A winter morning in the “Queen of Hills”

Darjeeling is one of the most famous hill towns in the North-Eastern part of the Himalayas. During the colonial era the city was the summer residence for the British, who tried to escape the extremely humid and hot summer weather in Kolkata and spend their time high up in the mountains.

Since then Darjeeling has remained as an important tourist destination with people coming from all over India as well as from abroad. The town has changed a lot over the last century and today it is a busy, densely populated place with lots of buildings all over the mountain slopes in the lap of the mighty Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world. One can enjoy the beauty and the size of the Kanchenjunga range from various points in Darjeeling.  

The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute is another historical attraction, as it is associated with world-famous names like Tenzing Norgay, Nawang Gombu (the first man to climb Mt. Everest twice). The institute is very much active today conducting trainings for expeditions and mountaineering. One can also visit the excellent museum attached with the institute.

I visited Darjeeling many times during winter and because of the extreme cold the light is different during this time of the year with blue skies, crystal-clear air and an abundance of colors. In December, the days in the mountains start a little bit later than in summer and the sun rises at around 6.30 in the morning. Join me on a short winter walk through Darjeeling!