Feb 21, 2009

General view of Darjeeling, showing the Snowy Range, 40 miles distant, as seen from St Paul's School - 1870s

Photograph of Darjeeling, from an Album of Miscellaneous views in India, taken by John H.Doyle in the 1870s. Darjeeling was part of the territory of the Rajas of Sikkim till the 18th century and was given to the British in 1835. The British built a sanatorium here and it soon became the summer headquarters of the Bengal government. This is a general view overlooking the town, looking north towards Sikkim and the Himalayas, with the peak of Kanchenjunga visible in the far distance.

Kanchenjunga in the Himalayan range is the third highest peak in the world.