Coorinates: 27°02′N 88°10′E / 27.03, 88.16 Darjeeling (Nepali: दार्जीलिङ्ग (help·info) ) is a town in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of Darjeeling district, in the Shiwalik Hills on the lower range of the Himalaya, at an average elevation of 6,982 ft (2,134 m). During the British Raj in India, Darjeeling's temperate climate led to its development as a hill station (hill town) for British residents to escape the heat of the plains during the summers.