“The only Zen you can find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there.”
Robert M. Pirsig 

 Day 5: Ravangla to Asangthang (near Namchi)

The car for Asangthand and NJP drop the following day was supposed to be arranged by the owner of hotel Reegyal. We had reminded the same last evening as well to which he said it will be done. We were supposed to leave Ravangla by 8 AM. But even at 8 AM no car was arranged. We had a mild tiff with the owner for this. Apart from the elderly attendant, the services from all others were very disappointing. The owner asked us to have our breakfast till the time he fixed a car.

Breakfast comprised of Puri and Aloo subzi. Finally the owner fixed a local chap who would drop us at Asangthang and then also take us to NJP the following day. We gave tip to the elderly attendant and left the hotel.

The car of this new driver was pretty well maintained with plush seats. He drove very carefully throughout which was very admirable at his age, especially the way he maneuvered the curves. The other driver was aged but was a rash driver. He played Sikkimese songs on way which aptly complimented the environs we were travelling through.

The plan was to visit Temi Tea Garden, Botanical garden, Samdruptse on way to Asangthang. Check in the hotel and have lunch. Visit Char Dham by the evening and night to see light effects. The mountain roads were still asleep doused in a thick quilt of fog. The visibility beyond the road side tress was almost zero. The branches of the trees were drooping under the weight of the accumulated dew overnight, falling like raindrops on the road. Some of the dew began to show up on the car window also, fogging up the scene beyond. We were very comfortable inside the warmth of the car listening to melodious songs. On way we also witnessed a mound of powdery snow by the roadside, which made us quite excited anticipating more of it. But that was it we didn’t see any more snow further down the road. Maybe the Hotel owner at Reegyal was correct; it would start snowing in Ravangla soon.

 Temi Tea Garden : Temi Tea Garden is just 18 Km from Ravangla in South Sikkim. Initially I had crossed out the plan of visiting Temi as I had already visited a number of Tea gardens in West Bengal and kerala to last me a lifetime. But from the moment we came to Sikkim everyone was suggesting to visit Temi. An elderly lady at the M.G Marg in Gangtok told us to visit it for sure and also told us that she ran a school for the local kids nearby. She said it so sweetly that the plan was made then and there.

The Temi Tea Garden was established in 1969 by the Government of Sikkim and is the lone Tea garden of Sikkim. The Estate spreads out on a moderate hill slope along the highway. It also touches the bottom of Tendong Hill of West Sikkim. The 435 acres of unending green beauty leaves the tourist asking for more.

During the entire journey to Temi Garden, we were mesmerized by the unfolding series of picturesque landscapes, fresh mountain air and sailing cream-like clouds. The tall Pine (Dhupi) trees on either side of the road leading to the Tea Estate gives a character to the place. During Autumn the Cherry trees start to bloom along the lines of the estate. The floral explosion of colours are majestic in true sense, but we were not fortunate enough to see it.

The entire span of the garden cannot be seen from the road alone, one has to walk inside it to experience it fully. We stepped into the Estate and was awestruck by the sheer beauty and simplicity of the surroundings.Short concrete steps lead into the Tea Garden. The Tea bushes span on either side of the steps. White prayer flags lined the steps. The presence of prayer flags in a Tea garden induced a spiritual atmosphere all around. Visitors are not allowed to walk elsewhere inside the garden, they have a designated viewpoint till which they can walk down. From one end of the garden one can get a very clear view of Kanchenjunga but we were as usual unfortunate.

The garden is fully organic and produces one of the finest teas in the world. The original tea bushes had been brought from Darjeeling. But cultivation in a different climate and process imparted a distinct taste to Temi Tea. There are different quality of tea produced by Temi. The golden flowery orange pekoe is the best quality . Next comes the popular brand of 'Sikkim Solja' followed by 'Mystique' and 'Kanchanjunga Tea'. It is also sold in the form of dust tea.  If brewed in the right way Temi tea gives a delicate but rich flavor, complex bouquet, and beautiful reddish-amber color almost like that of lemon tea. Temi has a high demand in the international market, hence most of the best quality tea is exported some specific qualities are sold in Kolkata market.

The Tea garden has a restaurant outside which serves snacks and tea. We ordered milk tea which had a repelling burnt milk flavor and tasted really bad. This made us question whether we made a right choice by buying so many packets of Temi Tea from Ravangla and also deterred us from buying more from the estate outlet shop. But when we prepared the tea back home it was really something to die for. My grandma commented that after tasting the Temi tea she wouldn't be able to enjoy any other tea.

Tendong State Bio Diversity Park: Nearly a Km from Temi we came across the Bio Diversity Park. The stone gate looked like an entrance to some fairytale castle. I really liked the antique look of the entrance. There was no one at the gate. The place looked deserted only a couple of local boys were sitting inside.

The park  is situated in a ridge between the two highest hills in the state — Maenam and Tendong —at an altitude between 1,400m and 2,050 m above sea level. This place used to be a reserve forest before being declared as a park. There are groves of Walnut, Chestnut, Oak and Alder besides the medicinal plants. Huge trees and bushes surrounded every place. There are also some beautiful flowers in the park. But it was so deserted and the dense foliage felt a bit eerie so we didn't stay there for long. A few pics later we were back to the car.


We proceeded towards Namchi which is 18 Km from Temi Tea Estate. The capital of south Sikkim district Namchi is situated at an altitude of 1,675 m (5575 feet) above sea level and lies off the road between Melli and Jorethang. Gangtok is 92Km from Namchi. It is a small town in the lap of nature which is fast growing into a major tourist attraction of south Sikkim due to the virgin nature and a few important tourist spots. Thankfully the place was much less cold than Ravangla.

Nam means “sky” and chi means “high”, thus translating into a place situated at top of the sky, Namchi is stunningly beautiful. The picturesque laid out hills and valleys with a view of the Khangchendzonga range and the peaceful lifestyle of the local people complement each other. It is pollution free, plastic bag free, gutkha and cigarette free zone; hence the air that you breathe in is so pure you kind of get addicted to it.

History says that the complete state of Sikkim was once beneath the reign of the Chogyals. According to the local folklore, Namchi is the place where Pende Ongmoo, the treacherous Sikkimese princess was brought to justice. Pende Ongmoo had cheated and poisoned one of the Chogyals and she was killed for her deed. Locals believe her spirit still haunts the foothills of Ghurpisey.


Samdruptse :On way Namchi we stopped at Samdruptse - an important landmark of the area. Samdruptse, which translates as “The wish fulfilling hill” in local Bhutia language is a hill nestled at an altitude of 7,000 feet above the sea level at a distance of 5 km from the town of Namchi. It is said that Samdruptse hill is actually a dormant volcano and that the Buddhist monks visit the place to offer prayers to the volcano to keep it calm.

Crossing the ornamental gate of Samdruptse at the foothills we began our ascent through the snaking mountain road upwards. The fog had become dense and heavy by then. Our car stopped at the parking lot. In front of the parking space was a shopping complex with souvenir shops and food joints. We walked towards another gate where we had to pay an entry fee of Rs. 50 per person. The path leading to the main building is dotted with colourful prayer flags and chants of Om mani padme hum playing in small speakers along the way. It creates a similar kind of ambiance as Buddha Park.

It was a short walk and soon we reached the main premises. Painted in shimmering copper, bronze and undertones of royal blue, the magnificent 135 ft tall Padmasambhava or Guru Rinpoche Statue is the highlight of the Samdruptse hill. It is is supposed to be the tallest statue of the great saint in the whole world. The elegance and the delicateness of architectural marvel is remarkable.  The statue can be seen from miles around Namchi, rising like a golden cone amongst the dense forest area surrounding it.The only down point is that the surrounding walkable area is rather small for which one is not able to get a full length view of the huge statue from a required distance which was the biggest advantage of Buddha Park in comparison.According to the guidebook - " In the statue, the Guru is seated on a lotus pedestal. On the right hand, he holds a five-pronged vajra at his heart. In tantric traditions of Buddhism, the vajra is symbol for the nature of reality or sunyata indicating endless creativity, potency, and skillful activity.On the left hand, which rests in the gesture of equanimity, he holds a skull-cup in the center of which is a vase of longevity filled with nectar of deathless wisdom.

Cradled in his left arm he holds the three-pointed khatvanga (trident) symbolizing the Princess consort (Mandarava). Its three points represent the essence, nature and compassionate energy (ngowo, rangshyin and tukjé). Below these three prongs are three severed heads, dry, fresh and rotten, symbolizing the three kayas. The three kaya being dharmakaya or Truth body which embodies the very principle of enlighten and knows no limits or boundaries. The second kaya is Sambhogakaya or body of mutual enjoyment which is a body of bliss or clear light manifestation. The third kaya is Nirmanakaya or created body which manifests in time and space. The Nine iron rings adorning the prongs represent the nine yanas. The khatvanga is also adorned with locks of hair from dead and living mamos and dakinis, as a sign that the Master subjugated them all when he practiced austerities in the Eight Great Charnel Grounds. The guru wears a lotus hat and adorns a silk cloak, Dharma robes and gown."

Gate of Samdruptse

We left our shoes at the bottom of the building and climbed up. The hilltop attracts a large number of tourists and locals every day. People come here to offer their prayers to the Guru. We walked through the hall to the terrace to get a close up view of the idol. People had lighted incense sticks in their hands and were chanting mantras as they went around the idol. One local gentleman asked me how did I like the place. I told him it was spiritually uplifting. I was also curious to know the significance of prayer flags every where even in people's homes. The gentleman explained that the flags were so placed around the house or building that as the winds will blow past them it will bring in the goodness of all those prayers written on the flags. The air touching the flags and then anyone/anything would cleanse him/it spiritually. I found the explanation so fascinating. Such a simple belief that would make the entire surrounding environment spiritual instead of just oneself.We spent some more time looking at the intrinsic design patterns on the idol before coming down.

The ground floor has a collection of old photos from the time of independence and thereafter. The building is also a storehouse of many religious books. There was a small souvenir shop in the ground floor from where we purchased a cd of the Buddhist chants.From the main shopping area also purchased prayer flags and a japmala. We had vegetable momos from the food joints in the complex while enjoying the foggy ambiance. Once done we headed towards Namchi.


We had our bookings at Assangthang which is a model village situated at a distance of 2 Km from Namchi. We crossed the main city center of Namchi which was quite a busy place and drove towards the less crowded Assangthang. Once we left Namchi the landscape again serene with a couple of houses here and there, but mostly bountiful nature all around. On way we saw the upcoming football stadium of the town – the Baichung Stadium built in the honor of footballer Baichung Bhutia, a revered citizen.

Soon we reached Assangthang and were from a distance greeted by a Gold and Ivory building – a sharp contrast to the local dwellings we noticed around. Our car stopped in front of the beautiful building and the driver informed us that it was the Sai Baba mandir of Sikkim. We were pretty surprised to know that Sai who we thought was well known only across the western part of the subcontinent and some part of north and eastern states had his impression in this north eastern part of India as well, and that too such a big temple dedicated in his name. We asked a few locals what was the exact connection of Sai Baba with Assangthang but nobody was aware of it.  Actually before coming to Sikkim we had a usual notion that most people were followers of Buddhism. But on the contrary we discovered that majority of the population were followers of Hinduism. Maybe that’s the fact which attributed towards the creation of this mandir in such a remote location.

Red Chillies drying on the patio of the Homestay

Our hotel Mount Bowl was bang opposite to the Sai Mandir. The driver told us that we can visit the Sai Mandir after freshening up in the hotel.  More than a hotel it was a homestay. A shiny dark green building was an equally contrasting architecture as the Sai Mandir among the otherwise subtle colored ambience all around. The owner of the hotel is a young and soft-spoken Nepali lad named Sachin who manages the hotel along with his younger brothers and cousins. They also have a small shop outside the hotel premises which sells tea, coffee, snacks and meals.Their family occupies the ground floor of the three storied building. We were greeted by his grandma and the house dog – Lazy. Indeed a funny name for a dog. While checking us into the room, Sachin told us the story behind the name. When Lazy was small he kept sleeping always and was very lethargic to do anything. Hence they named it as Lazy. But later on they came to know its lethargy was due to some ailment he had but by that time the christening was already done. So the name persisted even if he was a superactive doggie now. The building was pretty much unoccupied hence we were offered a higher price room without additional cost. The steps of the building were very steep and we were almost panting like a dog by the time we reached the top floor to our rooms. There was a common balcony in front of the rooms which opened to the grand view of Sai Mandir and the range of mount Khangchendzonga (during unclouded conditions). We were pretty pleased with the view and stood there admiring the scene for some time.  Sachin told us that the entire span of land viewed from the balcony (which was far and wide till the Helipad) belonged to their family. He also informed that lunch was a totally vegetarian affair since pilgrims came to visit Sai Mandir during the day. At night however we would be served chicken. We were good with that. Any dish in this pure mountain environment would taste great.

Sai Mandir : We freshened up quickly. It was almost 12 when we came down to visit Sai Mandir. It’s one of the lesser known tourist spots of South Sikkim and hardly finds mention in any guide book. The architecture is very pretty and intrinsic. The sun rays reflect off the gold plating and bedazzle the human eye. On a clear day one gets a panaromic view of Mt. Khangchendzonga from the temple.  It has a manicured garden with orange marigolds lining both sides of the pebbled path to the two storied main building. Shoes have to be opened before entering the premises. Before entering the main building one has to enter their name, contact and phone number in the register maintained by the guard. 
The building is not as huge as the original shrine of Shridi, but its area is also noteworthy. The ground floor accommodates devotees for singing hymns in praise of Shridi Baba and the first floor provides dwelling to the marble statue of Sri Shridi Sai Baba and ten other beautiful paintings of Lord Vishnu (Hindu God) in ten different incarnations. The Sai idol looks an exact replica of the one at Shirdi.  The ceiling of the Sai Mandir is painted like the sky, with clouds and stars adoring it. It’s so beautifully painted that you can spend quite some time noticing the ceiling itself. We prayed before Sai Baba and then the caretaker gave Prasad to everyone present. The caretaker also informed us that during the auspicious days a whole lot of crowd gathers in this mandir for offering prayers.

The entire temple is bedecked with gold plating decorations. We noticed some sparrows perched in the tiny gaps of the decorations inside which they had their nests. The best part of Sikkim is everywhere you can see loving co-existence of animals and humans. They preserve nature as their own and hence nature has also given its abundance to this region.

We spent some quality time in and around the temple and then went back to the Hotel shop for lunch. There is a sitting place with three tables outside and a couple of tables inside. We preferred to sit inside as it was a bit chilly outside. Lunch was a simple fare consisting of steamed rice, yellow daal, squash subzi, cabbage subzi, a tangy achar and fried papad. The Squash subzi was very tasty. Chayote or Squash is a popular vegetable in the north eastern hilly regions of India and grows abundantly without much care and attention. I became a big fan of the vegetable instantly.  They served generous portions of food and even ladled out more if asked.

Post lunch we decided to walk to the Assangthang Helipad, which is almost a kilometer from Sai Mandir. The afternoon sun was pleasant with a mild breeze. The road was practically empty with a few local people taking an afternoon walk like us. We met a cordial young Sikkemese mom also taking a walk with her two kids on way. We asked her way to Helipad and she gave us the directions. She also joked about becoming a tourist guide to her friends standing on the road side. The young mom was so very pretty. She had cheeks like fluffy apples and there was a constant blush due to the cold weather. She was also going to the helipad for an afternoon walk and walked along with us.

We saw orange orchards on the way. We saw only one more homestay along the way, a little distance from ours. There was a cobblestone way leading down through the meadows and forests which looked tempting, but the young mom told us it led to the villages in the hills and it was not a safe way for tourists. Quaint huts with red tiled roofs were sporadically built on either side of the road. Most of the homes had beautiful arrangements of potted flowering plants. We stood here and there to observe the lifestyle of people and the nature. There were delicate grass flowers almost hidden away in the carpet of grass along the sideways. The undulating valley below looked very mesmerizing in the pale afternoon sun. We could see the shimmering Samdruptse statue nestled faraway in the olive green hills. Farmers were busy arranging and sorting out their crops. We passed them and came across a school where little children were playing with a ball. The road further bifurcated, we continued on the one going up.

Helipad: When we were almost near the Helipad we could hear loud music coming from somewhere, which was quite uncharacteristic of the area. As we walked further and reached the entry point of the Helipad we saw a group of people frolicking at one end of the Helipad. The entry of the Helipad was being manned by two local kids. They were charging entry fee for the vehicles only.

The Helipad

The atmosphere around the Helipad was a laid back one. We saw many families, large groups and lovebirds occupying various corners of the Helipad. Seemed like more than a Helipad it was a Picnic arena. It was quite obvious that the Helipad was not frequently used for what it was built. The last time a helicopter landed was with our president Mr. Pranab Mukherjee when he came to Namchi for inaugurating the Siddheshwar Dham in 2013.

The picnickers had brought large speakers and music systems with them and playing loud music while the food was being cooked. The music didn’t feel as bad as it was an open area.   At an altitude of 5000 ft the Helipad is a great place to get a view of Mt. Khangchendzonga. On a clear day the Temi Tea garden can also be seen far away in the backdrop. The Gangtok & Namchi helipads are the only civilian helipads in the state. More than a Helipad these are Heliports, a small airport only suitable for Helicopter landing.

The area is quite big and windy due to the altitude. We walked across the Helipad towards the valley. We could not get much of a view as most of the part was fog covered. Also we felt the lovebirds would get disturbed due to our presence. It seemed like we were the only tourists out there, all others were locals who came to the helipad for spending fun time with family. Read somewhere that fairs are also held in the Helipad.

Some hawkers were selling roasted peanuts, spiced puffed rice, and chickpea medley near the picnickers. We bought some roasted peanuts and settled down on the culvert of an under construction building. From there we could get a panoramic view of the Helipad. On the side was a canteen sort of place where we saw people having noodles and cold drinks. The picnickers were just by our other side. There was a small girl in that group who would wobbly shake a leg or two whenever there was music with fast beats. She saw us observing her and shyly ran behind their car. A later while she again emerged and peeked as us smiling. We saw an elderly lady mostly her granny getting up and start gyrating to the beats. Granny was totally unperturbed by what anyone might say and was totally engrossed in dancing. She also seemed a bit drunk, but that was quite common in cold areas. The little girl soon gave company to her and it was really some performance! I got it recorded in my camera.

The silence of the place had a very calming effect and we didn’t feel any tiredness instead of continuously roaming around from morning. In fact we felt much rejuvenated after spending time on the Helipad. The young mom with her kids sat chatting with the kids manning the entry of the Helipad. We also saw Sachin our homestay owner drop by for some time. It seemed everyone knew everyone in this small city.

Finally when it was almost 3.30 PM we decided to head back as we were scheduled to visit Siddheshwar Dham at 4 PM. We walked down slowly absorbing every bit of nature on the way. We stood by the school for some time observing the jolly little kids. It took nearly 20 minutes to reach our hotel. We still had time on our hands so we sat down for having tea. There were a lot of street doggies who were roaming outside the shop along with Lazy. We bought two big packets of biscuit and fed every one of them including Lazy who was as eager to eat as others. Once fed lazy began to play with a puppy in the courtyard. Sachin told us that it was his usual routine in the evening.

Sachin and his family had a small farm sort of place in the backyard they produced fresh vegetables like brinjals, tomatoes, chillies, corn and pumpkins. We saw a pile of pumpkins by the sides which were just plucked. He also told us that he had gone to the Helipad to get a new puppy for his home. We were excited to hear that and wanted to meet the new member. It was a mix of Spitz breed. His fur was all ruffled and appeared a little uncomfortable, maybe because of the new environment.  He was a cuddly little ball of fur and soft to hold. They were yet to decide a name for him. Sachin told they would observe its nature for a day or two and then give a suitable name.

Our driver came and we proceeded towards the last sightseeing point of Sikkim tour – The Siddheshwar Dham.

Char Dham: Siddheshwar Dham or Char Dham is situated at Solophok Hill at a distance of 5 Kms from Namchi. Solophok Hill has a historical and religious significance, as it is believed that visiting this place washes away one’s sins.We were charged Rs.50 as entrance fee. The car drove around a spiral path on one side of which we noticed was the Yatri Niwas and the restaurant and came to a halt before the main entrance to the complex.

Frankly speaking I was not at all looking forward to visiting a place which was a replica of the famous Hindu Char dhams.Amidst such beautiful natural scenery, going to see something man made didn't make much sense to me. But somehow when we entered and saw the huge idol of Lord Shiva against the backdrop of the dusky sky, it sure looked very beautiful. Bags are not allowed hence we only took our money bags and left the handbacgs in the car. No outside food or plastic bottles are allowed inside. At the main entrance fee was charged for the DSLR. The complex was almost deserted as we had arrived almost during the closing time.

We had to keep our shoes in bags and hang them on the stand. The entire complex was very neat and clean. And it was surely a vast complex. The souvenir shops were by the side of the place where we kept our shoes. But since we had to see the idols we thought of visiting the souvenir shops on return.

Rameshwaram & Badrinath Dham

It was a beautiful evening. We walked around the main complex area. The guidebook stated that Siddhesvara Dham has been created over 29.9 hectares at Solophok hilltop,at a cost of Rs 56.51 crore. It was the dream project of Chief Minister Pawan Chamling which was started in the year 2005 has been completed now. A Ropeway is being constructed from Samdruptse to Namchi town and then to Char Dham so that tourists can cover the three beautiful viewpoints while enjoying the panoramic vista from a bird's eye view.

Dwarka Dham

The first statue that welcomed us was the 18-feet statue of Kirateshwar a hunter incarnation of Shiva.In Hindu mythology, it is believed that Lord Shiva, after losing Sati in Agnikund, had gone into seclusion and became a hunter in the forests of Sikkim. Siddhesvara Dham has a 108 ft tall statue of Shiva, replicas of the 12 Jyotirlingas and models of sacred Chardhams of Hindus (East - Jagannath, West - Dwarika, South - Rameshawaram & North - Badrinath) which stands promisingly among the surreal surroundings of Solophok hill,befitting the mythological setting behind the establishment of the original Dhams . Even though you know these are all replicas, still your head will automatically bow down in reverence due to the holy ambiance of the place. The gigantic Statue of Shiva erected at the highest point of the hilltop, is the epicenter of complex and the jyortirlingas surround the statue. Devotees who will not get the oppertunity to visit all these places in their lifetime can come here to visit all these holy places under one roof.

One by one we visited the four dhams where the Sandhya Aarti or the Evening Prayers were being performed. It was very peaceful and we felt like we could sit there forever. It was completely like any holy place in India minus all the crowds and long lines. Infact it felt like the best holy place I have ever visited, it was so peaceful that just by being there seemed like a meditation in itself. We could feel how it felt visiting Badrinath with all the beautiful mountains towering around. The idols inside the Jyortirlinga replicas were exactly made like the original ones, wherein every Shivlinga had a different look. I had visited the original jyotirlinga of Trimbakeshwar and the one at Siddhesvara Dham was an exact replica.

Jyotirlinga

Finally we moved into the main Shiv Temple. The Sandhya Aarti was going on and it was being transmitted through the small speakers all around Siddhesvara Dham creating a cascading echo all around. Four priests were performing the aarti inside the main chamber. The chants were reverberating all around. We stood there for sometime before we started to go back. It was already evening and the sky had become dark. The entire complex was lit up with lights and looked ethereal. Now we knew why everyone suggested us to visit the Char Dham by night. We spent some more time around the Char Dhams and them made our way back. By that time the souvenir shops had closed down so we could not buy anything from there.


We went towards the car and from there we could see the illuminated Shiva Statue standing among the temples. We saw it for the last time before we left for the hotel.


Back to Hotel : After such a memorable sightseeing we headed back towards our hotel. It was already dark outside. As we drove back we saw there were no street lights as such through the curvy mountainous road. Only the head lights of the car illuminated the path ahead. It was a bit scary but adventurous too. Then we understood why everyone suggested not to visit Kaluk which had bad roads. Bad roads with no lights surely meant trouble. The roads were pretty empty apart from one or two cars passing and that too at 6PM. It was nearly late night for small hamlets like Assangthang. We reached the hotel premises in a short time. The Sai Mandir was illuminated brightly but all curtains were drawn and entrance closed. We had a talk with Sachin and he informed us that dinner will be served in the room by 8PM. He also told us that he had got a new dog today afternoon and they were getting him accustomed with the family members. We expressed our desire to meet the new member before we left next day and he agreed. We bought some sweet tamarind toffees from his shop and headed towards the room.

Some other tourists had occupied the adjacent rooms, mostly young boys it seemed from the ruckus they were making. Soon after they left. We freshened up a bit and then came to the balcony. At a distance we could see the shimmering Shiv Murti on one side and on the other side of the mountain the gleaming Samdruptse statue. It felt so heavenly, with pin drop silence all around, chilly mountain air and the presence of such holy places around us. We stood there absorbing every moment of our last night stay in this wonderful country. We could see below in the kitchen the family members were preparing food. They still cooked on wood and charcoal. We could smell the smoke from below. The valley really looked very very beautiful and we felt as if time could stop right there. We didn't want to go back.

The Hotel & Dinner

It was getting cold and we came back inside our room. It was nearly 8PM and we were watching some daily soap, when Sachin's cousin came with the dinner. He apologized for serving dinner early because it was almost their time to retire to bed. We said it was okay as we were also feeling very hungry by then.

They had served everything in huge proportions. We wondered that most of it will go to waste as we wont be able to eat so much. Dinner consisted of Rice, Dal, Squash curry, Papad, pickle and chicken curry. We started eating and everything was super tasty especially the Chicken curry was simply out of this world. Best that I have ever tasted. It was mostly marinated and slow roasted over charcoal and then made into a curry. The smokey flavors were richly infused into every fiber and it was juicy too. In no time we discovered that we had finished every bit of food they had served which surprised us to no limits. But the cooking was such finger licking good that no one could have resisted finishing every morsel.

We were very tired and after the heavy food we felt sleepy. So we retired for the last day of our stay.

Day 6: Asangthang to NJP

We had to catch the Teesta Torsa Express in the afternoon hence everyone suggested to start early with almost 6 hours in hand even if the distance was of three hours. This was because road construction was going on and there were chances of road blockage for hours. Hence we decided to start at 6AM. We woke up at 5 and it felt like midnight. The water was super chilly. Somehow we freshened up and came down.

Lazy & Crazy

The household was already up. Everyone was doing their morning chores. Sachin greeted us and his mother offered us Tea. While having tea Sachin got the new member of the household out for us to see. It was some breed of a Spitz who was yet to be named. He was cute as a button and eager to be hugged by anyone. The time spent with the small bundle of joy really made our day. Later on we came to know that Sachin had named him Crazy rhyming with Lazy.

After expressing our thanks we started for our returning journey. Slowly the sun was coming up. We saw Lazy roaming on the road. We almost bade a tearful goodbye to Asangthang and left with a bagful of memories.

Market Place on way back

The backward journey was almost hurdle free. We took an alternate way to NJP as on the other work was going on. It was obvious that this road was less frequented by vehicles because there were certain patches on the road where there was actually no existence of any road. Only pebbles and boulders stretched a kilometer. And let me not even mention how frightened we were while passing over it but our driver maneuvered well. As we moved on we saw the heavy whipped cream like fog rising up through the valley. At times the visibility got so poor that we could barely see what was in front of us. As if we were moving through a dungeon of fog. As the sun rose higher slowly the fog disappeared and by that time we had reached the city limits. 

The Dense fog on way back

The backside of the shack & one kind of Spinach

We stopped for some breakfast at a Sikkimese roadside restaurant. The small shack was located just by the side of the beautiful Teesta. We ordered breakfast and went to the backside to see Teesta clearly. The local people told us we could walk down the slope while our food was being made and visit Teesta up close. The temptation was too much so we tried to come down the slope and understood that it was only suited for the mountain goats and the local people. After a futile try and skidding we came back to the shack. Soon our breakfast was served which consisted of piping hot Chapatis, Squash curry, black chickpea curry and some pickle. It was a simple and yummylicious meal. We bought some local made chocolates before continuing our journey.

The Breakfast

Nothing much happened after that and we reached the NJP station by 10 AM itself. It was a long long wait after that as Teesta Torsa kept delaying infinitely. We had our lunch at the railway canteen. We took a fish thali and the Rohu Fish was really good. Our train was scheduled at 4PM. But we gradually came to know from regular travelers that Teesta Torsa was infamous for being late everyday. We waited and waited and waited infinitely. There was no proper seating area and everything was occupied. We finally settled on some huge cartons that porters had piled up. It was getting really really hot in NJP and sitting there without an indication of when our train will arrive was the most excruciating experience of the entire trip. Finally at 7:30 PM our train arrived. By that tie we were almost dead with exhaustion. We had an early dinner and went to bed. But our woes didn't end there. The train was about to arrive in Sealdah at 6.30 AM. Considering the 3 hour delay it should have reached by 9. But the delay kept piling on. Finally at 1PM we arrived.  18 hours in the train which should have reached in max 14 hours - the most horrendous train journey till date. Apart from the backward journey the entire trip was really a beautiful fairytale for us.

The Teesta

While I was writing this travelogue I tried to document about everything small or big that had happened during the course of this trip. Writing was a medium of reliving those few days and those innumerable moments spent in the lap of virgin nature. It had become a part of life and when I ended each part I myself looked forward to writing the next. I also wanted to write it for my mother who loves to read whatever I write more than anyone in this world. As this travelogue comes to end, I am feeling a bit sad. The kind of sad I felt while leaving the half asleep Asangthang on the last day. In just a few days Sikkim had become a part of our life and it was hard to come to terms that we were going back to the city life, so different from what we had become used to. Someone told us during the trip that the people of Sikkim are a strong believer of right and wrong. Their simplicity have preserved the sanctity of the belief and kept them honest and caring for each other.

Sikkim is really a jewel nestled in the faraway emerald hills. I just hope that the place retains its beauty and charm even years down the line.

 

After a beautiful winter the summers are finally here full on. And this time it promises to be intense with the mercury touching 39 degree centigrade at the beginning of April. Pune has a very dry summer unlike the humid summer of Mumbai. You feel the heat but it doesn’t leave you drained. The apartment where we are currently staying is in the outskirts of the city for which after sun down the evening breeze coming down from the surrounding hills creates a pleasant weather.

The best part of Summer is waking up to the sweet cooing of the cuckoo in the morning.  I had almost forgotten what it’s like waking up to the song of a cuckoo once I left Kharagpur for attending college a decade ago. The city lifestyle had taken over from there on. The beauty of living among nature, summers bursting with the fiery blossoms of Palash , monsoon bringing in an array of colorful critters and petite white lilies, autumn ringing in the tall Kash Phool hedges , winters with the classical chilly evenings and spring coloring the landscape with golden Radhachuda.

We stayed in a huge B-type  quarter in the IIT campus, specially allocated to professors.  The quarter was bigger than 15000 sq. ft pent houses of today. And we had a lawn like a football ground surrounding our quarter with huge tall trees as boundary lines between two adjacent quarters. Summers would be pretty intense in the campus. And the hollow brick house would heat up quickly in the day. During summer vacations as soon as the sun went down behind the trees me and ma would set up a small table and a few chairs in the red stone paved area before the lawns.  With sun down the temperature would come down and a nice breeze would start. As the evening progressed the air would become heavy with the smell of Madhabilatas.  We settled down in the chairs with some snacks and summer special drinks like lassi, bel er shorbot etc.  I would study in advance for the next class and she would sit engrossed in some book. As the evening set in ma would light the Hurricane lantern or a few candles (Emergency light was still uncommon back then). It was difficult to read and write in that flickering flame but it had become such a natural thing for us that we never felt at
unease. Now-a-days Hurricane Lantern are only used as décor for rustic themed restro-bars, but back then it was a way of life. There would be evenings when it was breeze less, we would then bring out our brand new table fan.   My cats would play around us, sometimes one of them would curl up on our laps or lie down on one corner of the table to enjoy the fan. Dad would come home late from the institute almost by 7:30 PM. He would sometimes join us outside after that. There would be long hours of mother-daughter talks once I was done studying.  I believe those were the evenings over which the two of us bonded as friends.  I remember this one particular evening when I was studying for my entrance exams into the new school. Ma was as usual engrossed in some book. The Hurricane lantern would only light the top of the table. Down under it was all dark. I suddenly felt some things slither over my feet and jumped in alarm. First we thought it was one of my cats but then we heard something rustle over the fallen leaves and saw a snake run away. It gave us quite a fright but snakes and living in the IIT campus was synonymous.  There were snakes everywhere you could imagine. So even though we were scared and took precaution to light up more Hurricane lanterns and set on the ground all around us, we didn’t refrain from enjoying our evening sit-outs.

Summer would also mean endless hours of watching children program on DD1 throughout the morning as there would be no school. Chandrakanta, Potli Baba, Dino Danasur, Duck Tales, Shaktiman, Aladin all these would be studiously devoured. My dad would also buy me many story books to spend my summer. I was a vivid reader and books always made me super happy. Covering the new class books and copies with brown papers and smelling the crisp pages was another of my favorite activity. As ma would cover the books I would meticulously select the fancy label to be put up on each book – a mermaid one for the science book, goofy for geography and so on. Ah the joys of childhood!

Another thing that I remember from the Summer months is the cooing of the cuckoos in the wee hours of the morning. They would start cooing even before the first ray’s of the sun hit the earth. And it would be a powerful orchestra as dozens of them would sing in unison. You see we never needed a rooster to wake us up back then. We were used to it so it didn’t mess up with our sleep. But once my grand pa was visiting us and all this cooing made him wake up. He complained throughout the day about the Cuckoos. The cuckoos of IT were fabled for their early morning choir even till day.

Compared to all those cuckoos here we have only a lone cuckoo singing in the morning and afternoon. Sometimes it is joined by its mate. But these two loners really ring in all the beautiful childhood memories for me. I have never seen them but I have heard them every single day.  I have a lot of pigeon friend though for whom I keep boiled rice on the terrace every night. By day break they are all polished off.  And with the onset of summer I have made it a practice to keep a bucket of water outside in the patio so that thirsty birds can have a drink anytime. I would urge all my readers to also do the same. Think for the earth, and you will not go unrewarded. As I witness the enormous speed at which the concrete jungles are encroaching the nature I just wish that somewhere some cuckoos are still there to regale the children in the days to come. 

During the summer days you don’t prefer to have spicy and heavy stuffs. The heart craves for soothing light food. The Bengali household would almost discard the usage of onions in their gravies during this time of the year. And you would find all the high water content rich summer vegetables like potol (pointed gourd), kacha pepe (green papaya), jhinge (ridge gourd), kach kola (raw banana),  sojne data (drumsticks), begun(brinjal), kumro (pumpkin) etc made into very light gravy in every household. We usually call such gravies as “patla jhol” or “thin gravy”.  The recipe that I am going to write about today is a soupy gravy of fish and vegetable. It’s ideal for the hot summer afternoons and easy on the stomach too. I used two types of fish for the gravy, you can just use Rohu if you want.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes 

Marination Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves:4


Ingredients:

Way to Khecheopalri Lake

“Come Fairies, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame!”

William Butler Yeats

Day 4 – Pelling Sightseeing

One has to visit Sikkim in winter to feel how cold it gets. In every part of the travelogue so far I have emphasized on the temperature because it’s something worth mentioning. One should never visit Sikkim as ill prepared with winter wear as we were. It was a no bath day for us since we were expected to leave the Hotel by 7AM, and bathing at this time of the day would be suicidal. Still half asleep we got ready quickly. Tea was served in the room by 6:45 AM. We looked outside the window enjoying our morning tea. The town was already very much awake and a busy Sunday had started for them. It was the “Hat”bar or Market day for them I believe as we saw many young Sikkimese women sitting along the traffic junction on the road side with fresh vegetables, sael roti and other products. The women are so beautiful here, can’t imagine a vegetable seller looking so pretty back home.  There was a hotel on the other side of the road facing our hotel with an interesting name 10-Zing. Soon we were informed that our car had come. We informed the hotel that we won’t be back for lunch. An elderly assistant at the hotel had taken a particular liking towards us and he proposed that he can whip up a small snack meal once we come back from the sightseeing. We were good with that.

The Market Day at Ravangla

The chilly morning air felt refreshing. We started our sojourn along the breathtaking terrain. Though Ravangla was awake by 7 Am, we found the other little hamlets on the way were still half asleep. There was barely a soul on the way for quite some time. As we left the frontiers of Ravangla we could see the Sakyamuni Buddha statue of the Buddha Park from far glittering in the mild sun rays. The path from Ravangla to Pelling is full of curves and bends. If you have motion sickness, make sure to pop an Avomin tablet before you venture out. I had taken it every day just to be on the safe side. Every moment had a beauty of its own – serpentine road through a dense jungle which looked like swampy evergreen forest, the sun peeping from behind the clouds and falling on the small log huts by the side of the road, long stretches of road bedecked with bright red and blushing pink Poinsettias, rolling lime green terrace vegetation, shinning silver bridges against the deep dark gorges, shimmering mountain rivers few thousand feet below and frolicking waterfalls all along the way. Everyone had said the road for Pelling was in a “better” shape but as we found out that it was only slightly better than the road towards Ralong Monastery – the roads were filled with loose pebbles at places which was pretty dangerous. If this was better we shuddered to think how terrible the “bad” road towards Rinchenpong was.  But our driver looked pretty unperturbed about it and was deftly maneuvering the already battered Omni through the hairpin bends and steep curves.

We had taken the Kewzing road to Pelling. On way we crossed the small village of Legship – a small village in the valley. We saw people tilling the land with hand tractors along the terrace gardens. Roughly it was 43 Kms from Ravangla to Pelling and took around a bit more than 2 hours. In between we had expressed the fact that we were hungry and wanted to stop for breakfast but our driver as usual was not interested to stop at any place which was not certified by him. So we sat back quietly and enjoyed the nature instead.

One enters upper Pelling through the Zero Point. Pelling is such a famous place that I expected to see a lot of hotels and population like Gangtok. But when we reached there we found out that it was a tiny nondescript mountain village, smaller in size compared to even Ravangla and dotted with assorted hotels of all sizes and mountain dwellings. Finally our driver halted at a tiny almost blink and miss roadside shack for breakfast. Why wasn’t I a bit surprised when it turned out to be a Sikkimese joint? Anyway there was no other road side food joint open in the city at that time which appeared almost dead compared to all the lively places in Sikkim we have been so far. Someone informed us since it was not the ‘season’ time hence hardly any buzz around. We settled down in the rickety chairs of the shack and ordered bread, omelet and coffee. It was hard to sit without shivering even inside the shack as icy cold winds cut through our jackets and sweaters.

I wanted to use the washroom before our food arrived and asked the lady manning the shack for the same. She informed that there was a bathroom down the slope but “you won’t be able to go up to there”. Pretty cool! It defeated me why they had to build a washroom only suited for the mountain goats. Anyway I was in a dire need to find a washroom so I stepped out of the shack. There was a hotel by the side of the shack I decided to try my luck there. There was hardly a soul at the desk. After calling out a few times a teenaged local boy came out and I placed my request. He pointed towards the basement without any word and went away. I began to climb down the stairs and the place was eerily empty and dark. There were lines of rooms with doors ajar which were waiting for housekeeping. I could not spot a single soul or a bathroom there. So again I went up found the boy and asked where the washroom was. He said keep going down and on your right. It was a scary situation, the first floor itself was dark and cold and when I went down further it felt like a dungeon for the dreaded criminals. I was wondering how would my family find me if I was even murdered out here. Somehow I spotted the dark and dingy washroom on the right with a door without latch. All the while I was shit scared and chided myself for being so stupid. As soon as I was done I raced to the top floor. I was still edgy after thanking the boy and running out of the Hotel.

The warm breakfast was already on the table when I reached. Our driver had ordered a bowl of Maggie which also looked very tempting. But travelling on a light stomach was a better idea on these mountain roads which made you queasy. The bread was soft and sweet. We loved it so much that we ordered additional plates of the bread alone. The shop was also selling walnut packets. The lady at the shop told us that they were local produce and were not easy to break like the Kashmiri ones. We planned to buy some of them for gifts on our way back from the sightseeing.

From the Zero Point in upper Pelling, one road goes steep uphill towards the helipad and Sangachoeling monastery, while the other slithers down towards lower Pelling. The two places on our itinerary were Khecheopalri Lake and Pemayangtse Monastery. The sightseeing points in Pelling are so spread out that if you are doing a one day trip then only selected places could be covered.

Khecheopalri Lake

Khecheopalri Lake : Khecheopalri Lake is almost 2 hours journey from Pelling town. The car stopped at a place surrounded by mountains. Some construction work is happening nearby. There are a couple of shops selling mementoes, local food etc. outside the gate. Paying individual entry fee and parking fee of Rs.10 each we entered the gates of the lake. A pebbled path bifurcated a few steps ahead of the gate. Again there were no signs indicating the direction of the lake. We asked a local who showed us the direction. The Khecheopalri village comprising of a small number of mountain huts are situated on the side of the path leading to the lake. There is a small garden where we saw a Chorten. A couple of steps ahead on one side of the path there was a temple like structure with a door. We peeked inside and saw a massive prayer wheel rotating inside. It was almost 500 times the normal prayer wheel! We kept on walking along the way. The surrounding was very peaceful and quite. We walked through a beautiful forest of aged trees overlooking the path like protective guardians. It was so silent that only the bird’s chirping could be heard and whenever we tried to talk among ourselves it sounded like a small echo. There are a couple of big boulders on the road side on which colorful chants have been painted.

The mint green moss covering the rocks seemed like a fine carpet. We walked along admiring the beauty of nature. It’s a long walk hence there are a few benches placed on way, but you don’t tire easily as you soak yourself in the sublime green canvas all around. There was a shrine near the lake in front of which a young lama was jogging up and down. It amused us and before we asked the reason of his behavior he smiled and said “khub thanda ajke” which indicated that he was jogging to keep his body warm in the cold weather.

In front of Khecheopalri Lake

Khechoepalri Lake, also known as the Wishing Lake is a sacred lake for both Buddhists and Hindus is ensconced in the midst of the Khechoedpaldri hill. As the legend goes this place was once a grazing ground having lots of stinging nettles. One day when a Lepcha couple was peeling off the bark of the tree, they observed a pair of conch shells falling from the sky and get embedded into the ground. The ground trembled violently and a spring of water came out which soon transformed into a lake. According to local belief the lake has a shape of Goddess Tara’s footprint. Deemed sacred, the lake thus began to be worshiped locally. Another interesting story associated with the lake is whenever a leaf falls into the lake; the birds pick them up as a result of which the water of the lake is crystal clear.

Locals praying at the lake

Stones Piled in a certain order around the Lake

I had seen the monsoon pictures of the lake which looked very stunning. But during this time of the year the lake was looking pretty dull because the hill in the backdrop was not as green. In fact the first impression was not impressive for me. Very calm and placid, the lake is festooned by fluttering prayer flags.  A wooden broadwalk leads to the waters. One has to open their shoes and step on the broadwalk. The area around the broadwalk was marshy. There is a balcony kind of thing at the end of the broadwalk where one can simply stand and pray. Ideally it is not expected that one would cross the balcony and go into the water or touch it. But we saw a mother with two small kids standing in the muddy shoreline just in front and praying with incense sticks. They also filled the water of the lake into a bottle to take back something similar we do with Ganges water. Another characteristic of the lake is its fishes. The huge shoals of black carp swim around the shoreline circling in the water. Though it’s written on a board outside not to feed the fishes, we saw many people feeding them puffed rice and breads. The tranquil environ brings you peace. We offered our prayers and then stood observing the local people praying devotedly. After sometime we made our way back. It was a rewarding meditative and spiritual experience at the end. As a tourist you may not like it very much but since it’s a spiritual place if you come with a dollop of reverence you will surely like it more.

Before we came out we bought a few things from the souvenir shop – a pair of prayer wheels shaped earrings, chestnuts and some picture postcards. The prices were a bit exorbitant but well that’s the case for every tourist place.
We made our way back through the same winding forested roads going from one mountain to the next. Pemayangtse Monastery is nearly 50 minutes from the Khechoepalri Lake. I personally felt that the beauty of Ravangla was more stunning than Pelling, maybe the tourist influx in Ravangla is still less compared to Pelling which has helped the place preserve its natural beauty. During the monsoon I feel everything would look magical but the way to Khechoepalri Lake is closed due to road conditions.

The Large Prayer Wheel

Pemayangtse Monastery: Pemayangtse means “perfect sublime lotus”. The over 300 year old monastery is situated on a hill top in the west district of Sikkim is at the beginning of the popular Dzongri trek route. Pelling is the nearest town from there. The monastery is located at a height of 6840 feet surrounded by majestic range of snowcapped mountains which we were not able to witness due to the prevailing veil of clouds. Lhatsun Champo, one of the three Lamas of Yuksom, founded the monastery in 17th century – one of the most important gompa belonging to the Nyingmapa sect. A pretty steep winding road with fluttering multi colored prayer flags leads you to the Monastery. The car was unable to scale it as the road was in a terrible shape with loose gravel. We left the car at the bottom of the road and walked up. We were out of breath by the time we reached the entrance. I wondered why the path leading to the Monastery was always so steep – did it mean to reach god you need to go through a bit of hardship? Maybe or maybe not.

The Monastery

The monk quarters were situated outside the gompa and had intricate woodwork on the beams, lattice windows and doors – it was very very pretty. A small lhakhang near the entrance contains a statue of Dorje Phagmo (Vajra Varahi) which was presented to Chogyal Gyurmed Namgyal by Terton Terdag Lingpa of Tibet as a gift when he married his daughter. The three storied main gompa looked a bit tattered. Colors had washed off, peeling paints etc. It was being renovated at that time, paintwork was going on. We paid the entry fee and walked around the back of the gompa to enter it. Photography is prohibited inside. The main prayer halls with colorful doors and windows have intricate Tibetian designs. There is an exquisite display of thangkas and murals. There are eight incarnations of Guru Rinpoche better known as guru Padmasambhava inside. The main statue of Padmasambahva seen here is in his wrathful form as Dorje Bhurpa Vjarakila with multiple heads and arms. Padmasambahva is revered more in Sikkim than Gautam Buddha because it was he who revived Buddhism in Tibet and spread the Tantric form or Vajrayana of Buddhism widely.

The Monastery Entrance

The first floor had a vast number of antique Buddhist idols, painting and scrolls. The top floor has a seven tiered painted wooden structure depicting the heavenly abode of Guru Padmasambhava known as "Sanghthokpalri". It was carved out of a single wood by Dungzin Rimpoche and took five years to complete. There is a meditative solitude in and around this place.

The Monk Quarters

Having completed the sightseeing for the day we started for our journey back to Ravangla. On way we stopped at the same shack we had breakfast in the morning in Pelling town to buy Walnuts. It had taken over two hours to reach Pelling from Ravangla. But as the daylight was decreasing and the driver had to go back to Gangtok after dropping us at Ravangla (he was assigned to chauffeur us till Ravangla tour, from next day we had a different driver) he drove the tattered Omni like a F1 car along the dangerous mountain road. He didn’t even give us a lunch break and we didn’t dare to ask for one. We were being tossed around in the car like rag dolls and were scared shit. I think this is what people call as “near death experience”! The tryst for destiny of our Schumacher came to an abrupt halt almost 1.5 Km before Ravangla when the Omni decided to put its foot down with a flat tyre. As he fixed the tyre we stood outside basking in the mellowing rays of the setting sun. We could see Ravangla town and the statue of Buddha from there which looked pretty as usual.

We reached our hotel by 4:30 PM. The Hotel was abuzz with a tourist group. Before we retired to our room we asked the elderly assistant in the Hotel to give us some food to which he happily obliged. It was a very tiring day with so much of travel and uncomfortable Omni seats. As soon as we freshened up, the elderly person came with a tray of piping hot flaky paranthas and begun bhaja (fried Eggplant). It felt like heaven, after the long day without any proper food.

We spent an hour or two resting and then we went for a walk again along the town center. Bought some more packets of Temi Tea varieties. The shops were already closing down. We wanted to purchase some fresh vegetables as they tasted better than the plains. The Vegetable market was down a dark alley way. We bought some carrots and large green chilies. On way we fed the canines biscuit, the entire pack had come to know us in 2 days only.

The Traffic Center at Night in Tricolour lights

Dinner comprised of Fish curry, potato fries, dal and rice. It was the best comfort food for our tired souls. Some of the other tourists were having chilly chicken and fried rice. We took a flask of warm water from the kitchen and ambled back to our room. The windows of our room didn’t have any grills. We opened them and sat for some time looking at mist floating around the road below. The tri-color light at the traffic junction imparted a warm glow around it. Some of the local dogs still sauntered around. The town was slowly slipping into a dream world. Ravangla was truly a memorable trip for us, we were sad that we were about to leave it the next day. As we switched off the lights and got ready for bed the neon planetary stickers on the room ceiling silently shimmered in the dark, it seemed as if we were lying under the open sky. We slowly drifted into sleep thinking about the beautiful time spent in this town.

To be Continued... Part 5