The Mall

The Mall or the Chowrasta Mall is Darjeeling’s popular commercial street. It is lined with Tibetans selling hand-knitted sweaters and souvenir shops chock-full of Himalayan artifacts and both real and imitation antiques. Photo shops carry turn-of-the-century photos as well as specialising in hand-painted black and white prints with glowing oil colours. The Mall leads to Chaurasta, a square, which doubles as a bandstand, a pony riding arena for children and a haven for lovers.

The Mall can be reached through different roads. The most popular is the Nehru Road that starts from Gandhi Road where the restaurant Keventer’s is located. If you walk along Nehiru Road, it would be a little uphill walk through shops on both sides. It takes about 5-7 minutes by walk. Taxis are not allowed in the Mall area. Taxis can only come up to the stand near the junction of Nehru road and Gandhi road, or up to the Windamere hotel on the Mall road from where it would be a shorter and easier walk to the Mall.