Why the name Darjeeling? Did it ever strike you in the first place how the name Darjeeling was coined? Well there are several stories behind the name. The most popular is the one that says that Observatory Hill top (located just behind the Mall) which is the highest point in Darjeeling town, attracted lots of lightning and thunders, particularly during the monsoon season. The word 'Dorji' in Tibetan means 'Thunderbolt' and 'Ling' means 'Place'. Therefore Darjeeling was so named to mean 'The place of thunderbolt'. Another story says that Tibetan monks built a monastery atop the Observatory Hill in 1763. The name of the chief monk of the monastery was Rinzing Dorji Legden La. The Tibetans named the place after him... Dorji-Ling meaning 'Place of Dorji', and hence the name Darjeeling. In Sanskrit, the word "Durjay Ling" means "Shiva of invincible prowess who rules the Himalayas." The name Darjeeling could have also been derived from this.
0 comments:
Post a Comment