NEPAL BHUTAN SIKKIM BHUTAN
KALIMPONG II DARJEELING PULBAZAR
RANGLI GORUBATHAN RANGLIOT KALIMPONG BIHAR JOREBUNGALOW SUKIAPOKHRI
BANGLADESH KURSEONG LOCATION MIRIK NEPAL e history of development of hill stations in India during colonial period dates back to the nineteenth century, when due to establishment of Railways, JHARKHAND MATIGARA NAXALBARI JALPAIGURI
British sought to inhabit these cooler areas in the harsh summer. Situated in the Eastern Himalayan belt, a similar hill station, Darjeeling gained popularity PHANSIDEWA KHARIBARI both in India and abroad as a tourist destination. is was facilitated by the commencement of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway between Siliguri, in the plains of Bengal to the hills of Darjeeling. Although intended to support the thriving Tea industry, the DHR soon became one of the most celebrated and BANGLADESH BIHAR ORISSA NEPAL acclaimed train journeys in the world. e toy train chugs along the hill side o ering a variety of landscape experiences taking the passenger from the heat of the plains to the bracing mountain air.
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0
! 12 Darjeeling 00 0 SIGNIFICANT ISSUE 150 But in the post-independent scenario, it witnessed many challenges. With change in ownership, faster and e cient modes of transport and the recurring landslides, the toy train became less preferred and insolvent. Ghum 0 20 Manibhanjan Ridge Senchal 1 2100 6 e land-use changes altered the landscape experience that the DHR once boasted. With lesser travellers and obsolete engineering structure, the railway 00 2400
6 seems to have lost its value, and association with the community. e places and landmarks that narrated the glorious past of the railway were soon forgot- Tiger Hill 0 00 0 ten, and the need to conserve the heritage was realised. In 1999, the DHR was declared as a World Heritage Site due to its signi cance as a hill passenger 18 railway and an example of the engineering excellence of nineteenth century and the socio-economic development that it brought into the Darjeeling Sonada
9 400 0 region. 2 0
While the conservation of the railway and its engineering aspect is important the landscape, the larger setting which determines the travel experience plays a signi cant role as well.
0 0 2 Tung 1800 1 3 Mahaldiram ridge 0 Takdah-Pashok 0 1 AIM 50 0 In order to conserve the landscape experience, the study aims to nd the answers to the following: 900
How is the journey of Darjeeling Himalayan journey experienced and how can it be described? Mahanadi 15 00 Kurseong 3 0 6 0 0 What are the most signi cant landscape experiences that the train o ers the travellers? 0
Gayabari How can it be conserved and enhanced? 0 0 Tindharia 6 6
0 0
0 0
6
6 0 Chunbhatti 0 How can landscape intervention re-establish the nostalgia, the historic value of the railways? Rangtong
Takdah-Pashok How can design reveal the underlying ecological beauty of the travel?
3 OBJECTIVE 00
To conserve the landscape experience, it is essential to present the traveller with a narration of the glorious past of the railway, the colonial heritage and strengthen the nostalgic and historic values associated with the railways. It will help in deepeninng the travellers understanding of the values and meanings, giving an understanding of the history, nature, or symbolism and surrounding landscape. Sukna e journey takes the traveller from the plains to the mountains, hence the landscape around the travellers change with every mile. Hence this is also a study of vehicular mediation of landscape. e objective is not only to educate the traveller but also to present a rich, coherent, sequential form, a form which has continuity and rhythm, which provides variety and contrasts, well joined transitions, and a well balanced sensation of movement, always negoti- ating the existing view and the emerging view. is may be constructed from modulation space, colour, texture, roadside detail.
e landscape of Darjeeling is ecologically sensitive. Hence it is must to protect areas important for their landscape value so that they provide signi cant Siliguri opportunities for improving continuity along the journey.
New Jalpaiguri
0 1 2 5
N IMAGING THE LANDSCAPE EXPERIENCE OF DARJEELING HIMALAYAN RAILWAYS ST170002 METHODOLOGY SCOPE AND LIMITATION e study draws on a range of published and private accounts, government and railway company records, newspaper articles, travel guidebooks and DHR Co. publications in As the thesis aims to explore the study of vehicular mediation of landscape, author’s order to reconstruct the past experiences of the seven-hour journey. While land use along the route changed during the span of around 130 years , the route, stations, and ‘land- own landscape experience is taken into account. scape corridor’ remained largely the same, providing a unique opportunity for comparison among accounts and over the time. e landscape experiences are subjective to a persons preferences, the study does Concentrating on the representational aspects of the journey, the analysis constitute rst the historical investigation and second the author’s own experience riding the railway. not quantify the values etched in the landscape. However, the study does attempt in identifying the most signi cant stretches and pause points based on historic, By analysing the a ective, cognitive aspects of the journey in the changing landscape of DHR, the following can be deduced nostalgic, aesthetic and ecologic signi cance. 1. Signi cant places and stretches that have lost value over the time. While the journey stretches to kilometers, the viewshed extends to huge expanses 2. Identi cation Most scenic views and sections of the journey of land-the mountains above and the valleys below, the landscape intervention of the study is limited to the immediate surroundings (0-100m) With an attempt to assume the supposed situational receptivity of the traveller based on the a ective and cognitive experiences, the study identi es signi cant stretches and pause points which with the help of ecologically sensitive landscape intervention enhance the travel experience, Owing to the limitation of time, the study could only propose certain vignettes or prototypes of landscape interventions along the journey.
Senchal Forest
1600
1400 Darjeeling 2400 1200 1000 1800
Baman Dhura Forest 2000
Mahanadi Forest 2200 Chattakpur Forest Ghum Mahananda River Dooteria Forest
1200 Sonada Siliguri Bara Shibkhola Forest Mahanadi Tindharia Sukna 1000 Chunbhatti 1400 Rangtong Tung Panchanai River Shibkhola Forest New Jalpaiguri
1600
1800 2000 2200 Gayabari Sukna Forest
2000 1800
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1400
Kurseong
1200 RAILWAY STATION
1000 800 BUILTUP
FOREST
600 TEA GARDENS
Darjeeling Batasia Loop Ghum Sonada Tung Kurseong Mahanadi Gayabari Tindharia Rangtong Sukna Siliguri New Jalpaiguri 4:00 p.m 3:20-3:30 p.m 3:15 p.m 2:45 p.m 2:00 p.m 1:00-1:10p.m 12:30 noo n 12:10-12:12 p.m 11:10-11:12 a.m 10:00-10:02 a.m 9:20 a.m -9:23 a.m 8:50-8:55a.m 8:30 a.m
TRAIN IN MOTION STOPPAGE
IMAGING THE LANDSCAPE EXPERIENCE OF DARJEELING HIMALAYAN RAILWAYS ST170002 15. e tea gardens along the hill side o ers long distant 14. e traveller is now in temperate climate and the 13. e train ascend the spurs and go along from one ridge to views. Strong sense of coherence, stewardship. vegetation is completely changed. As the train ascends another. e play in scale and enclosure is very captivating. towards higher altitude, the climate gets cooler and the 12. e train ascend the foothills, the moist deciduous forest traveller anticipates the onward journey. cover seems to open up the views to both the onward 11. While the train leaves Rangtong, the diversity in foliage, texture, few vernacular mountain ranges and the plains left behind. structures makes this stretch of the journey coherent. e curves, bends and the hill-side 17.As the train reaches the Batasia Loop the rst panaromic brings along a sense of mystery and anticipation for a place which o ers long, distant views. view of the Kanchenjunga is revealed. e traveller goes around the loop and the train halts for the traveller to immerse in the landscape. With Kanchenjunga in the background, Darjeeling town along the ridge in the 16. e openness of the tea gardens allows the traveller to foreground, this is the most photographic view of the look beyond to the distant hills and the plains. us, from the tiny train, the passenger can look down on the stiing tropical plains or to the surrounding and distant hills.
9. e jungle, after passing Sukna grows denser and denser. e thick and and magni cent foliage of the Sal, and 10. e train reaches Rangtong Station; the station building numerous timber trees. e graceful creepers and orchids Darjeeling has been conserved to its original form; a reminder of the pendant from the trees, the imprenetrable jungle grass and past. vared undergrowth , produce a splendid picture of tropical vegetation. 8. After leaving Sukna station, the forest seems to get denser with undergrowth and tall mature trees. e eld of vision is constrained to Ghum some few meters and the traveller anticipates for an open, long view. ere is a heightened sence of naturalness, coherence, with very low degree of disturbance.
Sonada
Tung
Mahanadi 7. In the foothills, there are many small streams and riverulets descend from the hills. ese are pleasant surprises along the routes which contribute to the sense of naturalness and coherence. Tindharia Kurseong Gayabari Rangtong
6. While the train approaches Sukna, the tea gardens are left behind and the landscape character changes. e forest and the distant hills anticipate the onward journey. Sukna Siliguri
New Jalpaiguri
Sub-temperate 5. Trees with slender trunk provide permeability to the settin.g As the tea garden Broadleaf stretches along the plains upto the forest, there is a sense of coherence and imageability. Terai
Temperate Conifers
Bamboo Forest
Subtropical Broadleaf Forest
Mixed Moist Deciduous 0 4. Agriculture elds follow along the outskirts Sal Forest of the city.
Agriculture 2. e very rst attraction is the Mahananda River. e presence of water and openness captivates the the Tea attention.
Built-up
SCRUB SAL BAMBOO TEA
SUB-TROPICAL BROAD LEAF MIXED MOIST DECIDUOUS TREE CLAD AREAS BUILTUP AREA 5 10 N 3. Towards Siliguri, the recent urban development is seen. is TEMPERATE BROAD LEAF TEMPERATE CONIFERS AGRICULTURE 1. New Jalpaiguri exhibits quotidian landscape; typical chaotic urban city. WATER BODY area was once covered with dense Terai forest.
16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Darjeeling Ghum Sonada Tung Kurseo ng Mahanadi Gayabari Tindharia Rangtong Sukna Siliguri New Jalpaiguri
LANDSCAPE EXPERIENCES OF THE JOURNEY e land use land cover map helps in delineating corridors of most signi cant areas. ere is immense pressure o n the landscape and the landuse has been continuously changing. It is important to preserve the areas that are biodi IMAGING THE LANDSCAPE EXPERIENCE OF DARJEELING HIMALAYAN RAILWAYS ST170002 18. en the traveller reaches the destination-Dar- jeeling
Photographs showing the train nearing Darjeeling station.
10. Following the contour of the spur the track soon bends inwards and a comprehensive view along the slopes of Selim Hill at Tindharia is obtained. At the end of the ridge stand the chimney and the gabled building and outhouses of the Tindharia Workshops. At Tindharia there is a short halt for tea and co ee. ere is also on this side a very extensive view over the intervening hills and valleys to the rugged mountains of Bhutan in the east Darjeeling 15.Tung Station is next reached. e traveller is now in temperate climate and the vegetation is completely changed. Passing the Sonada, banks of beautiful ferns almost overhang the track and the forest trees, oaks, and chestnuts are hung with lichen and mosses. Ghum
Batasia Loop 13.Leaving the Gayabari station, the traveller may 9. e next point of interest is Chunbhati Loop, it is a famous double loop. It had old Choonbattie Dak Photograph taken during construction of the Chunbhati 4. For the next six miles the train traverses a comparatively level track until Sukna Station is reached, where the notice the sharp nature of the rock that projects from Bungalow, which was used in the days of Tongas, as the halting place for lunch. Loop. Tung the mountain side and overhang the track, a rock real ascent begins. formation known as Sikkim Gniess. en the train runs through the cutting after sometime.
11. Next is Agony Point. e train runs through a deep cutting. is is generally regarded as the most sensational spot on the line, because of its sharp curve and steep drop. 14. ere is a neat little church at Kurseong, besides which there is a good dak bungalow, a railway school, a convent school, and a comfortable hotel Mahanadi 17. On the way the train passes through the biggest of the ; here the traveller maybreak the 2. After passing the usual urban setting the rst object of interest is loops called the Batasia Loop. Here you get a spectacular journey. e train halts for half Chunbhatti Loop the Mahananda Bridge. Not much water is seen in the bed of the view of Darjeeling town with the Kanchenjunga as its an hour at the hotel, and lunch Reverse 3 Tindharia Mahanaddi River except during the rainy season for the reason backdrop on a clear day. is served in the refreshment that, in common with most of the rivers owing from the room of the hotel. Agony Point Himalayan foothills. Rangtong 6. e site of loop no. 1, It was washed out and abandoned in 1991.Track was realigned on a steeper gradeint. Reverse 4 Reverse 2 & 3 Reverse 5 Gayabari 3. Referred as Terai region, this section Reverse 1 was once very marshy and damp, eventually they were cleared for tea gardens.
Kurseong Sukna 1. Starting from New Jalpaiguri , the train has a 16.Ghum Station is the highest point reached by the Mahananda River comparatively level run . railway (7,407 feet) and from here there is a descent for Siliguri four miles down a spur to Darjeeling Station (6, 812 feet). Panchanai River
New Jalpaiguri
8. e train then appraoaches now Reverse no. 1 .In the reverse the same 5. e jungle, after passing Sukna grows denser and denser. e thick and and magni cent objective is attained by running the track back diagonally up the hill side for a foliage of the Sal, and numerous timber trees. e graceful creepers and orchids pendant from the short distance, and then again resuming an alignment parallel to the original trees, the imprenetrable jungle grass and vared undergrowth , produce a splendid picture of alignment but higher up the side of the mountain. tropical vegetation. ese lower forests once formed cover for tiger, leopards, wild bu alo, deer, hogs and wolves, as well as for a host of small animals such as monkeys and wild cats. 12. Near the Mahanadi station, the Pagla Jhora or Mad Torrent is the name given to a large water course, which after heavy rain this watercourse swells suddenly to a raging torrent that rushes madly down the mountain side. Pagla Jhora is the area that causes the most trouble for DHR. Historic/heritage
Nostalgic
7. en working its way upwards, the train progresses along the track. e railway track now winds; in and out of the ravines of the mountain sides with many and swiftly-following curves. From time to time there are extensive views of the plains and cultivated slopes of hill tea garden on a neighbouring ridge are seen through a vista of forest trees. e railway passes to and fro along the slopes of this mountains because circumvolutions of the slopes and ravines are necessary to retain a su ciently easy gradient for
18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Darjeeling Ghum Sonada Tung Kurseo ng Mahanadi Gayabari Tindharia Rangtong Sukna Siliguri New Jalpaiguri
PLACES OF HISTORIC AND HERITAGE VALUE Darjeeling Himalayan Railway narrates the story of our colo nial heritage. Also cited as World Heritage Sites, tthe railway is 125 years old. It has a sense of nostalgia attached to it. ere are many places of heritag e value, that the traveller is unaware of. e study identi es places and stretches which through landscape intervention,can educate the traveller about the heritage. IMAGING THE LANDSCAPE EXPERIENCE OF DARJEELING HIMALAYAN RAILWAYS ST170002 With the aim of conserving an attractive and e cient railway that preserves and enhances natural scenery and provides traveller with dynamic sequence of ever changing views, landscape corridor and places of historic imporatnce, it is important to present a rich, coherent, sequential form, a form which has continuity and rhythm, which provides variety and contrasts, well joined transitions, and a well balanced sensation of movement, alwa ys negotiating the existing view and the emerging view.
E. e most- anticipated part of the journey, when Darjeeling is only few miles away and 4. As soon as the train passes Kurseong, the temperate character of the Darjeeling Ghum Sonada Tung Kurseong Mahanadi Gayabari Tindharia Rangtong Sukna Siliguri New the breathtaking view of Kanchenjunga is unveiled when the train goes along the Batasia landscape- the moisture dripping moss and lichens along the edge and the Jalpaiguri Loop. mist o ers a contrasting experience to that of the plains. LANDSCAPE CORRIDOR 1. With the change in land use/land cover, the landscape corridor changes. Hence not only the distant views but the surrounding en vironment changes. When a speci c character repeats for a long time, the attention of the traveller is 800 a ected, and there is a sense of boredom. ere must not be long, monotonous stretches, and variety and diversity
1000
1200 Darjeeling Darjeeling Ghum Sonada Tung Kurseong Mahanadi Gayabari Tindharia Rangtong Sukna Siliguri New 1400 1600 Jalpaiguri 1800 2000 Ghum SENSE OF HERITAGE 2200 !
1600 2. e sense of heritage and nostalgia is central to the journey. It is the reason the traveller opted for this meium of 2000 400 1800 2400 1800 travel at the rst place. Hence the authenticity of the joutrney lies in making it the way it was 125 years ago. ere 1600 1400 1400 200 400 600 600 800 were man y pause points in the journey as it was a whole day event. e emp hasis was not on the destination and the 1200 Tung 800 1200 anticipatio n was to through the entire journey. 1000 B. Travelling uphills, the tea1000 gardens allow extensive views to the forest-clad hills as well as the valleys draining the rivers 2200 below. 800 1200 D. e traveller can see ranges upon ranges of hills getting dimmer in the blue haze. 800 Darjeeling Ghum Sonada Tung Kurseong Mahanadi Gayabari Tindharia Rangtong Sukna Siliguri New 1000 2000 600 1800 Jalpaiguri 1600
THE SCENE 1400 600 1200 600 2. e sense of heritage and nostalgia is central to the journey. It is the reason the traveller opted for this meium of 400 1000 travel at the rst place. Hence the authenticity of the joutrney lies in making it the way it was 125 years ago. ere Mahanadi 200 were man y pause points in the journey as it was a whole day event. e emp hasis was not on the destination and the Kurseong anticipatio n was for the next event. Gayabari
Tindharia Chunbhatti Rangtong
2. e train goes through the dense Sal forest. e wilderness has high degree of complexity. It is also one of the stretches which havent been changed much since the initial years of the train. 3. e train ascend the foothills, the moist deciduous forest cover seems to open up the views to both the onward mountain ranges and the plains left behind. Darjeeling Ghum Sonada Tung Kurseong Mahanadi Gayabari Tindharia Rangtong Sukna Siliguri New Jalpaiguri After identi cation of all the signi cant places and corridors of the route, the following could be proposed.
Sukna 1.THE SENSE OF PLACE: e traveller must be reminded of the heritage of the DHR. Places of historic impor- tance can be proposed as interpretation centres.
1. e vast expanse of tea gardens has high degree of imageability and stewardship. It also marks the beginning of the journey to C. e rock out crop called the Gidda-Pahar, o ers one of the most Siliguri Darjeeling, famous for its Tea. splendid panoramic view, where the hills in tea gardens gradually dip to 2.THE SENSE OF MOTION: “ e journey may be interrupted,prolonged and emblished at rhythmic intervals, but it the valley and the rivers Balasan and Mechi could be seen .
never entirely lose its momentum, and it achieves its destination at the climax, subsiding then to a conclusion with tension New Jalpaiguri reso lved .”Hence, continnuity shall be supported by succession of spaces, motio n, orientation and meaning, which
seems to be part of connected whole. A. e very rst view of the plains getting dim in the horizon surprises the traveller of how quickly the train ascended to the hills. 3. THE EXPERIENCE OF LANDSCAPE: DHR provides a unique transition from the tropics to the temperate in E D 4 C B 3 A 2 1 just few hours. As the traveller reaches higher altitude the surrounding landscape is completely changed. rough landscape interventions it is must to protect areas important for their landscape value. Darjeeling Ghum Sonada Tung Kurseong Mahanadi Gayabari Tindharia Rangtong Sukna Siliguri New Jalpaiguri PLACES OF SCENIC VALUE Darjeeling Himalayan Railway presents from time to time, extensive views of the plains and cultivated slopes of hill tea garden on a neighbouring ridge are seen through a vista of forest trees. But as veg etation changes with the rise in altitude, traveller g oes through di erent forest types. IMAGING THE LANDSCAPE EXPERIENCE OF DARJEELING HIMALAYAN RAILWAYS ST170002 AGONY POINT AS OPEN AIR MUSEUM TRADITIONAL DESIGN TECHNIQUES TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO SPECTACULAR SCENERY AND FOCUS ATTENTION ON DRAMATIC VIEWS AND SYMBOLIC VISTAS
1. FRAMED VIEWS : Bends and curves in roads can be combined with break in vegetation or in the following A' case enframe a particular scene. When travelled along a very enclosed surrounding, a break in monotony with opening of views can facilitate attention towards spectacular views.
5. e train moves along the loop and now +933 for the rst time the central exhibit- the turn table can be seen.
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935 936 WOODEN DECK 937 LVL+931.2
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RAMMED EARTH T.O.S LVL+933 +932.3 CAFE
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933 +934 6. e train makes a halt here letting
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925 9 people to get down and experience the heritage. 934 4. As the eyes are directed below the
RAMMED EARTH LVL +926 927 RAMMED EARTH second exhibit can be seen. LVL+926 B RAMMED EARTH LVL+934 e journey o er some very exyensive views to the valleys below With the help of native vegetation, these views can be enframed to direct the attention of the C 1. e train travels through the Moist OPEN DISPLAY AREA Deciduous forest at an altitude of 900 m and the surrounding hills. But these are genrerally jarred by traveller. when the loop approaches T.O.S +933.3
T.O.S +931.3 +931 A LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE IN A SHED recent development. 928
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931 931 vegetation, the attention is captured
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RAMMED EARTH 4. e view opens at the left side and the LVL+931 RAMMED EARTH 3. As the train approaches the loop the change in 2. SCENIC PULL-OUT : Sights and sections of the journey of nostalgic, historic or cultural importance can be LVL+930 steps direct the attention to the lower +937 degree of enclosure, makes the traveller anticipate designed as pause points in the journey, such pause points let traveller get o the train and be a part of land- level. DN +934 the upcoming. +930 INSPECTION CAR A 3. e view at the right side opens uo and scxape physically. the rst exhibit is seen.
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RAMMED DEMO 375 MM. HIGH RAMMED WOODEN DECK EARTH TRACK SEATING WALL EARTH
ere are few sites along the route of cultural and religious imporatance. ese sites are not only symbolic, they facilitate connection of .he traveller with the journey, with each experience 3. INTERPRETATION : e identi ed places and sections of the journey that narrate the story of DHR and APPROACHING THE LOOP VIEW AT ‘B’ -INTO THE LANDSCAPE the colonial heritage, could be an ideal place for interpretation, To re-enchant the journey, there is a need to VIEW AT ‘A’ -FIRST EXHIBIT IN DISPLAY revisit the nostalgia and evoke authenticity. One of the site chosen for interpretation, is the Agony Point. is is one of the most documented and photographed site of the railway.
VIEW AT ‘D’ -AN OLD LOCOMOTIVE CAR
VIEW AT ‘C’ -AN OLD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE IN THE SHED SECTION 1-1’
Agony point documented by various travellers from the very beginning of DHR
SECTION 2-2’
THIS SLIDE CONTAINS ONLY A PART OF INTERVENTIONS SECTION 3-3’ PROPOSED IMAGING THE LANDSCAPE EXPERIENCE OF DARJEELING HIMALAYAN RAILWAYS ST170002