Darjeeling today faces problems of congestion, pollution and loss of landscape aesthetics. Increased mobility and in-migration has created urban sprawl. Much of Darjeeling's architectural heritage has disappeared and many new constructions have come up to cater to the growing population, particularly the rising number of rural migrants who have been compelled to leave their homes due to diminishing rural employment. Based on ethnographic research and interviews with Darjeeling's residents, we examine the struggle for control over Darjeeling's fast-disappearing heritage, its loss of ‘charm’ as a tourist town, and its rapid transformation into a bustling, urban city reminiscent of many regional towns in India.