Khangchendzonga from Darjeeling

Years ago the mountain spurs, on the slopes of which the hill station of Darjeeling now stands, formed a part of the independent kingdom of Sikkim and was covered with dense forest. The town of Darjeeling alone now has thousands of people belonging to different creeds and races, but there were not more than two hundred inhabitants when the East India Company, which then controlled British interests in India, first came into contact with it.

The name Darjeeling is a composition of ' dorje ' meaning ' thunderbolt' and ' ling ' meaning ' place ' ... ' the Land of Thunderbolt '. The Nepalese had marched till the east of Sikkim in 1780 as far as Tista river. Due to a disagreement with Nepal, the British declared war against Nepal at the end of 1813. In 1816 by a treaty signed at Seagoulie, Nepal ceded 4000 sq. miles of territory and by the treaty of Titalya in 1817 the Rajah (king) of Sikkim was reinstated.

When India became independent, Darjeeling remained a part of West Bengal. From 1986, a powerful agitation began in the Darjeeling hills seeking an independent state in the Indian Union. The agitation ended with the establishment of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council under the Chairmanship of Mr. Subash Ghissing and has been given considerable autonomy in administrative matters. Since the formation of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in 1988 the hill areas fall under its jurisdiction. It has elected Councillors and they have the authority in managing certain affairs of the hill like education, tourism, health etc.

With an area of 1,200 sq. miles, the district is shaped like an irregular triangle, the southern region, the base, comprises the Terrai, a marshy low-lying area at an average height of 100 m above sea level; the apex is formed by the Phalut ridge where Nepal meets India. The eastern frontier lies along the rivers Tista and Rangeet, beyond is Rishi-La and Bhutan. The lower regions of the labyrithine hilly forest-clad ridges, have been cleared for the cultivation of the world famous Darjeeling tea.