Photo Essay: A Look at Darjeeling, India
IT DOESN’T MATTER whether the introduction came from The Darjeeling Limited, the British Raj, or the enjoyment of afternoon tea — Darjeeling, a hill station in the Indian state of West Bengal, has a famous name.
Set in the foothills of the Himalayas, looking onto Nepal, Bhutan, and Sikkim, Darjeeling is home to 80 emerald-colored tea estates, producing some of the finest teas in the world, including Makaibari, the most expensive tea ever sold at auction. There’s also the peak of Kangchenjunga, the world’s third highest mountain, and a traditional Buddhist culture that resembles that of Tibet.
Here’s some of what you might see there.
1. Tea is picked by hand, and the majority of tea pickers are women, thanks to their speed and dexterity.
2. A black admiral butterfly pauses for an instant on the veranda of a colonial bungalow.
3. A tea picker carrying her wicker basket trails between bushes on Margaret’s Hope Tea Estate.
4. Ladies hand-sort tea. Large leaf teas command a premium and the smallest grade (known as fannings or dust) goes into teabags.
5. Darjeeling tea is known as the “champagne of teas” because of its quality and because it can only be produced in a specific geographical area.
7. Mount Kangchenjunga is the third highest mountain in the world, after Everest and K2. Its name translates as “Mountain That We Offer Greetings To.”
8. Young monks join the Buddhist monasteries at the age of 6. They receive a rigorous education and then, once they’re 18, can decide to remain monks or return to secular society.
9. Tiger Hill is a favorite spot to watch the sun come up over the Himalayas’ peaks.
10. Tea with salt and butter may be an acquired taste, but it offers a nutritious and welcome break during a day of chanting and prayer.
Community Connection
The Darjeeling Limited made BNT’s list of The 20 Most Memorable Travel Films (That Aren’t Really About Travel).
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17 Comments... join the discussion!
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Love these photos. #1 is my favorite.
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Gorgeous pics, Sophie!! They make me miss home, thanks for sharing !
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Great photos! I’ve been in Darjeeling for the past three weeks and I love it here. It seems like the whole Gorkhaland debacle has killed the nightlife, but it’s still a nice place to hang out for a while.
A little self-promotion – I just did a photo essay on Holi here. I don’t think it was as crazy as the rest of India, but it was still a great time:
http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2010/03/02/photo-essay-holi-the-wacky-hindu-festival-of-colors/↵ -
Thanks for the linkage, Ross. Love your shots.
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These are beautiful photographs. I love the colorful ladies sorting tea photo, especially.
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The photos look lovely but they’re too big. When the photo takes up the entire screen and is bleeding over the edge, it’s too large. A professional photographer knows that and reduces the size of the photo for ease of viewing.
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Hi Michelle,
I assure you the sizing of the photos had nothing to do with the photographer’s professionalism. Trips’ photo essay template sizes the pics at 930×620, which is designed to fill the screen. They’re certainly not too wide, so I’m assuming it’s the height you’re referring to? I can see the entire picture on my screen, though the caption remains out of sight below.
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I can’t choose a favourite photo – they are all fantastic! Nice captions, and – in my opinion – the pictures are the perfect size..
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Mind blowing shots, the tea pickers have really come out good. I liked the boy lama drinking salt-butter-tea as you mentioned. Its normally called “Bhote Chiya” here in Darjeeling. Simply means Tibetan Tea. Great share. Enjoyed the pics fully!
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Great Pictures! I am heading up to Darjeeling in a few weeks i can’t wait!
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Nice to read this. I’m really appreciated.
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Excellent photos. Breath taking and enchanting. Thanks a lot for sharing them…
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If someone asked about the heaven on Earth.. I’ll give a straight reply about Darjeeling.. Really i can’t forget the every moments i spent there. It was an amazing trip to India, the pics given above are really beautiful and amazing. Tiger hills and the monks at the monastery are worth watching.
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Such awesome, beautiful, breath-taking photographs. There’s nothing superfluous in any of them.
Thank you, Sophie.
Limner
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Like Sean says, Darjeeling is like heaven on Earth. It’s a beautiful, peaceful and magical place. Before i went to Darjeeling, I thought paradise was experiencing white sand beaches with clear blue seas, and as beautiful and natural as the ocean is, i thought that Darjeeling was up there with the oceans. The vast green valleys, the crisp white moutain peaks and pure fresh air.
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humm eassy is nice, indeed very nice. No doubt Darjleeng is very beautiful place, but its ur photographic skill that depicts it more beautiful
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