeeling is to unwind and enjoy the comforts of the cold weather in a pleasant and naturally scenic place. 

Darjeeling doesn’t disappoint in both counts. If you are planning to come to Darjeeling, make sure you spend at least three days if you are intending to relax here. The place gets extremely crowded and you will see people wherever you go, unless of course you go for a treasure hunt like us. 🙂 There is not much space to move around in the city, either by walk or in a car. 

It is one of the unfortunate consequences of making a scenic and pristinely beautifully mountain into an extremely commercial, tourist destination. 

There were tourists of all kinds trying to have a good time in a short 15-20 Kms of City area. It gets especially overcrowded during the Summer season. 

We started our morning with a short visit to the Samten Choeling Ghoom Monastery. There is a tall statue of Maitreya Buddha and I was eager to get Buddha’s blessings. 

Unfortunately, the whole place had a tourist vibe and most people were only taking photos in front of the Buddha as if He was a celebrity. I waited for the crowd to clear up, and in few minutes, the crowd dispersed leaving the monastery to just a few of us. 

There is a prayer wheel inside the monastery and you can chant the mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum” and rotate it in reverence. The place was nice and offered peaceful vibe inside. We paid respects to all the Gurus of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and stepped outside the monastery. 

The noise of Toy Train was spoiling the serenity of the tranquil place. Unlike the toy train in other places, the Himalayan toy train here goes to each and every corner of Darjeeling simultaneously causing air and noise pollution. But people have become immune to it. So, we tried to tolerate the constant noise of the train during the travel. 

Our next stop was at the Batasia Loop which has a war memorial. The place has marvellous views of Darjeeling. It started raining when we entered the memorial. We enjoyed the drizzle in the comforts of our umbrella and breathed in fresh air. 

From there, we headed to the rock garden which was around half an hour drive. We had to descend down the mountain which had a tea garden all around. The views were fascinating. Since the zoo was closed on that day, all the tourists simultaneously headed to the rock garden. The traffic was completely clogged.

The road along the mountain was very narrow and slippery after the rain and cars had to go back and forth to give way for the oncoming traffic. We had to get down and walk for around 15-20 minutes in the narrow roads around cars that were trying to not slide down the mountain. 

The rock garden itself was beautiful with waterfalls and flowering plants. Bridges were abound and the whole place was very serene. This place was away from the Darjeeling markets in a picturesque landscape. The place needs more maintenance as the bridges there had rusted out and may cave in if not maintained. 

Some of the ignorant tourists had also dumped their plastic water bottles in the waterfalls which spoiled the beauty of the place. Cleanliness and caring for nature must be part of elementary education. 

We spent around 1.5 hours in the rock garden, after which we tried to ascend the mountain in our car. Again, we got into terrible traffic and our driver took us through an alternative route.

This route was secluded and we travelled through other mountains nearby which had even more narrow roads. These roads have room for only one car to move. The minute another car or van comes in the opposite direction, one has to drive the car in reverse either uphill or downhill. This ride was highly uncomfortable as the car was a Mahindra XUV which offered absolutely no comfort or smooth ride. 

Somehow, by the grace of God we reached our hotel after 1.5 hours. We had enough adventure for the day and decided to have food at our hotel itself. 

Day 2 – Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park / Himalayan Mountaineering Institute / Bengal Natural History Museum

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park is a picturesque park in Darjeeling that houses majestic Himalayan animals. We started the second day in Darjeeling with a trip to this famous zoo. 

The zoo delighted us. The red Panda jumped around from behind the trees going about its business, not really trying to charm us, but all of us were wowed by these animals. The majestic Bengal tiger moved like a master inside its small quarters. I must say that the zoo here is run well. Each animal has large enough space to move around in dignity. 

The Snow leopard, common leopard, black panther and the bears are a treat to watch. Each of these animals were active when we visited the zoo. This was a contrast to the other zoos that we have visited. Usually in most zoos, the animals look sleepy or lazy or depressed. But here, the animals looked joyful and active. 

Perhaps, it is because they only have animals that live in the Himalayas. The weather is perfect for them and perhaps, the zoo is doing the right things in feeding them and taking care of them. 

I felt like a child standing along with my kids looking for these animals and enjoying the sight of these beautiful beings. The Zoo is a must visit here. 

A small restaurant at the zoo offers decent lunch here and we had the Himalayan staple Maggi. There is nothing to complain as we do enjoy a hot cup of Maggi noodle soup. 

Our next stop was at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. This is a great place to visit if you like to do hands-on activities. Both of our daughters enjoyed doing the adrenaline pumping activities like the Tree rope course and Zip lining. My husband also joined in the fun. I felt delighted to watch each of them doing these adventurous activities. 

The Bengal Natural History museum was just a short walk away. This place has fossils and specimens of numerous Himalayan creatures starting from insects, birds, small mammals and large carnivorous wild animals. This is a must visit place for kids too. 

It started raining when we stepped out of the building. Thanks to Rain God, He protected us from rain during the day.

Our second day ended with great satisfaction. 

Day 3 – Trip to Mirik 

Pine Forest at Lepchajagat / Simana View Point / Gopaladhara Tea Estate / Pashupati Market / Sumendu Lake / Bokar Ngedon Chokhor Ling Monastery

After our breakfast at our hotel in Ghum, we started our journey to Mirik, which is an offbeat tourist location. Our first stop was at Pine tree forest at Lepchajagat. The place is beautiful and a walk here really makes one feel like they are in a forest in heaven. I heard later from the locals that they had done shootings for many Bengali and Hindi movies in this place.  

The road to Mirik itself is well-laid offering a somewhat smooth car travel on paved roads. With views of the mountains, valleys, forests and lakes, this is a fabulous drive in itself.

The next stop was at the Simana View Point which is on Indo-Nepal Border. On one side is India and on other side is Nepal. Offering a good view of the border of both countries in a picturesque landscape, this place is considered a no man’s land. We shopped for some gift items in the shops that were adjacent to this location. 

Further going towards Mirik, there were many tea estates. Gopaldhara Tea Estate near Mirik is a good place to visit to enjoy the tea gardens of Darjeeling. We stopped by at a local restaurant called Tamang which offered simple rice thali with vegetables. The owner, a Nepali, talked in our native language and was very friendly. We bought some nice organic black tea from here. 

Pashupati market is another short drive away where one can buy small gifts and woollen products. We noticed the presence of our Indian Army soldiers as this was at the border of Indo-Nepal. Photos of army are strictly not allowed. 

From there, we headed to Mirik Lake or Sumendu Lake which is a picturesque lake amid the hills of Darjeeling. There is a well-maintained park around the lake where one can take a nice walk inhaling the fresh air and enjoying the beauty of this place. The four of us went on a paddle boat in the lake, the elder one paddling along with her dad and then the younger one controlling the direction of the boat. My younger daughter didn’t want the boating to end, as she felt like a captain fully in charge of the boat. It was funny to watch her doing her silly antics. 

My husband and my younger daughter went horse-riding along the lake. This is a wonderful way to engage the kids and make them learn about nature and animals. 

I really wanted to visit the Tibetan Buddhist Monastery that was around a 10 minute drive from here. But there was not much time as monasteries close at around 4 PM. 

Thankfully, Buddha’s blessings are ever present and available for true devotees and seekers. As we entered the Bokar Ngedon Chokhor Ling Monastery, I realized that the main shrine was locked. I noticed a Buddhist monk walking to another shrine in the monastery. Making a silent prayer to Buddha, I asked him if I could join the other shrine. 

Then, the monk came back to the main shrine and opened the door for me, perhaps noting that I was sincere and not another tourist. The powerful aura and energy of the place cannot be adequately mentioned in writing. Buddha’s power and vibration of the mantras of the Monks made the whole place reverberate like an intense power source of cosmic vibrations. 

The dedicated chanting and the music of the monks as they did their Puja in the nearby shrine echoed across the mountain making everything serene and divine. The sanctity of the monastery was well-maintained, as I noticed only one other tourist in the entire monastery. 

What a great gem of a place this is! Places like this make me understand that heaven can be on Earth by cultivation of spiritual power. To create beautiful things is a natural consequence of having a beautiful mind. Whether it is in art, architecture, literature, science or music, beauty and creativity go hand in hand with being in touch with the silence inside which is an altar of God that we must visit at all times. 

Day 4 – Shakyamuni Monastery in Ghoom / Japanese Temple / Peace Pagoda / Mall Road in Darjeeling

The day started off beautifully with a trip to Shakyamuni Monastery in Ghoom. Somehow every time I head to a Buddhist monastery, my heart feels at peace. A divine bliss envelops my mind, even as I recount my experience here in this blog. Proof is in the pudding. To me, the purity and truthfulness of the Buddhist teachings is evident in my own experience.

The Shakyamuni Monastery is nestled in a small narrow access road in Ghoom. One has to hike a small distance and climb around 200 steps to reach the top of the Monastery. I saw young monks from ages around 4 buzzing around the monastery doing errands for the older monks.

It was absolutely empty except for the monks who lived in the monastery practicing severe austerities. With not a tourist in sight, the place offered solitude and peace to my eager heart. The shrine was closed for lunch when we entered. A kind, friendly monk got the door opened for us despite that.

We circumambulated the shrine in reverence to the Shakyamuni, the Buddha who has always guided me from deep inside. We were present during a prayer ceremony for offerings where the monk chanted mantras and played musical instruments.

We then entered the main shrine which had a tall statue of the great Shakyamuni Buddha. Around the main deity were protective deities, Guru Padmasambhava on one side and Green Tara on the other side. The carving of Chenrezig (Avalokiteswara) was directly facing the Buddha deity.

The life story of the Shakyamuni (Gautama the Buddha) was painted along with explanations in English for the benefit of the visitors. All of us enjoyed reading the entire life history in that ambience of peace and bliss.

Many times I had felt like I was a Buddhist in some previous life time. I had similar experiences during my visits to the Theravada Buddhist monasteries in Thailand and Mahayana Vietnamese Buddhist monastery in the U.S. The truth, though one, can be called in different names and the path, though many, will reach the same destination. It was evident today during our next stop when I visited a Japanese Buddhist temple and peace Pagoda in Darjeeling.

It was a long drive to the temple but the place was well maintained atop a hill. The place was filled with tourists who were interested in only taking pictures. Despite that, we offered our prayers and thanked the Buddha again for His compassion to bring us here.

The temple offered phenomenal views of nature. There is something about these monasteries and temples that are built on top of the hills. They offer great solitude and peace.

I would like to thank the Buddha for making me take this trip to visit His holy monasteries. Just as I started the day, Google photos showed me a picture that was taken exactly one year back.

This is a picture of the Buddha and Sage Patanjali (our Yoga master) in my balcony. However silly one’s mind may be at times, the Superconscious master inside guides us and elevates our existence to a different plane of consciousness. For that, I am eternally thankful.

Lunch pulled us back to our mortal planes. The next stop was at Subway, the quintessential American restaurant offering vegetable sandwiches in Mall Road in Darjeeling. We headed back to our hotel to relax and enjoy the rest of the evening.