Darjeeling is one of the most famous hill station in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in the Shiwalik Hills on the lower range of the Himalayan at an elevation of 6700ft. The name of the city means “land of Thunder.” Darjeeling originally belonged to the Buddhist chogyals (kings) of Sikkim until 1780, when it was annexed by invading Gurkhas from Nepal.

The East India Company gained control of the region in 1816, but soon returned most of the lands to Sikkim in exchange for British control over any future border disputes. In 1837 the hill station of Darjeeling was born and the first tea bushes were planted four years later. By 1857, the population of Darjeeling had reached 10,000, mainly because of a massive influx of Nepali tea labourers (known as Gorkhas). 

The railway arrived in 1881 and Darjeeling's status as a premier hill station of the British Raj was assured. The main tourist attraction of Darjeeling are Tiger Hill, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway toy train, Batasia loop, Darjeeling Ropeway, The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Aloobari monastery, Nightingale Park, Darjeeling Rock Garden, Singalila National Park, Darjeeling Peace Pagoda, Sandakphu Peak, Tea plantations, Water Rafting in River Teesta, Padmaja Naidu Zoo, Happy Valley Tea Estate, Bhutia Busty monastery, Eco Park, Bengal Natural History Museum and Ghoom Monastery.