Day 1: Mirik | Day 2: Darjeeling | Day 3: Tiger Hill, Tonglu & Tumling
Day 4: Takdah, Tinchuley & Lamahttah | Day 5: Kalimpong | Day 6: Lava
Day 5: Kalimpong
Before leaving Darjeeling there was one last task that I needed to attempt: A time lapse as I had chopped of the peaks the day before. So again I was up early and stood out in the freezing cold at 4:45 am to start my shoot. This time I went for static images as a sequence as I did not want to repeat the same mistake again. I have later synthesized it into a time lapse, however it did not come out the way I expected it to. I have uploaded the video as a learning exercise for beginners like myself. When the light change is quite dramatic, the time lapse flickers completely destroying the peace and tranquility of what I witnessed. I guess all part of a learning curve.
After breakfast, with Anand I departed for Kalimpong. the plan was to get their by noon and do the city sight seeing before checking into the hotel. First stop was Pine View Nursery. Featuring over 1,500 varieties of cactus this is the world of prickly plants. It has specimens from all over Asia and North, South, and Central America. There are a number of green houses and the cacti are laid out row after row. It is quite a unique experience to be surrounded by thorns and still feel that you are surrounded by nature’s beauty.
Next stop was Dr Graham’s Homes. Sstarted by Reverend Dr. John Anderson Graham in 1900, this school is part of the history of Kalimpong. Dr Graham had noticed that the illegitimate children of British Tea planters and local Asameese/ Nepali and Khasi womena faced humiliation, social ostracism and neglect. When the planters married and brought in British brides the children and their mothers were left to pathetic conditions. He resolved to address the situation. The Graham’s Homes started life on 24th September 1900 at the rented Kiernander Cottage. It was renamed as St Andrew’s Colonial Homes with 6 kids and a Housemother. In 1901, Woodburn Cottage and then Elliot Cottage (1902) were built. The Waterworks, Clothes Workshop etc were all built later with the help of Govt support, sponsors and donations. In 1910, the Lucia Cottages (kids and very small supported children stay here) was built. The next 15 years saw many new buildings and expansion of the scope and depth of Dr Graham’s Homes. Rev Dr Graham passed away in 1942 leaving behind thousands of kids who called him Daddy Graham. It was only in 1947 that the group of schools, hostels, cottages and institutes were collectively named Graham’s homes. Post 1961 Bhutanese and Tibetan refugee kids were also admitted in the school.
As it was January, it was the winter vacation there were no children around. I literally had the school to myself. I stumbled into a really nice ex-student, batch of 1966 who was visiting the school with his daughter and grand daughter. It was really nice hearing him reminisce about the old times as he recollected events from his days. He talked about the May ball that was held on the 1st of May, when the most beautiful girl will be crowned. He mentioned that one year, the film actress Nargis came to the school for the occasion and another year the king of Bhutan attended. He spoke about the buildings and the classrooms and how things have changed. He mentioned that it now functioned as a private school for the city’s elite. He loved sharing his memories and I soaked up every word he had to say, he brought to life a school full up children who were up to all sorts. This chance encounter was the highlight my Kalimpong trip.
From here it was off to Deolo Hills, from here one gets beautiful views of Kanchenjunga, but this was not in my stars. It was covered in clouds, but given what I had already seen in Darjeeling I should not complain. Deolo hill is the highest point in Kalimpong and is about 500 mts above the city. The valley looks beautiful and so does the small villages. Lots of paragliders come to this spot.
Next stop was Zong Dog Palri Fo Brand Gompa. The Buddisht monastery was built in 1975 under the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The monastery holds a special place in the hearts of devotees of the religion and people often come here to enjoy the serene and spiritual environment of this place. Zong Dog Palri is a major religious center in Kalimpong and displays over 110 published texts, along with many ancient paintings related to the religion.
The final stop for the day was the Hanuman mandir, the temple has a gigantic statue of Lord Hanuman with a height of approximately 30 feet. A small Durga temple is also there near the entrance gate. This place is located at an elevation and overlooks the Teesta River on one side and the hills on the other side. There are also fantastic views of Kanchenjunga from here, so I am told as it had decided to play hide and seek in Kalimpong, more hide and less seek for me. A bit above the mountains though, there were clear blue skies. Just my luck I guess.
After this it was back to the hotel which seemed nice. Even nicer was the cricket on television with India winning the home series against Australia 2-1. Anand had also fixed me up with one of his mates to take me to Lava the next day and the airport run to Bagdogra the day after.
Day 1: Mirik | Day 2: Darjeeling | Day 3: Tiger Hill, Tonglu & Tumling
Day 4: Takdah, Tinchuley & Lamahttah | Day 5: Kalimpong | Day 6: Lava
