Darjeeling is one of the leading holiday destinations in India and the world. From all over the world a lot of tourists travel to Darjeeling every year. It is situated at the foothills of the Himalayas in the state of West Bengal in India. It is located at an altitude of 2014 M and is approximately 6709 feet above sea level.
The name Darjeeling came from the Tibetan words ‘Dorje’ which means Thunderbolt and ‘ling’ is land; hence it means ‘The land of thunderbolt. Darjeeling is also known as ‘the Queen of Hills’.Darjeeling is famous for her worldwide famous tea and, of course, A wandering view of the Mighty Kanchenjunga also called the sleeping Buddha. If you have just 2 days in hand, you can choose five points of Darjeeling.
Table of Contents
What are the Five Points of Darjeeling:-
- Japanese Temple
- Peace Pagoda
- Ava Art Gallery
- Dhirdham Temple
- Gumba or Dali Monastery
1. Japanese Temple:
Japanese temple also known as Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Temple..It is a sacred place for Buddhists. It is just 15 15-minute walk from Darjeeling Mall Road. So you can come anytime you want. It was built in 1972. It is a two-storeyed building. Two lion statues are located in front of the door.
You can reach the prayer room by going up the wooden stairs. You can enjoy the view of Kanchenjunga through the window of the prayer room. In the prayer room, you can see Japanese culture, a photo of the founder of this temple, traditional carpets, Japanese handwriting, and some statues of Gautam Buddha. The prayer happens two times a day- in the morning (4.30 am to 6.00 am) and evening (4.30 pm to 6.30 pm). You can join this prayer which can make your mind peaceful.
Timing- 4.00 am to 7.00 pm
Everyday Open
Distance from Main Town- 3km
Entry fee- Nil
2. Peace Pagoda:
Near the Japanese temple, you can see the white two-story building which is called Peace Pagoda. It was also built in 1972, but it was opened to all in 1992. It is a white color monument that represents peace. It shows that there should not be any discrimination regarding religion, caste, creed, sex, or gender. You have to cross some stairs to go up in the Peace Pagoda.
In Peace Pagoda, you can see four avatars of Gautam Buddha. The height of the pagoda is 28.5 meters or 94 feet. The life story of Gautam Buddha is beautifully depicted in wood carvings. From upstairs you can see the panoramic view of Darjeeling town surrounded by mountains.
Timing- 4.30 am to 7.00 pm
Every Day Open
Distance from Main Town- 3km
Entry fee- Nil
3. Ava Art Gallery:
If you are an art lover then this is the place for you. You can have a fantastic time here. This art gallery was established in 1965 by the late Ava Devi with the help of her husband Bhopal Rao Sett. This Ava Art Gallery is named after Ava Devi who is known as a genius for her embroidery art.
There is a permanent collection of sixty exquisite artworks of Ava Devi which is in oil, water, and thread painting. There are two special paintings in this art gallery which are known as “Still Strong” and “Torture” which reflect Ava Devi’s extraordinary work. In this gallery, you can see handmade art crafts. They are well-managed. The gallery has coin and note collections from different countries. All this art is in a gallery that is not for sale.
Timing- 8.00 am to 12.00 pm and 1.00 pm to 5.00 pm
Entry fee- 2 INR
Distance from main town- 2km
4. Dhirdham Temple:
It is a Hindu temple. This temple was built in 1939 by Rai Saheb Purna Bahadur Pradhan from Nepal. This temple resembles the Pashupatinath Temple of Kathmandu, Nepal. Lord Shiva is worshiped here. The Lord Shiva is built in traditional Tibetian style. Here lord Shiva also known as ‘Pancha Bakram Tri Netram’ means he has five different facial expressions and third eyes.
You can sit here for a long time, you can get relaxed here. The color of the exterior of this temple is white, red, and yellow. Many trees with mountains surround this temple. It is situated upward of Darjeeling Toy Train station.
Timing- 8.00 am to 6.00 pm
Entry fee- Nil
Distance from main town -2 km
No Photography allowed.
5. Gumba or Druk Choeling Monastery:
Gumba or Druk Thupten Sangag Choeling monastery is also known as Dali Monastery or Dali Gumba. It was built in 1971 by Kyabje Thuksey Rinpoche. It is one of the largest monasteries of the Tibetian Style. This monastery was inaugurated by His Holiness Dalai Lama in 1993, he also stayed there for three days to teach the monks about Buddhism. In this monastery, approximately 210 monks live here who are continuously chanting Mantra and Sloka.
There is also a small library with many books on Buddhadeva. The best time to enter this monastery is during a prayer session. Prayer timing- 5.00 am to 6.00 am and 5.00 pm to 6.30 pm.
This monastery is specifically known for the old prestigious culture and tradition of Tibetian monks. This Dali Gumba is the headquarter and living place of Drukchen Rimpoche XII who is the head of the Kargyupa sect of Buddhists.
Timing- 5.00 am to 7.00 pm
Distance from main town- 5 km
Entry fee- 20 INR for the Museum
Where to stay?
Darjeeling has a lot of hotels. So don’t worry about your staying. You can stay mainly 3 areas in Darjeeling – 1. Mall Road( where hotel prices are much higher) 2. Darjeeling Railway Station 3. Offbeat location.
How To Reach in Darjeeling?
By Air:-
Nearest airport-Bagdogra airport
Though it is a domestic airport if you come from any city of India you can direct or indirect flight from there to Bagdogra. If you come from a European country or an American country, the nearest Airport is in Kolkata which is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport. Then you can catch a domestic flight from Kolkata to Siliguri which is Bagdogra Airport. After reaching Bagdogra Airport you can book a cab which Can reach your destination i.e., Darjeeling. The distance from the airport to Darjeeling is approximately 85 km, and the time duration should be 2 to 2.5 hours.
By Train:-
If you’re going from Kolkata to Siliguri (NJP) then you can get so many options from Sealdah Howrah station. You can book any train according to your schedule. Ticket prices are 350 INR to 2500 INR according to various classes.
Now It’s time to go to Darjeeling.
You can book a cab from Siliguri Station or NJP station To Darjeeling. The time duration should be 2 hours 30 minutes.
Cab Pricing- If you go to the share cab, then it costs approximately 250 INR to 350 INR per head.
If you book a reserved cab then it costs approximately 3000 INR to 4000 INR.
If you are a solo and budget traveler then you can book a seat of Govt. bus which costs approximately 110 INR.
Last but not least there is another great option to reach Darjeeling from NJP which is the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway also known as Toy Train. If you have enough time to explore then you can get a ride on Toy Train.
Toy Train ticket prices vary from 650 INR to 1600 INR based on various classes.
You can check out my other blogs.
What are the 3 points of Darjeeling?
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