The Darjeeling Himalayan Railways

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Darjeeling (700 kilometres north of Kolkata) is sometimes called the “Queen of the Hill Station.” Located in one of India’s most beautiful regions, it was established in the mid-19th century and was originally a sanitarium built by the East India Company. Darjeeling has prospered as the centre of a tea-growing area. Today it is home to around 135,000 people. The town has more of a Nepalese feel than an Indian one. There is even a separatist movement that wants to establish a separate Nepalese state called Gurkaland. There is also a sizable Tibetan community. The name Darjeeling is derived from the Tibetan phrase “Dorje-Ling (“the place of the thunderbolt”).

Tanmoy Chatterjee is a travel and documentary photographer based in Kolkata, India. With an experience of more than 20 years in this field, he have travelled across India, documenting various festivals, cultures and historical places.

Situated at an elevation of 2042 meters (6,700 feet), Darjeeling is surrounded by lush tea plantations, flower-covered meadows and beautiful Himalayan peaks. Nearby is 8,595-meter (28,208foot) Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world, and Buddhist monasteries and convents. Sprawled over a steep mountain ridge, Darjeeling is a quaint hill station with colonial-era buildings and gardens. One of the best ways to reach the city is by riding the 140-year-old Darjeeling Himalayan Railway that meanders through some of the most aweinspiring landscapes in and around the hill station.

Riding the Toy Train of Darjeeling Himalayan Railways (DHR) has always remained a coveted experience for tourists. Only a few would let go of such an opportunity. And there is a clear reason why so. After all this Toy Train has been accorded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in December 1999 and the site became known as one of the mountain railways of India. Operating on narrow gauge tracks since the 1880s and providing an important transport link to various parts of Darjeeling hills and lower plains, the toy train is an icon of our heritage since the colonial days and an engineering marvel that was achieved during that period. It also offers a wonderful way of absorbing the picturesque Himalayan scenery as you traverse through the mountains.

It is a journey through the mist. An incredible experience by Darjeeling Himalayan Railways, in short, “Toy Train”. Abeautiful railway track of 2ft (610mm) gauge railway was built between 1879 and 1881. It runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in the Indian state of West Bengal covering a distance of 88 km (55 miles).

After visiting numerous time in Darjeeling, especially a great attraction of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, I found the craziness on Toy Train (as it is called) as where else can you find a small steam engine pulling mini coaches up the steep mountains through breathtaking landscapes and overcoming almost impossible curves and gradients using sheer engineering ingenuity and creative skills. The snail pace at which the train moves through the hilly terrain is at times so slow that you can often see the local children hopping on and off the train on the move.

Especially after the pandemic due to Covid, this service was disrupted. But now this service is from Darjeeling to Ghoom and people from another side of the world still visit and enjoy this Journey and I hope it does not fail any time as this is our heritage property.

Activities

FOTOJAJS Workshops

A journal of our last trip to Bangladesh

After the most uncalled for break, caused by the pandemic, we started to retain our regular workshops on the genres of Human Interest, Documentary, Travel Documentary and Street Photography; and oh, what a come back it is with a rocking 6 days trip to Bangladesh. We have previously delivered a number of successful workshops, mentored by our editor Joydeep Mukherjee in various parts of India. This time, due to some unavoidable reasons, he could not join physically but he was their online with us, all the way and all the while. After all Covid has taught us how to be virtually present in places.

Alsoa visit to the institution Drik and meet the legendary Sahidul Alam was a great experience initself. It was a pleasure to have a tour of the leading institutions of art and photography in this part of the globe.

Aspecial thank goes to Narayanganj Photographic Club from the core for being the great support to execute the whole trip in Bangladesh. It was a great experience to attain a photographic exchange organized by them at their club premises and meet their members.

Regular practice of photography helps hone our skillset. FOTOJAJS provides regular trips, near and far, for those who are looking for guided photo trips. We have already covered various destinations in India and are now offering ‘All Girs’ Trips’ also. We have such trips coming up for different districts of West Bengal, Sikkim, Rajasthan, Ladakh and Bangladesh. The photo below was taken at Sikkim.

The participants in the trip were some avid photographers such as Dr. Samar Mandal, Nilanjan Ray, Dr. Dhiman Banerjee, an aspiring youngster Abir Ganguly and one ‘not a regular’ photographer Rinku Banerjee, who evidently enjoyed a photography trip just as much. Here we bring a collection of their reap from the trip and also their take on the experience they had.

Nilanjan

Bangladesh Tour - it leaves me speechless, then turns me into a storyteller.

My first ever Bangladesh trip with FOTOJAJS on 3rd January, 2023 was beyond my imagination. I never felt like a tourist in Bangladesh. Every place and everyone seemed very familiar, cool and comfortable to me. Hospitality of NPC members was an internal and eternal flow of love. My photographs are just reflection of that.

FOTOJAJS ensured that our phototrip to Bangladesh was well arranged and successful.

It’sbeen on my to do list for a long time to take a trip to Bangladesh and I didn’t miss the scope when I got to know that FOTOJAJS is doing their comeback trip, after the pandemic, at this neighbouring country of ours. It was a love at first sight with the country and it sure is a mine for street and documentary photography. The trip was worth it and FOTOJAJS pulled it really well. Though we all missed mentor/editorJoydeep Mukherjee in the trip, but it was nothing less a fulfilling trip as I came back with all my memory cards filled and a strong longing to go back.

Bangladesh is an absolute paradise for street photography and human documentary. Also, the hospitality offered by the people and the food are added motivation to go back there time and again. It was an extremely well thought out and carefully planned workshop by FOTOJAJS. Just the right blend of valuable mentorship, great learning experience and loads of fun. Given an opportunity, I am definitely repeating it.

Asa not socalled photographer, I enjoyed a lot with FOTOJAJS in their last Bangladesh photo tour. In the trip I got an idea how much dedication and effort is required for good photography. Thank you FOTOJAJS for giving me the opportunity to be in their trip. Wish you all the best.

Jhinku Banerjee

Firsttime ever since the inception of FOTOJAJS, I took a team to an outstation photo tour alone. Bangladesh has never returned me empty handed and so it did to all the participants who joined me this time. I am fortunate to get co-travellers who are not just wonderful photographers but are great team players. Their cooperation is the key to the success of the trip.