Racindia

Historical populations

Census
year
Population
Growth (%)

1901
17,000

1911
19,000
12.30

1921
22,000
17.12

1931
21,000
-4.82

1941
27,000
28.51

1951
34,000
23.44

1961
41,000
20.97

1971
43,000
5.47

1981
58,000
34.36

1991
71,000
24.07

2001
1,03,000
44.63

As per the 2001 census, the Darjeeling urban agglomeration (which includes Pattabong Tea Garden), with an area of 12.77 km², has a population of 1,09,163. Also, the town has an additional average diurnal floating population of 20500 – 30000, mainly comprising of the tourists and visitors.

The town of Darjeeling has seen fluctuation in the growth of its population in the last one century. However, growth in population has been more rapid from the 1970s onwards exceeding the growth rates at the district level. The growth rate has touched the sky height of about 45% in the 1990s and thus is far above the national, state, and district average. The colonial town of Darjeeling was designed for a mere population of 10,000. So the population spurt has made the town more prone to the environmental problems in recent decades as the region is geologically relatively new with hosts of environmental problems and hence unstable in nature. Environmental degradation has adversely affected Darjeeling’s appeal for tourists. The town as a district head quarter acts as the center of all types of economic activity, which attracts the rural folks of the district to migrate to the town for better opportunity. Besides, the pleasant climate of the town compels the people from the surrounding states to migrate and settle permanently in the region.

The major religion is Hinduism, followed by Buddhism. Christians and Muslims form the minority. The majority of the populace are ethnic Nepali, having migrated to Darjeeling in search of jobs while it was under British rule. Indigenous ethnic groups include the Lepchas, Bhutias, Sherpas, Rais, Yamloos, Damais, Kamais, Newars and the Limbus. The other non-native communities are the Bengalis, Marwaris, Anglo-Indian, Chinese, Biharis and Tibetans who escaped to the area after fleeing the Communist Chinese invasion of Tibet. Languages spoken in Darjeeling include Gorkhali (Nepali), which is the predominant language; others are Hindi, English and Bengali.

Notes

1. ^ a b c d Khawas, Vimal (2003). “Urban Management in Darjeeling Himalaya: A Case Study of Darjeeling Municipality.”. The Mountain Forum. Retrieved on 2006-05-01.
2. ^ Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal (2003). “Table-4 Population, Decadal Growth Rate, Density and General Sex Ratio by Residence and Sex, West Bengal/ District/ Sub District, 1991 and 2001″. Retrieved on 2006-04-30.
3. ^ “Darjeeling Festivals”. darjeelingnews.net. Retrieved on 2006-05-01.

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