DARJEELING

The history of Darjeeling is intertwined with that of Bengal, Sikkim and Nepal. Until the early 19th century, the hilly area around Darjeeling was historically controlled by the kingdom of Sikkim, while the plains around Siliguri were intermittently occupied by the kingdom of Nepal, with settlement consisting of a few Villages of Lepcha & kirati people. It is also known that Nepal once expanded its kingdom till Teesta River.Darjeeling  is a Himalayan town in theIndian state of West Bengal.The town is located in the Mahabharat Range or Lesser Himalaya at an average elevation of 6,710 ft (2,050 m)he resultant distinctive Darjeeling tea is internationally recognized and ranks among the most popular of the black teas.^[2] The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway connects the town with the plains and has one of the few steam locomotives still in service in India.The development of the town dates back to the mid-19th century, when the British set up a sanatorium and a military depot.The town, with its neighbouring town of Kalimpong, was a center for the demand of theGorkhaland movement in the 1980s.