The curious case of “Chota Tiger Hill”

In all these years, I was unaware of the place called “Chota Tiger Hill”.

A couple of days ago I took my relatives to watch the sunrise at Tiger Hill. It was a disappointment, not because of bad weather, but the fact that we could not even reach the actual view point due to traffic jam caused by our own so called tour operators.

Our vehicle was stuck midway in the traffic jam (the place where there is a spring water flowing), left with no choice, me and my cousins were compelled to walk while my uncle was still stuck with the vehicle.

As I started walking, inquisitively I asked one of the driver daju who was dropping his passenger from the vehicle and was telling them to walk as well , “Daju k ko jam lageko eta nira, Tiger Hill ta mathi cha haina?, Pura po hinu parcha (the exact location is somewhat around 1.5km)?

To which he replied ” Bhai besi chaina eta mathi ‘Chota Tiger Hill’ cha ni “.

“Kata hare daju , ‘Chota Tiger Hill‘ ?, ” I responded immediately.
“Ah Bhai, tei sunyo” he replied.

Walking 500-600m ahead ,we reached to the so called ‘Chota Tiger Hill‘.

Well the ‘Chota Tiger Hill’ is apparently the place where if you take left from the main road you reach those small houses (old tourist lodge area).

But is this the actual place were one is supposedly to view the sunrise? Has the Tiger Hill’ sunrise viewing point changed?

What I had learnt is that in order to save a little time on the return journey, some of the tour operators on purpose does not want to reach the the actual view point and apparently park their vehicles haphazardly on the way causing a traffic jam.

The administration spending huge amount of funds to build gallery on the actual tiger hill which will all go in vain if people don’t even reach..and also giving false information to visitors and tourists will only bring down the name of Darjeeling Tourism.

Yes, all vehicles cannot be accommodated at once on top but my request to the tour operators is at least drop your passenger near Sinchel Devi Mandir and guide them to the actual Tiger hill.