Places of Interests in Darjeeling

TIBETAN REFUGEE SELF HELP CENTRE :

The Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre was started in on October 1, 1959 by a ten - men committee. At that time, following the dramatic escape of His Holiness the Dalai Lama (Tibetan Spiritual Leader), thousands of our fellow countrymen leaving hearth and home, fled into the neighboring countries to live as free human beings.

The overwhelming majority of the refugees had brought nothing with them, apart from the clothes they wore and what little food and provisions they could carry with them as they began the long and difficult trek over the Himalayas.

A Tibetan woman preparing the wool for weaving the carpet.

A Tibetan woman weaving the carpet.

The initial was raised locally by subscriptions, donations, charity shows and exhibition football match. This was augmented shortly afterwards from contributions by a number of voluntary agencies through the

Central Relief Committee (India),

CARE

Catholic Relief Services

American Emergency Committee for Tibetan Refugees

National Christian Council

The Red Cross World Veterans Federation

American Friends Committee

Church World Services

, as well as several individuals.

When the Centre first started, there were just 4 workers. Today the Centre is the home for more than 750 refugees. Over the years the centre has undertaken multifarious activities ranging from the production of Handicrafts and training of artisans and craftsmen to the care of the sick, the old, the orphaned and the needy.

In 1961, the Centre was fully registered as a Charitable Organization under Indian Law. It has also received exemption from Income Tax on all gifts and donations made to it.

AVA ART GALLERY :

On the way to Ghoom is the Ava Art Gallery, established in 1965 by the couples Late. Mr. Bhopal Rao Sett and Late. Mrs. Ava Devi (Embroidey Genius of Darjeeling). The Gallery is situated in the first floor which houses a collection of 60 pieces of art including water, oil and thread paintings. The Gallery is well known for its exquisite thread painting and hand embroidery.
Mrs. Ava Devi used to split Silken Thread 20 times giving exquisite craftsmanship. Her masterpieces include "Still Strong" and "Torture" .


Torture	Still Strong

STEP ASIDE

A short distance away from the Chowrasta, on the way to the Bhutia Busty Monastery is the house "Step Aside", home of the famous Indian patriot Deshbandu Chittaranjan Das where he lived and died on June 16, 1925. The first floor is preserved as the way he left it, the ground floor is a maternity clinic. Also reposing in the house is the unfolded secret of the second Kumar of Bhowal of the Bhowal Sanyasi case. The Kumar was discovered dead in this house by a Sanyasi (holy man) and cremated at Hindu Burning Ghats. Twelve years later, on the anniversary of his death, the Kumar appeared in Dacca (Bangladesh) and laid claim to his estate
Thus, Who died in "Step Aside"? Who was cremated ? - the house alone can tell.

LLOYD BOTANICAL GARDENS

The Garden, LLoyd Botanical Garden, Darjeeling, carries the memory of Mr. William, an old and well known resident of Darjeeling. In 1878 he made over to the Government a beautiful piece of land within the town in an accessible situation and with an excellent aspect for creation of a Botanic Garden.

The Garden was initiated under the guidance of Dr. T. Anderson as a branch establishment of the Royal Botanical Garden, Calcutta. It is situated at an elevation of 6,000 ft and represents more or less the characteristics flora of Eastern Himalayas alongside other important plants specimen of temperate and sub-temperate Himalayas to that of different parts of the world.

Presently this Garden is being developed and maintained by Silviculture ( Hills ) Division of Research Wing, under Forest Directorate of West Bengal.

Notable Features in this Garden :

Rock Garden:

In this Sir John Anderson Rock Garden there are many alpine-sub alpine plants under conditions akin to those obtaining their natural habitats are grown .

Orchid House:

The orchid house is a spacious glass-house constructed on modern lines. It is stocked with more than 60 orchids representing various terrestrial and epiphybic species. Enrichment of orchid species are also going on by side.

Herebarium:

The herbarium is a stone building built in the Elizabethan style. It has been arranged according to Bentham & Hooker's system of classification.

Presently the Herbarium contains 3230 species mounted on sheet over 175 families. The main attraction is, the sheet prepared in the year 1857 by J.D.Hooker.

Living fossil plants

Met sequoia glyptostroboides( Dawn Red Wood)
The genus is known only from fossil records from Pliocene deposits and is of immense botanical and geological interest. During 1844 it was found to grow wild in Sxechven Province of China. The Garden has one mother tree and two small trees (propagated from the mother tree). The plant is known as PHANTOM TREE.

Besides the above attractions there is the Cactii House,
the Ginkgo biloba, Library, Students Garden, and The Medicinal Garden. (Maiden Hair Tree)

Botanical Gerden

The Botanical Garden