DARJEELING

also spelled Darjiling, Tibetan Dorje-ling town, extreme northern West Bengal state, northeastern India. Darjeeling lies 305 miles (491 km) north of Calcutta. The town is situated on a long, narrow mountain ridge of the Sikkim Himalayas that descends abruptly to the bed of the Great Rangit River. The town lies at an elevation of about 7,000 feet (2,100 m). On a clear day Darjeeling affords a magnificent view of Kanchenjunga (28,169 feet ), and Mount Everest can just be seen. The name of the town means place of the thunderbolt. Darjeeling is a noted hill resort that has major road, rail, and air connections with Calcutta. The town was purchased in 1835 from the raja of Sikkim and was developed as a sanatorium for British troops. It was constituted a municipality in 1850. Chaurastha, with the Mall, is the town's main shopping centre and the most attractive promenade. Observatory Hill, the town's highest point (7,137 feet), is crowned by Mahakal Temple, which is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. Birch Hill contains a natural park and the Institute of Mountaineering. The Lloyd Botanic Gardens were laid out in 1865. Besides these attractions, Darjeeling has a zoo, a natural history museum, a racecourse, and several hospitals. It is also the seat of the University of North Bengal, founded in 1962, with a number of affiliated colleges, including a medical school, in the town. The area in which Darjeeling is situated receives plentiful rainfall and has a wide range of climates, from tropical to subalpine, owing to its varying elevations. Local coniferous and oak forests yield valuable timber. The local economy is based primarily on tea, which is plantation-grown from the Tarai up to elevations of 6,000 feet (1,800 m). Other crops are rice, corn (maize), cardamom, and wheat. Pop. (1981) town, 57,603.