Takdah Diaries: Why the misty hills are my pilgrimage…

By Roshni Mukherjee

‘So, is it the sea or the mountains for you?’ I have been asked many times. And each time, the answer validated my allegiance towards the former. Being the over assertive member in my family of four does have its perks though. So, for almost every vacation, the sea it was – Puri, Digha and Mandarmoni became the go-to places. History, however, has shown that dictatorship doesn’t last long. Why should the family be any different? And so, my ‘regime’ too came crashing down post 2020. In 2022, when we put our heads together to decide on the next vacation, my husband gently suggested that we try a place where history and nature converged, where the unpredictability of the place added to its wilderness quotient, where the mind was satiated with ample food for thought. That was the first time I was introduced to Takdah.

What’s special about Takdah?

Thereafter, Google search threw up the much-needed information. This small town, just a few kilometres away from Darjeeling, is nestled at an approximate height of 4000 feet. The name, according to folklore, means ‘always covered’ or ‘mist’. Pre-Independence Takdah had been the British cantonment and, hence the destination for many British officers of high ranks.

Numerous Youtube videos and assurances of an unforgettable experience later, I finally relented. The next curve ball thrown by hubby was that we would not be staying at a hotel but opting for a home stay instead. Now till that time, I had not been initiated into this concept. I was in two minds. But my husband was all geared up to win the game. He started flooring me with enticing images of homestays wondrously fitted into a picturesque landscape of the mountains. After much deliberation, we zeroed in on one.

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The exciting journey

Bags packed, tickets bought, we set out on our first ever trip to Takdah via bus. Needless to say, the overnight journey was filled with excitement and my younger son, and I were too excited to catch a wink. We kept munching on numerous packets of chips and sharing notes on what the first view of the majestic hills would be like. The bus reached NJP in the morning and surprise, surprise! Our driver, who would take us to Takdah, was already there waiting for us.

We began the two-and half-hour journey to our home away from home. A few minutes into the trip and my heart was already skipping a beat. The lush greenery on either side and the wide roads suddenly turning into narrow ones snaking its way through the mountains, the tall pines, elephantine ferns, the hide and seek of sunlight, the silence occasionally broken by a chittering bird, the place was already casting a spell on me.

I did not know whether to look at the towering landscape on one side or whether to shiver at the sight of the steep slope on the other side.

As our driver maneuvered the hairpin bends with the expertise of a Formula one driver, I could not but be speechless at the bird’s-eye view of the Teesta River.

Our quaint homestay next to a mountain stream

Just as I felt that I was getting used to the curvaceous landscape, I was in for another breathtaking surprise. Our driver announced that we had reached our destination.

We stopped in front of a quaint gate with stone steps leading down to a cottage that seemed to have come alive from the pages of an Enid Blyton book.

The rhododendron bushes threw up a burst of colours with blossoms in red, pink and white. The endless garden had everything from orchids in flaming red and burning yellow to orange trees. From tea bushes to snake plants and rabbit’s foot ferns, every mountain variety was there.

The room allotted to us was clean and comforting with all amenities to cater to a comfortable stay. And there was more. A mountain stream rippled and gurgled next to the homestay. The early mornings and the evenings turned hauntingly beautiful even as the sound of drums and chants reached us from a local monastery.

It was other-worldly and yet outlandish in a positive way. I bowed down to my family in humble sublimation. I was glad to have been outnumbered and accepted my defeat with subjugation.

Fresh veggies and delicious food

Ours is a family that lives to eat and swears by food. Here too, our hosts had a clean sweep. My sons, who were till then averse to all things known to mankind as vegetables, were asking for second helpings of beans, cucumber salads, methi saag and mixed veg. What more can a mother want?

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Of sunrises and lazy treks

We did not need an alarm to wake up before sunrise the next morning. We were desperate after all to catch the first day first show of the sun rising beyond the mountain ranges and spraying the sky in hues of yellow, orange and red. The afternoons were well spent trekking through pine forests and tea gardens where we were lucky enough to spot a pair of peacocks. What’s more, you might also spot deer even as you are sipping on your first flush.

Takdah had certainly won me over with its simplicity, hospitality and serenity. I made a promise to return to check out the variants of greens and pollution free blues.

There’s happiness in repetition

That was in October 2022. I returned to the place I have now started calling my soulmate in October 2023. What beckoned me was that Takdah fails to age.

I kept doing the same things I had done during my first visit and yet I was surprised by its newness. It seems as if every bend, every cloud that suddenly engulfs you in an embrace of white, the crystal-clear blue skies, the vast expanse of the Teesta, Rungli Rungliot, Gielle tea gardens with welcome intermittent of heaven-kissing pine trees will ‘flash upon that inward eye which is the bliss of solitude.’

Every time I leave Takdah, it is as if I leave a bit of me behind. So, I had to return again to find myself in May 2024. This time around, the clear October skies were replaced with the moisture laden, pot-bellied blacks and whites.

The rains in Takdah

Even as I am sitting at my now familiar balcony staring at a breathtaking view of the queer cottages in blue, pink and green now drenched in a quick shower, now wrapped in a thick blanket of fog, my resolve to return is becoming even more firm. I am looking forward to the walk through the narrow lanes of the Takdah market, dotted with small tea stalls. These keep beckoning me with simple liquor tea or steaming momos or even the packeted crunch of local biscuits.

The place makes one believe that there is beauty in nothingness too.

The trips from Takdah to Sukhiapokhri, Dawaipani, Lamahatta, Gumbadara, have proved to be a Mecca of sorts for me. I need this pilgrimage to connect with my inner self that perhaps gets lost in the daily grind to excel, prove myself and win every day.

And so, for me, all roads lead to this pristine haven. I wish in my heart of hearts that I get to come again…and again…and again. Fingers crossed!

FAQS

How to reach Takdah?

You take a flight to Bagdogra airport or a train to NJP. Then a car ride from either place to Takdah takes around 3 hours. However, this time we travelled by our car to NJP, and from there took a hired car to our homestay.

What to see there?

I personally prefer the long treks through the tea gardens or hilly roads. Wandering about aimlessly is what brings me greatest joy. If you want to explore more, you can go to these places:

• Tinchuley
• Lamahatta Eco Park
• Takdah Orchid Centre
• Rangli Rangliot Tea Garden
• Bara Mangwa
• Chota Mangwa
• Triveni
• Teesta Valley Tea Estate
• Takdah Monastery

I loved this informative blog on Takdah if you want more information, you can go here.

Where to stay?

Takdah has a number of British colonial bungalows which are more than 100 years old, and which give a different kind of experience altogether. There are new homestays as well. The choice is yours.

Here are some contact details of homestays which might be useful. (Please research and check reviews before you book.)

Welcome Homestay: https://welcomehomestay.in WhatsApp 9083831824

Takdah Heritage Bungalow: Contact 7001833826/ 8967869320/ 8377865689

Paradise Palm Homestay: Contact 6297584747

Rose Villa Heritage: Contact 7001833826/ 8967869320/ 8377865689

What is the best time to visit Takdah?

Usually, the best time is between March and June when the Takdah temperature is at its best hovering around 20-25 °C. The tea gardens are in full bloom too. And the rains are lovely. I loved the sunny skies of October as well when the temperatures dipped to 16 °C at night but daytime temperatures remain more or less the same.

About the writer:

Roshni Mukherjee has worked as a journalist at The Times of India and currently she is teaching English at DPS, Ruby Park. She rarely gets the time to write these days, but when she does, her writing flows like the mountain stream- soothing and lucid. This article was typed out on her mobile, sitting on the balcony of her Takdah homestay.