The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and the Memories: A Historical Outline of Colonial and Post-Colonial Reminiscences

Author(s): Tapoban Bhattacharyya

Abstract:

Constructed in the early 1880s to facilitate the rapid journey from Siliguri to Darjeeling, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is now recognised as a World Heritage Site. After the 1879 monsoon, work on this historic railway was started. In 1881, the Darjeeling Steam Tramway Company was founded. The business renamed itself the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Company on September 15, 1881. On July 4, 1881, the railway was finished. On March 4, 1881, Viceroy of India Lord Lytton gave it his official inauguration. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is distinguished by a few special, innovative technological advances. For many white colonial Englishmen, women and native people, riding the railway has always brought back nostalgic feelings. American Author Mark Twain experienced one of the best railway rides of his lifetime when he travelled on the railway. Rumer Godden had her experiences of this toy train riding. BBC reporter Mark Tully developed a strong obsession with the railway, and Parimal Bhattacharya recounted his grandfather's experiences on the railway. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway's Toy Trains hold a special place in Darjeeling's emotional history, influencing people from colonial Sahibs, Memsahibs, and Bengali Babus to post-colonial Bengali Intelligentsia. The railway's heritage and way of life are inextricably linked, with travellers and mountain lovers bringing Darjeeling's essence to life.

keywords:

Pages: 41-45     |    2 View     |    0 Download