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| Gangtok from my hotel, Tashi Delek |
For some, the thirst for
adventure and journey to the unknown are hard to contain and when opportunity Knocks,
I couldn’t let it pass without seeing the land of mystic splendor or Gangtok.
Also, endearingly referred to as the Eight Sister States of North East India,
Sikkim has been on my mind for a long time. It is perhaps because I had so many
friends from my St. Stephen’s College days and D.U. days. I still remember those fantastic Sikkim House
Parties and Darjeeling Parties during our graduation years. The aggressive
tourism promotion of the State in recent years might also have influenced me to
explore this mystical place, and after some really picturesque photographs got
uploaded by friends on Facebook, I was committed to this visit hook line and
sinker.
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| Lifeline of Sikkim: The River Teesta |
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| Enjoying a hearty breakfast at MG Road |
Call it destiny or whatever, I became
good friends with two government servants from Sikkim during a short training
at Shillong and Bhopal. The two elegant ladies were responsible for the final
decision to take a detour before reaching home from my long vacation. Gangtok,
the capital of Sikkim has been on news for all the right reasons in recent
times. It holds promises of being one of the greenest and environmentally
caring Government and people. What I didn’t expect was the logistic of
traveling to this remote region and its topography! Like all North Eastern States of India, I
found that the biggest challenge here was also accessibility and transportation.
To reach Gangtok, one must travel by train or plane to Bagdogra, Siliguri from
a limited number of Metros. There are shared taxis and Innova cars for hire and
one must drive through Siliguri and Darjeeling (all in West Bengal) before
closing in on to Sikkim. The drive to Sikkim goes through one of the most
picturesque highways of India, all along the beautiful Teesta River. It takes
you approximately 5 (five) hours to reach Gangtok from Bagdogra.
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| MG Road Gangtok, where the universe converge |
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| Deorali Chorten, Adjacent to NIT. |
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| Enjoying the waterfall at the creepy Shaman's place |
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| The next generation monks at Namgyal Institute |
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| A village stall selling Sikkimese Snacks |
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| Where prayers are written to the sentient beings |
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| The famous Changu Lake |
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| A decorated Yak to attract the tourist at Changu Lake |
While Imphal valley is elevated at
approximately 786 M, Gangtok is about 1600 M above sea level. There are only 4
(four) districts in Sikkim, which are simply referred to as also North, South,
East and West Sikkim. The sheer climb on the mountainous road meant getting used
to high altitude and calm resilience to nature’s wrath like occasional landslides,
earthquakes, torrential rains, etc…
and
in my mind, it is the very essence or the source of the temperament and culture
of North East people of India -
Quiet,
Laid back, Tolerant, Resilient and Strong.
The centre of Universe for every traveler
to Gangtok has to be M.G. Road or Mahatma Gandhi Road. The Government has
cleverly invested in making it look like some European city centre or square
where on the street corner, a makeshift stage is put up every evening for
cultural and other entertainment shows. The streets are well decorated with
flower beds and paved with tiles and bricks against the backdrop of fancy
stores. Add a variety of restaurants and bars to go with the celebratory
ambience in the evening and what do you get? Yes, the ace card that makes
Sikkim such a great Tourist Destination is through the legalization of liquor
manufactures and sales from which maximum revenue is generated, beside Tourism,
Education and others.
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| Enjoying Rumtek Monastery with Chunni, another dearest friend & host |
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| With Wangmu Sonam, one of the dearest friend & host |
Gangtok offers a treasure cove of
beautiful architecture and style when one observes the magnificent monasteries
and temples with keen eyes. For adventurers and hikers, there are some treks in
the mountains that are worth sweating for. A memorable visit to Rumtek
Monastery and window shopping in ubiquitous curio shops is fun to start with.
Wai Wai and Maggi, beside Momos are the most favorite and cheap snacks to be taken
with their tasty local Temi Tea while sightseeing. A visit to Namgyal Institute
of Tibetology and Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom could be a fulfilling
experience intellectually and shopaholically!
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| Indo China border at Nathu La pass |
For someone venturing in to this
mountain, one cannot return home without a trip to the Indo-China border at
Nathu La Pass. It is a full tour package, and tourists are obligated to pay
some fees, submit 2 passport photographs and copy of I.D. or Adhaar card for
identification to any travel agent without which a trip is not possible.
This
is one of the subtle and effective ways in which State Tourism generates income
from visitors for the benefit of the local business. This full-fledged
sight-seeing
include a stop-over at Baba
Harbhajan Singh Memorial Temple and Changu Lake, where domesticated Yaks are
used by the poor locals to attract tourist for a short ride and photography.
Baba Harbhajan Singh’s story is an interesting one where this young soldier
gets killed during the Indo China War and his spirit continued to haunt the
place, helping Indian soldiers to avoid many catastrophes through dreams and
signs. Such is the beliefs so strong that legends abound of his feats even
after his death and so, the Indian Government decided to posthumously
build a
memorial temple, his personal properties and room kept intake and Train
reservations made as well as his salaries paid till he attained the age of retirement
till very recently!
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| My most favorite photograph of my last supper |
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| Chung, the local wine of millet |
An exquisite array of homecooked
Sikkimese meal of rice, edible orchids, pork, herbs, mushroom, etc., all
prepared in my honor by my beautiful and generous friends became the highlight
of my short trip. That was when I could finally lay my greedy hands on some of
the most delicious Sikimese cuisines I have ever tasted, taken with a
traditional wine called “Chung” prepared with fermented millets and drank, using a bamboo straw . Another experience captured, another memory created for life, and a friendship
that will be cherished during my lifetime. In due course, I also invited my
friends to visit Manipur or Kangleipak (the name I prefer) and bade a warm
farewell to some of the most hospitable people I have ever known in my life. I
confess, I am one hell of a lucky person and I have such a great sense of
gratitude for being surrounded by some of the best people I have the privilege
of calling “MY GREAT FRIENDS” in this world, My playground.
