SUNRISE : A PLEASURE MOST GLORIOUS

DARJEELING

With the rising sun in the East on a glorious morn, a general commoner like you and me is most likely to go ahead and seek an adventure. Darjeeling – a place full of mouth shutting and awe staring beauty, encloses within itself the mysterious Tiger Hills. Traditions speak of the place to be haunted with good spirits; however, one believes to visit the place at dawn simply to catch a glimpse of the beauty of nothing but the cracking of day in the east. 

An adventurer like me did go ahead in search of viewing the breathtaking glamour of the east. In accordance to my memories, it was approximately half three when I reached the peak of the hill. Being a kid aged 14 everything around me was fun, this somehow included the darkness that surrounded me, the cold, the cup of hot chocolate handed out to me by my mother, and of course the torch in my hand. 

I waited for around 15 minutes staring at the sky. Awaiting daybreak was no fun at all. The wait simply brought in disappointment which in turn was paired with anger and irritation. However, being a kid left me with no option but to wait with my family. Somehow the wait turned out to be fruitful. My watch reflected 4 AM and the sky revealed its inner beauty. Just like magic,orange streaks appeared from nowhere taking over first the left portion of the sky and slowly and gradually went ahead and spread itself across the sky. This wasn’t HEAVEN, this was PARADISE. Ecstasy, joy, delight, rapture, calm, bliss, and serene are simply words often used by us to describe beauty; however, this wasn’t beauty, it was way more than words can speak. 

VIEW OF THE KANCHENJUNGA FROM TIGER HILLS

I lost track of time in the mesmerising scene before me that I had no idea when the clock struck  6:00 a.m. I was shocked and taken aback by surprise. The sky was gold – thick, solid and orange gold are the only words that could describe the charming beauty of the hour. Rising slowly from behind the hill was a ball of fire, the ball was not one that could be touched but was indeed one that could be bowed down to. The huge mass rose like a child who takes time to stand in order to take his first steps. As the sun rose slowly, the necks of the visitors on the peak too rose along with it, all amazed, all shocked. By 7:00 a.m.the overhead  sun blessed the universe in the same way in which a mother blesses her newborn baby. 

The trip was short, limited to a single place only, but it was one that could always be remembered and stored in the pages of our memories forever and ever. 

VANESSA FAUSTINA HODA

Author Bio: This post has been written by Vanessa Faustina Hoda. The author is an English Language Graduate from Loreto College under the University of Calcutta. she originally hails from Darjeeling but lives in Kolkata. this post reflects her emotions and feelings while visiting Tiger Hill in Darjeeling.