darjeeling

Darjeeling.

I became fascinated by Darjeeling..   I so liked the tea.. maybe that is why I became a tea fanatic.. not sure.. but this place has been drawing me for years.

There is a genre of literature some call ‘esoteric’  that suggests that Darjeeling may become a power locus .. or capital city of this part of the world one day.. it could be .. it has a remarkable attraction.. the tea from around here is so good.. it is a meeting point of various cultures.  It maybe some kind of capital city some time in the remote future.. who knows??

Today I went shopping.. for a number of things. There are Nepalese here.. in fact the palce strikes me as more Nepalese than Nepal..  though I have just come away from Kathmandu in a period of political turmoil.

I passed by the ‘buddha shop’..  there were wares from Bhutan, Tibet.. I wanted some new trousers.  The old ones had had some wear and tear... I found some I liked . blue red and purple striped traditional nepalese style.... the tag announced ‘ made in tibet’ I asked the girl.. really? Made in Tibet?.. she told me happily they are made here… I didnt want to point out that Darjeeling is in West Bengal… Hindustan.... she was a very sweet tibetan girl.  She obviously felt at home here as did the tibetans who had sewn the pants..

I also bought a red coral ring from the buddha shop.. Tibetan style.. ..   I’d been looking for one.  Both Nepalese and tibetans are skilful smithys.

 Darjeeling has only been developed recently as an urban settlement.  Its not an old place at all. I haven’t a clue how or why they got here coz its remote and in the middle of nowhere in particular, but the English established a post here. something to do with some strategic position or pass in the mountains. On the way to Nepal.. and nepal is the buffer state between two colossuses.
without a doubt.

I wonder if it had anything to do with the grand old duke of york.. who had 10 000 men.. . id have to look that one up..

They also wanted to plant the tea they had .. um.  obtained from china. And break the chinese monopoly on that particular herb.

There had been a buddhist monastry here.. no idea how long it had been here.
.  Darjeeling,  the name, is said to be from dorje ling.. or lightening rod (lingham).. an impressive title indeed…  very positive. Very spiritual .

I think they came here coz it has a mysterious attractive power.

I kinda wonder if it has something to do with the british choice of Calcutta as the capital city of this part of the world.. as it is the closest port to Darjeeling.  It seems to me that the englishers had tuned into something.  I reckon Calcutta may regain this role as well... it wouldnt surprise me to see the chess board around here rearranged pretty soon in line with things to come..

(ps. the photo above.. taken on roof of hostel on mac.. yes.. they are mountains as well as clouds.)