Singalila National Park, Darjeeling – History

Singalila National Park, Darjeeling – History

Singalila forest was purchased by the British Government from the Sikkim Darbar in 1882 CE and was notified as a reserve forest under the Indian Forest Act of 1878 CE. Later it was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1986 and was made a national park in 1992. Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, the famous British botanist and explorer, visited the Singalila Ridge in 1849 CE and published the book Himalayan Journals, detailing his travels and discoveries of new plant specimens. Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker expedition was based in Darjeeling where he stayed with naturalist Brian Houghton Hodgson.

Through Hodgson he met British East India Company representative Archibald Campbell who negotiated Hooker's admission to Sikkim, which was finally approved in 1849 CE. Hooker explored with local resident Charles Barnes, then travelled along the Rangeet River to its junction with the Teesta River and Tonglu mountain in the Singalila Ridge on the border with Nepal. Heinrich Harrer, the author of Seven Years in Tibet, is believed to have visited Singalila several times. The Singalila Ridge was used as an approach route by the first documented mountaineering team which unsuccessfully attempted to climb Mount Khangchendzonga in 1905.

The team was led by Jules Jacot-Guillarmod and the famous occultist Aleister Crowley. Sir Tenzing Norgay Sherpa felicitated the first Khangchendzonga summiteers on their return from the mountain at Sandakphu in 1955. The Singalila Ridge had long been used as the trekking route from Manebhanjhyang to Sandakphu (the highest peak of West Bengal), and Phalut. Singalila in the Himalaya Film by George Thengummoottil speaks about the history of Singalila ridge through a 14-day trek.