Perched on a hillside 2km south of the town centre, the gleaming white, 28m-high Peace Pagoda is one of more than 70 pagodas built around the world by the Japanese Buddhist Nipponzan Myohoji organisation. During the drumming puja (prayers) sessions in the neighbouring temple, visitors are offered a hand drum and encouraged to join in the rituals. Getting here involves a pleasant walk along Gandhi and AJC Bose Rds, past the curiosity-inspiring Institute for Astroparticle Physics and Space Science.
Japanese Peace Pagoda
Darjeeling
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
11.58 MILES
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Namgyal Institute of Tibetology
29.11 MILES
The NIT's 1958 core building feels like a Tibetan fantasy palace, with corner towers, colourful mural frontage and a forest-glade setting. The main hall…
Nearby Darjeeling attractions
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This century-old Nyingma-school monastery is run by people from Yolmo in Langtang, Nepal, who emigrated here 150 years ago. The atmospheric upper-floor…
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About half way along the road between Darjeeling and Ghum is the huge Druk Sangak Choeling Gompa, inaugurated by the Dalai Lama in 1993. Known for its…
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Darjeeling's most conspicuous Hindu temple is a replica of the famous Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu. It’s easy to find – just below Darjeeling train…
4. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
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The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, known affectionately as the toy train, made its first journey along its precipice-topping, 2ft-wide tracks in 1881 and…
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This well-thought-out museum (one large room) is a good, colourful introduction to Tibet and its culture. The attractive displays introduce the Dalai Lama…
6. Municipality Offices & Clock Tower
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Darjeeling's British-era town hall and clock tower date from 1850 and are a central landmark.
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If you’re travelling on the toy train, look out for this famous railway loop that goes around an open-air war memorial, erected in honour of the brave…
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The active Tibetan-style Samten Choeling Gompa has the largest Buddha statue in West Bengal, a chorten containing the ashes of the German Buddhist mystic…