Darjeeling is located in the Lesser Himalayas at an elevation of 2,000 metres. It is noted for its tea industry, its views of Kangchenjunga, the world’s third-highest mountain, and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. The recorded history of the town starts from the early 19th century when the colonial administration under the British Raj set up a sanatorium.
About Darjeeling in brief
Darjeeling is located in the Lesser Himalayas at an elevation of 2,000 metres. It is noted for its tea industry, its views of Kangchenjunga, the world’s third-highest mountain, and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The recorded history of the town starts from the early 19th century when the colonial administration under the British Raj set up a sanatorium and a military depot in the region. Subsequently, extensive tea plantations were established in the area and tea growers developed hybrids of black tea and created new fermentation techniques. The resultant distinctive Darjeeled tea is internationally recognised and ranks among the most popular black teas in the world. The name is derived from the Tibetan words Dorje, which is the thunderbolt sceptre of the Hindu deity Indra, and ling, which means \”a place\” or ‘land’ The history of Darjeelsing is intertwined with that of Sikkim, Nepal, British India, and Bhutan. The city was the centre of the Gorkhaland social movement in the 1980s and summer 2017. It has several British-style private schools, which attract pupils from all over India and a few neighbouring countries. The varied culture of the city reflects its diverse demographic milieu comprising Lepcha, Khampa, Gorkha, Newar, Sherpa, Bhutia, Bengali and other mainland Indian ethno-linguistic groups.
The area was once part of the ancient Yakthung Laje Limbuwan kingdom. After the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816 CE between the Gurkha king and the East India Company, Darjeeling was ceded to Sikkam through British India. In 1835, a delegation of the British East India company negotiated a lease of the area of the west of the Mahananda River from the Chogyamanda River to the Chalkim. The Chogyal of SikKim had been engaged in unsuccessful warfare against the GurKhas of Nepal. By the beginning of the 19th Century, they had conquered and annexed the Terai and the entire area now belonged to Nepal. Later in 1817, the BritishEast India Company reinstated the Chitalia, restored the Sikkitalia and restored the land to the SikKitalia. The company negotiated the sale of the land between the River Mechi and the Teesta River in 1835 for £1,000. The sale was completed in 1838. The town is now a popular tourist destination in India and has a partially autonomous status called Gorkhal and Territorial Administration within the state of West Bengal. It is also a centre for the Nepalese-Bhutia-Bengali social movement, which took place in the 1990s and 2000s. It was also the site of the first Gorkhali film set, directed by Pramod Durga, in which Durga and his family were involved in the creation of Gorkhalia.
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This page is based on the article Darjeeling published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 03, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
