User:BRPever/Darjeeling

The name Darjeeling comes from the Tibetan words Dorje and Ling. Dorje means thunderbolt staff of the Hindu god Indra, and ling means "a place" or "land".^[8]

The history of Darjeeling is related to that of Sikkim, Nepal, British India, and Bhutan. Until the early 19th century, the hilly area around Darjeeling was controlled by the Kingdom of Sikkim.^[9] Lepcha people used to live around that region.^[10] The Chogyal of Sikkim had fought several war against the Gurkhas of Nepal.

From 1780, the Gurkhas tried to capture the entire region of Darjeeling many times. By the start of the 19th century, they had captured Sikkim as far eastward as the Teesta River. They had taken control of the Terai and the entire area now belonged to Nepal.^[11] In the meantime, the British Army tried to stop the Gurkhas from taking over the whole of the northern frontier. The Anglo-Nepalese War broke out in 1814, which resulted in the defeat of the Gurkhas. It led to the signing of the Sugauli Treaty in 1816. According to the treaty, Nepal had to give back all those region captured from the Chogyal of Sikkim to the British East India Company (i.e. the area between Mechi River and Teesta River). Later in 1817, through the Treaty of Titalia, the British East India Company gave the land back to Chogyal of Sikkim.^[12]

In 1828, a group of the British East India Company (BEIC) officials decided that the region was a suitable site for a medical facility for British soldiers.^[13][14] The company discussed a contract for the area west of the Mahananda River from the Chogyal of Sikkim in 1835.^[15] In 1849, the BEIC Superintendent Archibald Campbell and the explorer and botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker were imprisoned in the region by the Sikkim Chogyal. The BEIC sent a force to free them. Continued friction between the BEIC and the Sikkim authorities resulted in the annexation of 1,700 square kilometres (640 sq mi) of territory by the British in 1850. In 1864, the Bhutanese rulers and the British signed the Treaty of Sinchula that ceded the passes leading through the hills and Kalimpong to the British.^[12][16] By 1866, BEIC annexed what would be known as Darjeeling hills area, roughly corresponding to the present day districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong,^[17] covering an area of 3,200 square kilometres (1,234 sq mi).^[12]

During the British Raj, Darjeeling's temperate climate led to its development as a hill station for British residents seeking to escape the summer heat of the plains. The development of Darjeeling as a sanatorium and health resort proceeded briskly.^[10] Arthur Campbell, a surgeon with the company, and Lieutenant Robert Napier were responsible for establishing a hill station there. Campbell's efforts to develop the station, attract immigrants to cultivate the slopes and stimulate trade resulted in a hundredfold increase in the population of Darjeeling between 1835 and 1849.^[12][18] The first road connecting the town with the plains was constructed between 1839 and 1842.^[10][18] In 1848, a military depot was set up for British soldiers, and the town became a municipality in 1850.^[18]

Commercial cultivation of tea in the district began in 1856, and induced a number of British planters to settle there.^[13] The tea industry expanded rapidly, and consisted of more than 100 tea gardens employing estimated 64,000 employees by the turn of the twentieth century.^[19] Darjeeling became the formal summer capital of the Bengal Presidency after 1864.^[20] Scottish missionaries undertook the construction of schools and welfare centres for the British residents, laying the foundation for Darjeeling's notability as a centre of education. The opening of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in 1881 further hastened the development of the region.^[21] In 1899, Darjeeling was rocked by major landslides that caused severe damage to the town and the native population.^[22]

Under the British Raj, the Darjeeling area was initially a "Non-Regulation District", a scheme of administration applicable to economically less advanced districts in the British India; acts and regulations of the British Raj did not automatically apply to the district in line with the rest of the country. In 1919, the area was declared a "backward tract".^[23]

During the Indian independence movement, the Non-cooperation movement spread through the tea estates of Darjeeling.^[24] There was also a failed assassination attempt by revolutionaries on John Anderson, the Governor of Bengal in 1934.^[25] Subsequently, during the 1940s, communist activists continued the nationalist movement against the British by mobilising the plantation workers and the peasants of the district.^[26]

Socio-economic problems of the region that had not been addressed during the British Raj continued to linger and were reflected in a representation made to the Constituent Assembly of India in 1947, which highlighted the issues of regional autonomy and Nepali nationality in Darjeeling and adjacent areas.^[26] While the hill population comprised mainly ethnic Nepalis, the plains harboured a large ethnic Bengali population who were refugees from the Partition of India.^[27] A cautious and non-receptive response by the West Bengal government to most demands of the ethnic Nepali population led to increased calls, in the 1950s and 1960s, for Darjeeling's autonomy and for the recognition of the Nepali language; the state government acceded to the latter demand in 1961.^[28]

The creation of a new state of Sikkim in 1975, along with the reluctance of the Government of India to recognise Nepali as an official language under the Constitution of India, brought the Gorkhaland movement to the forefront.^[29] Agitation for a separate state continued through the 1980s,^[30] included violent protests during the 1986–88 period. The agitation ceased only after an agreement between the government and the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), resulting in the establishment of an elected body in 1988 called the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), which received autonomy to govern the district. Though Darjeeling became peaceful, the issue of a separate state lingered, fuelled in part by the lack of comprehensive economic development in the region even after the formation of the DGHC.^[31] New protests erupted in 2008–09, but both the Union and State governments rejected Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's (GJM) demand for a separate state.^[32] In July 2011, a pact was signed between GJM, the Government of West Bengal and the Government of India which includes the formation of a new autonomous, elected Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), a hill council endowed with more powers than its predecessor Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council.^[33] However, political stability in the region remained elusive due to recurrent internal dispute among GJM leaders,^[34] capricious alliance building with national-level political parties (Trinamul Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party),^[35][36] and occasional–sometimes violent–protests demanding creation of separate Gorkhaland.^[37][38][39]

Topography

Darjeeling is the main town of the Sadar subdivision and also the headquarters of the district. It is located at an elevation of 2,000 m (6,700 ft)^[4] in the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region on the Darjeeling-Jalapahar range that originates in the south from Ghum. The range is Y-shaped with the base resting at Katapahar and Jalapahar and two arms diverging north of the Observatory Hill. The north-eastern arm dips suddenly and ends in the Lebong spur, while the north-western arm passes through North Point and ends in the valley near Tukver Tea Estate.^[40] The hills are nestled within higher peaks and the snowcapped Himalayan ranges tower over the town at distance. Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest peak at 8,598 m (28,209 ft), is the most prominent mountain visible. On clear days Nepal's Mount Everest, 8,848.86 m (29,031.7 ft), Lhotse at 8,516 m (27,940 ft) and Makalu at 8,485 m (27,838 ft) can be seen from Tiger Hill.^[41]

The hills of Darjeeling are part of the Lesser Himalaya. The soil is chiefly composed of sandstone and conglomerate formations, which are the solidified and upheaved detritus of the great range of Himalaya. However, the soil is often poorly consolidated (the permeable sediments of the region do not retain water between rains) and is not considered suitable for agriculture. The area has steep slopes and loose topsoil, leading to frequent landslides during the monsoons.

Seismology

According to the Bureau of Indian Standards, the city falls under seismic zone-IV, (on a scale of I to V, in order of increasing proneness to earthquakes) near the convergent boundary of the Indian and the Eurasian tectonic plates and is subject to frequent earthquakes.^[41]

Climate

Darjeeling has a temperate climate (Köppen: Cwb,^[42] subtropical highland climate) with wet summers caused by monsoon rains.^[43]

According to India Meteorological Department, Darjeeling's annual mean maximum temperature is 17.2 °C (63.0 °F) while the mean minimum temperature is 8.5 °C (47.3 °F).^[44] The lowest temperature ever recorded was −7.2 °C (19.0 °F) on 30 January 1971 while the highest temperature rose to 28.5 °C (83.3 °F) on 21 August 1970.^[44] The average annual precipitation is 2,380 mm (94 in), with an average of 105 days of rain in a year.^[44] The highest rainfall occurs in July.^[45][42] The heavy and concentrated rainfall that is experienced in the region, aggravated by deforestation and haphazard planning, often causes devastating landslides, leading to loss of life and property.^[46][47] Snowfall is rare, and the town can go many years without any snow.^{[48][49][50][51]}

Darjeeling is a part of the Eastern Himalayan zoo-geographic zone.^[55] Flora around Darjeeling comprises sal, oak, semi-evergreen, temperate and alpine forests.^[56] Dense evergreen forests of sal and oak lie around the town, where a wide variety of rare orchids are found. The Lloyd's Botanical Garden preserves common and rare species of plants, while the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park specialises in conserving and breeding endangered Himalayan species.^[57] The town of Darjeeling and surrounding region face deforestation due to increasing demand for wood fuel and timber, as well as air pollution from increasing vehicular traffic.^[58]

Forests and wildlife in the district are managed and protected by the Divisional Forest Officer of the Territorial and Wildlife wing of the West Bengal Forest Department.^[55] The fauna found in Darjeeling includes several species of ducks, teals, plovers and gulls that pass Darjeeling while migrating to and from Tibet.^[59] Small mammals found in the region include small Indian civets, mongooses and badgers.^[60] TA conservation centre for red pandas opened at Darjeeling Zoo in 2014, building on a prior captive breeding program.^[61] The Himalayan newt Tylotriton verrucosus, one of two salamander species occurring in India, is found in wetlands in the vicinity.^[62] The Himalayan relict dragonfly Epiophlebia laidlawi, one of just four species in the family Epiophlebiidae was first described from the region.^[63]

The Darjeeling urban agglomeration consists of Darjeeling Municipality and the Tukvar Tea Garden (Tukvar valley).^[64] Established in 1850, the Darjeeling municipality maintains the civic administration of the town, covering an area of 10.60 km² (4.09 sq mi).^[3][64] The municipality consists of a board of councillors elected from each of the 32 wards of Darjeeling town as well as a few members nominated by the state government. The board of councillors elects a chairman from among its elected members;^[40] the chairman is the executive head of the municipality. As of 2021^[update], the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) holds power in the municipality.^[65]

From 1988 to 2012, the Gorkha-dominated hill areas of Darjeeling district were under the jurisdiction of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC).^[66] In 2012, the DGHC was replaced by the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). The elected members of GTA manage certain affairs of the hills, including education, industry and land revenue; however they cannot legislate or levy taxes.^[67] Law and order in Darjeeling town comes under the jurisdiction of the district police force, which is a part of the West Bengal Police; a Deputy Superintendent of Police oversees the town's security and law affairs. Darjeeling municipality area has two police stations at Darjeeling and Jorebungalow.^[68]

Natural springs in the Senchal Range provide most of Darjeeling's water supply. Water goes through stone conduits to two lakes that were built in 1910 and 1932, from where it is piped to the town after being purified at the Jorebungalow filtration plant.^[69] During the dry season, when water supplied by springs is insufficient, water is pumped from Khong Khola, a nearby perennial stream. Increasing demand has led to a large decrease in water supply; just over 50% of the town's households are connected to the municipal water supply system.^[40] Different efforts made to increase the water supply, including the construction of a third storage reservoir in 1984, have not helped.^[69]

The town has an underground sewage system, covering about 40% of the town area, that collects domestic waste and pipes it to septic tanks for disposal.^[70] Solid waste is taken to a nearby dumping ground, where the town's crematorium is also located.^[70] Doorstep collection of garbage and separation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste have been in use since 2003.^[71] Vermicomposting of vegetable waste is also done with the help of non-governmental organisations.^[72] In June 2009, to reduce waste, the municipality proposed a ban on plastic carrier bags and sachets in the town.^[73]

From 1897 to the early 1990s, Darjeeling was powered by hydroelectricity from the nearby Sidrapong Hydel Power Station, and it was the first town in India supplied with hydropower. Today, electricity is supplied by the West Bengal State Electricity Board from other locations. The town often has power outages and the electrical supply voltage is unstable, making voltage stabilisers popular with many households. Almost all of the primary schools are now maintained by Darjeeling Gorkha Autonomous Hill Council. The total length of all types of roads within the municipal area is around 134 km (83 mi).^[74] The West Bengal Fire Service provides emergency services for the town.

Picking tea leaves in the traditional fashion

A tea factory in Darjeeling

The two most important contributors to Darjeeling's economy are tourism and the tea industry. Darjeeling tea, due to the unique agro-climatic conditions of Darjeeling, has a distinctive natural flavour. The office of the Darjeeling Indian Tea Association (DITA) is located at Darjeeling.^[6] Darjeeling grows 7% of India's tea, aabout 9,000,000 kilograms (20,000,000 lb) every year.^[32] The tea industry has had competition in recent years from tea produced in other parts of India as well as other countries like Nepal.^[75] Concerns about labour disputes, worker layoffs and closing of estates have affected investment and production.^[76][77] Several tea estates are being run on a workers' cooperative model, while others are being planned to changed to tourist resorts.^[76] Women are normally chosen over men for the work of picking tea leaves, and are more than half of tea plantation workers.^[77][78] Other than tea, other crops that are grown include maize, millets, paddy, cardamom, potato and ginger.^[79]

Darjeeling had become an important tourist destination as early as 1860.^[18] It is reported to be the only location in eastern India that has large numbers of foreign tourists.^[32] Tourism in Darjeeling had been affected by the political instability in the region, and problems in the 1980s and 2000s caused tourism to go down.^[32][80] Since 2012, Darjeeling has once again seen an increase in both domestic and international tourists. As of 2015, around 50,000 foreign and 500,000 domestic tourists visit Darjeeling each year,^[81] and its repute as the "Queen of the Hills" lives on.^[82] According to an India Today survey published on 23 December 2015, Darjeeling is the third most Googled travel destination in India.^[83] It is also a popular destination for Bollywood and Bengali cinema. Noted Bengali film director Satyajit Ray filmed his movie Kanchenjungha (1962) here. Bollywood movies such as Aradhana (1969), Main Hoon Na (2004), Parineeta (2005) and Barfi! (2012) were partially filmed in the town.^[84][85]

Darjeeling can be reached by the 88 km (55 mi) long Darjeeling Himalayan Railway from New Jalpaiguri, or by National Highway 55, from Siliguri, 77 km (48 mi) away.^[86][87] The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is a 600 mm (2 ft) narrow-gauge railway that was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999,^[88] becoming only the second railway in the world to have this honour.^[21][84] Bus services and hired vehicles connect Darjeeling with Siliguri and Darjeeling has road connections with Bagdogra, Gangtok and Kathmandu and the neighbouring towns of Kurseong and Kalimpong.^[86] However, the roads and railways often get blocked in the monsoons because of landslides. The nearest airport is Bagdogra Airport, located 90 km (56 mi) from Darjeeling.^[86] Within the town, people usually walk. Residents also use two-wheelers and hired taxis for travelling short distances. The Darjeeling Ropeway, which had been used since 1968, was closed in 2003 after an accident killed four tourists.^[89] It reopened in February 2012.^[90]

According to preliminary data from the 2011 census of India, the metropolitan area of Darjeeling has a population of 132,016, out of which 65,839 were males and 66,177 were females. The 0–6 years population is 7,382. Effective literacy rate for the population older than 6 years is 93.17 per cent.^[91] According to the 2001 census, the Darjeeling urban agglomeration, with an area of 12.77 km² (4.93 sq mi), had a population of 109,163, while the municipal area had a population of 107,530.^[64] The population density of the municipal area was 10,173 inhabitants per square kilometre (26,350/sq mi). The sex ratio was 1,017 females per 1,000 males,^[64] which was higher than the national average of 933 females per 1000 males.^[92]

Gorkha is a word that describes Nepali-speaking people.^[93] In Darjeeling, Gorkhas are the majority of population and include several ethnic groups such as the Chhetri, Gurung, Limbu, Magar, Newars,^[7] Rai, Sherpa,^[7] Tamang, Yolmo, Sunuwar along with other denominations under the Indo-Aryan Khas; the Tibeto-Burman ethnic groupd include Kirati, Lepcha and Bhutia.^[94] Other communities that live in Darjeeling include the Anglo-Indians, Bengalis, Biharis, Chinese, Marwaris, Rajbanshis and Tibetans. Nepali is the lingua franca of Darjeeling;^[95] other languages used include Hindi, Bengali and English. Bengali is common in the plains while Tibetan is used by the refugees and some tribal people.^[7] Dzongkha is spoken by the Bhutias and the Tibetans. The main religions of Darjeeling are Hinduism and Buddhism, followed by Christianity.^[96][97] Darjeeling has seen a significant growth in its population, its growth rate being 47% between 1991 and 2001.^[64] Population growth and increasing tourist traffic have created major infrastructural and environmental problems; forests and other natural resources have been affected badly.^[98][99]

The culture of Darjeeling is diverse and includes a variety of indigenous practices and festivals, and has a regional distinctness from the rest of India.^[19] Dashain (Vijayadashami), Tihar (Diwali), Holi, Lakshmi Puja,^[100] Maghe Sankranti,^[101] Losar, Buddha Jayanti, Christmas are major festivals. Tibetan Buddhism is followed by some ethnic groups such as Tibetans, Lepchas, Bhutias, Sherpas, Yolmos, Gurungs, and Tamangs; their common festivals are the Tibetan new year festival Losar,^[102] Saga Dawa and Tendong Lho Rumfaat.^[103][104] Popular icons of Hindu pantheon such as Durga, Kali, Shiva are worshipped by Hindus; in addition, there are deities which have both Hindu and Buddhist influences, such as Manjushri and Macchindranāth, popular among Newar people, and Gorakhnath, worshipped by Gorkhas.^[102] The Tibetan Buddhism, or Lamaism, prevalent in the area is noted for importance of gompa or monasteries in community life of the followers.^[102] Mixing and inter-marriage between ethnic groups have led to hybrid cultural forms and practices.^[19] Darjeeling Carnival, initiated by a civil society movement known as The Darjeeling Initiative, is a ten-day carnival held yearly during the winter with portrayal of the Darjeeling Hill's musical and cultural heritage as its central theme.^[105]

Colonial architecture is exemplified in Darjeeling by cottages, Gothic churches,^[106] Planters' Club,^[107] the Raj Bhawan and various educational institutions.^[108][109] Buddhist monasteries show the pagoda style.^[source?] A Peace Pagoda was built in 1992 by the Japanese Buddhist organisation Nipponzan Myohoji.^[110]

A couple in a roadside stall in Darjeeling district making momos

Tongba, a fermented millet drink.

Rice, noodles, and potatoes make up the main part of the food. The most popular local snack food is momo. It is a steamed flour dumpling filled with meat or vegetables and served hot with soup and spicy tomato sauce.

A popular food is Thukpa, which is of Tibetan origin. Thukpa is homemade noodle soup containing meat, eggs and vegetables. Other popular foods are Kinema, Chhurpi, Gundruk and Sha phaley.^[111] Fermented foods and drinks are also eaten by a large number of people.^[112] Fermented foods include food made up of soybean, bamboo shoots, milk and Sel roti, which is made from rice. ^[113] Tea (especially butter tea) is a popular in this region.^[111] Alcoholic drinks include Tongba, Jnaard and Chhaang. They are local beers made by fermenting finger millet.^{[111][114][115]}

There are 52 primary schools, 67 high schools and 5 colleges in the town.^{[70][not in the source given]} Having been a summer retreat for the British in India, Darjeeling became the place of choice for the establishment of public schools on the model of Eton, Harrow and Rugby, allowing the children of British officials to obtain an exclusive education.^[116] Institutions such as Mount Hermon School, St. Robert's H.S. School, St. Paul's School, St. Joseph's School – North Point, Loreto Convent are renowned as centres of educational excellence.^{[117][non-primary source needed]}

• See article Gorkhaland

• Navneet Aditya Waiba
• Chowrasta

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Category:All articles containing potentially dated statementsCategory:Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2011Category:Cities and towns in Darjeeling districtCategory:Hill stations in IndiaCategory:Cities in West Bengal