<P> view - talk - history </P> <Dl> <Dt> December 11 </Dt> </Dl> <P> Darjeeling is a hill station (a hill town) in the Indian state of West Bengal . It is the headquarters of Darjeeling district, situated in the Shiwalik Hills (or Lower Himalaya) at an average elevation of 2,134 m above sea level . Once ruled by the Kingdom of Sikkim, the Darjeeling region was converted into a hill station by the British East India Company in the 1800s, and came to be known as the "Queen of the Hills ." It remained as a part of the state of West Bengal in independent India . The name Darjeeling is a composition of two Tibetan words--Dorje ("thunderbolt") and ling ("place"). Hence, darjeeling translates as "Land of the Thunderbolt". </P> <P> Darjeeling is famous for its tea industry, which produces blends considered among the world's finest . Once used as a sanitarium for British troops and administrators, the town is now a popular tourist destination . The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway connecting the town with the plains was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 . Darjeeling is noted for several western - style public schools attracting students from all over India and neighbouring countries . The town was a major centre of Gorkhaland separatism in the 1980s, resulting in a decrease in tourism - related commerce . Darjeeling has continued to grow in the recent years and the region's fragile ecology is threatened by a rising demand for environmental resources stemming from growing tourist traffic and rapid urbanisation . (more ...) </P>

Which indian city's name literally means 'land of the thunderbolt'