Around Sikkim -- 2

Threesome again – A Train, a Zoo and an Institute

There could not be a better place to set up this institute than Darjeeling, considering the fact that it was home to Tenzing Norgay. Established in his honor, the foundation stone of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute was laid by the first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru on November 4th, 1954 and since then has become a Pilgrimage for all Climbing aspirants and enthusiasts. It has a set of courses for Climbers, both the expert and novice and considering it is one of the few such recognized institutes in the Country; you need to book your seat well in advance.  

At the entrance you are greeted by a sign “May You Climb From Peak To Peak” , the phrase could apply to your life journey as well.  The campus inside is huge with a Museum, Restaurant and Souvenir Shop as well as the College. You could well end up spending a few hours examining the mountaineering paraphernalia in the Museum which gives you an insight on the gear people used while climbing from early days to modern times. The display has various equipments such as ice axes, night apparels, boots, lamps, snow shovels, oxygen cylinders and compasses. It also has a collection of badges of various mountaineering clubs and associations.  The Souvenir shop is also well stocked and be sure to pick up one of their traditional Orange Caps or keychain with the HMI logo on it.

Just a stones throw away from here is the Darjeeling Zoo. India's former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi dedicated this zoo in memory of Padmaja Naidu, the ex Governor of West Bengal and the daughter of Sarojini Naidu.  And it has been known since as the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park.  It has a decent collection of animals such as the Sambar Deer, Blue Sheep, Himalayan Tahr, Barking Deer, Goral and Musk Deer. But the main attraction is the Red Panda. Shy and elusive it took us a good measure of time to get close to it for a decent photograph. Other than the Panda you could also get friendly with a large Siberian Tiger who responds to your call every time you call him up. At one shout from our guide, he immediately approached close to the fence, allowing us a close up shot. This in all probability could be the highest altitude zoo in India if not the world and a must see.

Listed amongst the World Heritage sites, the narrow gauge train runs on a 78km stretch from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling. In many places the railway track and road are running at a hairs breadth away, often forcing the Train Driver to use his horn to warn people. The snow-capped Kanchenjunga, panoramic views of nature, with its waterfalls, forests, hills and valleys, everything is an experience when you sit in the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway  

In my childhood I could recollect vivid images of this train in the movie “Aradhana” with Rajesh Khanna on an open Jeep romancing Sharmila Tagore who is returning home while sitting in the same train. The song, with its lilting music composed by S D Burman, had used the Whistle Blast of this train very effectively as its soundtrack as it chugs along the Batasia loop and is recollected with Nostalgia even today in the hills. The lyrics have been inscribed lovingly on the Railway, a sight you can recollect as the highlight of the trip