Sikkim Tour: 15th to 24th October, 2013 History: Many people would not have visited the state of Sikkim. Being near to Calcutta we went for a trip here after the Durga Puja and Dusshera celebrations. I am writing some of my experiences there. The people here are very friendly, always smiling, very hard working and are absolutely very honest. They treat the nature and hills like gods. Their honesty and bravery is known to the whole world and had a firsthand glimpse why they are great soldiers and have served our country with such distinction. People here know each other very well and whenever a car or taxi passes each driver will smile and press the horn a bit which signifies that “I am well, and wish you the same also”. I have not seen such a thing anywhere. Our drivers on the tour were either Buddihist or Hindu, but whenever they saw any temple or gurudwara (have seen a big one near Tista under construction and one near Gangtok) they would press the horn a little as if bowing to the god there. They believe that all gods are same. Sikkim is full with waterfalls and streams and no one here uses any water filters, the running water is collected in water tanks overhead the houses and is used for drinking. I think this is the only place in the world where free and pure mineral water is provided by nature to everybody. Start of Tour: Me along with my wife and son boarded the Darjeeling Mail on 15th from Sealdah Station at 10:00 P.M. and reached New Jalpaiguri Station which is around 615 K.M. from Calcutta at around 9:30 A.M. next morning. The train was a bit late due to heavy rains but it could dampen our spirits. At the New Jalpaiguri Station we took breakfast and then boarded a taxi to reach Tadong which is 5 K.M. from Gangtok, where my sister lives. Gangtok is the modern capital of Sikkim State of India and is around 110 K.M. from New Jalpaiguri Station. Travelling through the serpentine roads and following the mighty Tista river, we reached Tadong at around 2:00 P.M. Sikkim is situated in Eastern Himalayas spreading below Mount Kanchenjunga (8,534m), the third highest mountain in the world and is squeezed between the mountainous kingdoms of Bhutan and Nepal to the east and west respectively. The high plateau of Tibet lies to its north while state of West Bengal is situated at the south. The various ethnic group has their own nomenclature for this enchanting land – the Nepalese call it Sukhim or new home, while Tibetans refer to it as Denzong or the valley of rice and to the Lepchas, the original inhabitants of Sikkim, it is Nye-al-Ale or heaven. Day 1: On the first day we took some rest and just roamed around the Mall area. Day 2: On the second day (17th) we hired a taxi for local site seeing near Gangtok. Our first stop was at Rumtek Monastery which is one of the largest and most revered one in the world. Originally built by the 9th Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje in 16th century it served as the main seat of the Karma Kagyu lineage in Sikkim for some time. But when the 16th Karmapa (Rangjung Rigpe Dorje) arrived in Sikkim in 1959, after fleeing Tibet, the monastery was in ruins. Despite being offered other sites, the Karmapa decided to rebuild Rumtek. To him, the site possessed many auspicious qualities and was surrounded by the most favorable attributes. His holiness Dalai Lama visits here regularly. After bowing to 1000 Buddha status, we then visited the Ranka Monastery which is around 24 K.M. from Gangtok. This Monastery was built and designed on the lines of the traditional Tibetan architecture and is a replica of the Tibet’s Tsurphu Monastery. The Monastery is full of traditional designs and pictures of Mahayana Sect of the Buddhism. After taking the blessings of Buddha, we went to Jakhri Falls where my son enjoyed the snow melt chilled water a lot. He played in the water for a quite some time. Then we went to Tashi View point and had an amazing view of the valleys which are full of tall pine, fir, bamboo, teak trees. After this we went and saw Ganesh Tok (Mandir) and came back home. Day 3: Next day (on 18th) we went to visit Namchi which is nearly 75 K.M. from Gangtok in South Sikkim. Our first stop was Temi Tea Estate. The tea valley gardens were one of excellent sights surrounded by pine and fir trees. Our next stop was “Samdrupste” which literally means “wish fulfilling hill” in the local Bhutia language. It is a unique, awe inspiring and gigangtic 135 feet high statue of Guru Padamasambhava is installed atop Sampruptse. It is the highest statue of Guru Padamasambhava, also known as Guru Rimpoche who had blessed Sikkim more than 1200 years ago, in the world. His Holiness the Dalai Lama laid the foundation stone of the statue in October 1997. It took nearly three years to complete the statue. The statue is therefore a fitting tribute to this patron saint of Sikkim. We then went to see the Sai Mandir which is an exact replica of “Shirdi Sai Temple” with a big white marble statue of Sai Baba inside the temple. We prayed there and took his blessings. The next point to see was Solophok Chardham which is about 5 K.M. from the Namchi town. This unique Pilgrim Centre built on 7 acre area has a main temple of 108 feet height on which is based the 87 feet high statue of Lord Shiva on the sitting posture at the Solophok Hill. Apart from Shiva statue, this Pilgrim Centre also has replicas of the twelve Jyotirlingas, to offer one platform for Shiva devotees. In order to attain Moksha, the Hindu belief is to perform pilgrimage to all the existing four Dhams. Thereby, replicas of these four Dhams, namely Badrinath, Jaganath and Dwarka dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Rameshwar, dedicated to Lord Shiva is also constructed. Our last stop was at Buddha Park of Ravangla, also known as Tathagata Tsal, constructed in 2006-13 and features a 130-foot high bronze statue of Lord Buddha as its centre piece. The statue marks the 2550th birth anniversary of Gautama Buddha. The Cho Djo lake is located within the complex, surrounded by forest. Climate in the hills changes in minutes. At Chardham there was lot of sun, but here it was raining heavily and the clouds were very low, so we could not enjoy much there. Day 4: On the next day we went to see the famous silk route “Nathula” pass which is situated at an height of 14300 feet. Nathu means listening ears and La means pass in Tibetan. On the Indian side, the pass is 54 km East of Gangtok and only citizens of India can visit the pass, that too after obtaining a permit in Gangtok, the reason being too close to China Border. Sealed by India after the 1962 Sino-Indian War, Nathu La was re-opened in 2006 following numerous bilateral trade agreements. The road is very bumpy at many places due to recent earthquake and almost daily land slides due to rains or avalanches due to snow. People with weak heart or having breathing problem should avoid this one. The roads are very narrow at places and one mistake can take the vehicle down the deep gorges. The place was full of snow and there we saw the tough life of our soldiers guarding the borders with dedication and determination. I spoke to one Indian Army officer and asked about the life there. He just smiled and I knew the answer. It was so cold there that we could not stand there for more than 10 minutes and these people were standing day in-and-out without asking for anything. Hats off to their guts. Then on a lighter note asked him which border he likes the most, whether this Eastern one or the Western/Northern one with our two big neighbouring countries. He again smiled and said this one is better. I had the opportunity to take a picture and shake hand with two Chinese officers also. One of them took out the old Rs. 2 coin from his jacket and asked me from where I have come. I told him that I am from Calcutta and work in Chennai. He said in his broken “Hindi” – bahut dur hai (which means “it is far”). After coming down we then went to see Baba Mandir situated at an height of 13000 feet. The shrine is dedicated to an Indian soldier Lance Naik Harbajhan Singh who sacrificed himself during the Sino-India war of 1962. It is believed that he still guards the mountains. There is a sewadar (helper) dedicated to him and in the mandir there is a bed, army dress, shoes, utensils and water bottles. it is belief that the bed has creases every morning and bed has to be made everyday. The shoes would be full of mud as if a soldier has gone out during the night for border vigil. The water bottle has be filled everyday and utensils cleaned as if somebody has just eaten there. Not only Indian soldiers but even the Chinese believe the story and they never venture out with guns near this border. While going down from there we stopped at glacial Tsomgo lake also called as Changu Lake which is situated at an height of 12400 feet. It is literally known as source of the lake in Bhutia language. It falls in the restricted area and hence only Indians are allowed to visit the lake. The lake is considered sacred by the local people and there is a small temple of lord Siva on the lakeside. It is believed that in olden times, Buddhist monks would study the colour of the water of the lake to forecast the future. This placid lake remains frozen during the winter months up to mid-May. Day 5: Next day was rest day for us because we had planned a 3 day 2 night trip to North Sikkim from 21st till 23rd. Day 6-8: We took the hardy all terrain Mahindra Scorpio for the tour and started at around 10 A.M. with our final destination for the day at Lachen village situated at an height of 7200 feet. Our first stop was Tashi View Point where we stopped for sometimes and went ahead to view the Seven Sister Falls. We then crossed Phodong town to reach Rang-Rang at around 1:00 P.M. We had our lunch there, main menu being the local Sikkimese Chicken with rice. Rang-Rang has the oldest bridge in Sikkim and is now a heritage bridge. A concrete bridge next to it is now used for vehicular movement. After crossing Rang-Rang town we reached the North District town of Mangan which had witnessed a massive earthquake with magnitude of 6.9 on the Richter Scale on 18 September 2012 for a duration of 23 seconds. The marks of the earthquake is still there and the roads are still broken. Border Roads Organisation has done an excellent work to restore many of these roads. We then crossed the Naga Falls and reached Chungthang town. This is one of the places where Tista River starts. After having tea there we reached the Lachen town at around 6:00 P.M. Next day at 4:30 A.M. we started for holy Guru Dongmar Lake which is situated at a height of 17200 feet. This one is a hectic one and people who are afraid of heights, cold and people suffering from high blood pressure or breathing problems. The oxygen level there is only 5% and hence people should be careful to go there. Army personal checks each and every visitor, kids below 8 years and people above 70 years are generally not allowed to go there. It is believed that while going to Mansarovar in Tibet Lord Shiva stopped here to drink water and with his power he made a lake here. It is amazing that this lake never freezes even though it is surrounded by frozen ice glaciers. We came back to Lachen town and had our lunch and then started for Lanchung town situated at a height of 7800 feet at 6:00 P.M. On the way we had seen the Bhim Nala Falls which has a height of around 200 feet. Next Day at 6:00 A.M. we started for Yumthang Valley popularly known as Valley of Flowers situated at a height of 12800 feet. Located at a distance of 148 K.M. from Gangtok, it is a paradise for nature lovers with a fascinating blend of flora and fauna and breathtaking scenic beauty. In spring season, wild flowers such as primulas and Rhododendrons bathe the landscape in rich colours, making it a tourist hot spot. The Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary over here has 24 species of Rhododendron flowers which bloom from April to May end. In addition to a vast green meadow, lush green forest abounding in Pine and silver fir trees throngs the place. While driving towards the valley, one can see cascading waterfalls and streams. We enjoyed the greenery of the valley but could not see the Rhododendrons since this is not the right season. After crossing the Yumthang Valley we went ahead to Yumisamdong popularly called as “Zero Point” as after this the road ends. This is situated at a height of 14800 feet and 32 K.M. from Yumthang Valley. If one can trek can reach Guru Dongmar Lake which is just 13 K.M. from here. The place is covered with snow and glacial ice. The wind here is so cold that even our hard and rugged driver Jeevan Sherpa who lives in Chungthang town was feeling the pinch. We just stayed there for few minutes and came back to the car and switched on the heater. We came down about 8 K.M. and reached a valley where there was snow but the wind was not that chilling. We played in the snow for sometime and then came back to our hotel at Lachung. After taking lunch we started for Gangtok and then reached Tadong at around 8:30 P.M. Tour ends: On 24th at around 2:00 P.M. we stared for New jalpaiguri Station to catch the train to come back to Calcutta. We have decided to go to Sikkim once again during April-May and see the beauty of the Yumthang Valley to see the beauty of Rhododendrons.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 18:35:59 +0000
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