Sikkim : A bliss

Hello Everyone !! 

I and my family had been to Sikkim this summer. I am about to share the experience of "The Sikkim Trip", right from where did it start, what did we see, how were our experiences and a lot more in this blog.

        Sikkim is a state in northeastern India. It shares boundaries with Tibet and China. It is a lush green state. The Government and people of Sikkim are very particular about cleanliness. While in the state you will also witness many colourfull flags on the road which are a major part of the Buddhist culture. These flags will catch your eyes all over the state. And homestays are a must-try while in Sikkim, that way you can interact more with the locals.

Day 1: Way to Gangtok

              Our trip started from Hyderabad, form there we went to Bagdogra via a flight. Then we further continued our journey to Gangtok by road. The way to Gangtok was better than the destination itself honestly, the beautiful greenery of nature just caught our eyes. 

 We also did some adventurous river rafting on the way which was totally unplanned and was a hell lotta fun. And we could swim in the river as well. We did it on the border of Sikkim and West Bengal on the right-hand side was Sikkim and left side Bengal. It is a must-try for all the adventure lovers. 

   It's me who is bending down in both the images to keep the balance while facing a rapid🤣. Then we reached our destination in the evening at around 7pm and that was the end of our day.

Day 2: Baba Mandir

          The day started very early for us(5:00 am) as we had to go some distance by car to reach the Baba Mandir. We had to go a distance of about 50 km uphill. Located between Nathula and Jelepla pass at an altitude of 13,123 ft and about 52kms from Gangtok, Baba Harbhajan Singh Temple is popularly known as Baba Mandir. One usually covers this temple along with a visit to Tsongmo Lake and Nathula Pass. 

         There is a touching story associated with this temple. Harbhajan Singh was a Sentry of Punjab Regiment and was posted here as part of the border patrol force. The border with China is nearby. In October 1968 he disappeared. It is said that while escorting mules carrying provisions, he fell into a stream and drowned. After a few days, he reappeared in the dreams of one of his sentry colleagues and asked him to make a memorial here on his name. 

         The sentries then made a samadhi and later this temple was built. Although Harbhajan Sing is no more, the sentries and guards here believe that his spirit is still alive and he is therefore treated as a living being. They all believe that Harbhajan will guard and protect them in this very difficult terrain.

         

     However, visitors were not allowed to the Nathula Pass that day due to some issues. After visiting the temple and the war museum it had started snowing, it was time to descend from the hills and go back to Gangtok. Then we got stuck in a landslide waiting in the car with no internet and no clue of how much time will the landslide take to be cleared was no less than a nightmare.

     Then The Indian Army was on the rescue they cleared the road and made way for the tourist to go. We all owe our lives to those who rescued us, the soldiers. With this, we ended our very long day.

My father and sister enjoying the snow while I was shivering in the car.

Things I did when I didn't know what to do.

Day 3: Way to Lachen

          We were to visit the Gurudongmara lake and for that, we had to go to Lachen. We started a bit late than every day that morning(9:00am). Then we made our way to our destination. The road was scenic and there were many waterfalls on the way. We took the time to click some snaps on almost each of them.  

Day 4: Gurudongmar Lake

                Another day with an early start. We had to get a permit to visit the lake from the army. Gurudongmar Lake is one of the highest lakes in the world and in India, located at an altitude of 17,800 ft, in the Indian state of Sikkim. It is considered sacred by Buddhists, Sikhs, and Hindus. 

 It was a complete visual treat to be there. But due to very high altitude breathing normally was quite a task there. Walking a lot here is definitely a big NO for anyone, especially toddlers and the oldies. 

The lake was freezing cold. There is a monastery 5 km away from the lake but did not have the guts to walk there. 

Day 5: Lachung and Zero Point

          The next destination on our list was the Zero Point. Yumesamdong is situated at the elevation of 15,300 ft. in the Nothern District of Sikkim, India. This place is often called “Zero Point” because there is no motorable road after this place and the visitors are not permitted to go further beyond this point due to its proximity to the Chinese border. This is a 2-hour drive from Lachung and is the last point that an Indian tourist can visit on this route.

               Do not rush this place and remember to check out the views in all directions. Definitely worth spending some time here - chilling, eating, drinking or just clicking pictures. Nothing more to be said, you have to visit the place to experience the beauty.

Day 6:  A stroll in Gangtok

          After visiting the Zero Point we made our way to Gangtok the very same day. Next morning we were all fresh and ready to explore the town. We visited  Hanumantok, Ganeshtok, a nursery which had really colorful flowers. The nursery also sells seeds and bulbs of the plants they grow to the visitors. Then we headed to Handicraft Showroom of the Sikkim government. The place had a variety of things on sale, right from soft toys to pillow covers, hand made paper and the list goes on. One could also see how all these things were made in their workshop.

While in Gangtok we also visited the Institute of  Tibetology where stories of the birth of Lord Buddha, the origin of Buddhism and its teachings were displayed in a series of huge paintings. It also had the equipment of various dynasties that ruled in Sikkim. At some distance from the Institute, there was a monastery. There we saw thousands of lamps lit inside a series of glass rooms. The sight of those lamps was completely mesmerizing. 

After the institute, we were headed to Gangtok ropeway. The waiting line for the ticket was humongous and took us about 2 hours to get the tickets. Then we went on to the ride and after that, we went to the market for some shopping. That was the end of our day and the next morning we left for Darjiling.

Day 7 & 8: Darjiling

                 On the 7th day, we reached Darjiling in the evening me and my sister were tired so w decided to rest and our parents were off to the market. The next day we woke up at 3:00 am as we had to catch the sunrise at the sunrise point. But due to the cloudy weather, we could not see it. We just had some glimpses of the Kanchanjanga Rang instead.

  

Next, we were headed to the Batasia Loop war memorial. It is dedicated to the brave soldiers who protect the motherland without falling for any addictions. We also saw the rail route of the famous toy train. Riding the Toy Train of Darjeeling Himalayan Railways (DHR) has always remained a coveted experience to the tourists. Only a few would let go such an opportunity. And there is a clear reason why so. After all this Toy Train has been accorded the UNESCO World Heritage status, and that's for a special reason.

Toy train joy rides operate from Darjeeling Railway Station. It's a 2-hour round trip from Darjeeling up to Ghum and back covering a total distance of 14kms. There are several such round trips during the day starting in the morning. Number of rides per day depends on the demand during the month or the season. The train stops for 10 minutes at the Batasia Loop. 

Later we made our way to the Mountaineering Institute and Darjiling Zoo they both share the same premises. The zoo is worth a visit due to the variety of animals it has. One can see snow leopards, clouded leopards, various types of deers and bares in the zoo. Then we moved on to visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute.

Sir Edmund Percival Hillary KG ONZ KBE (20 July 1919 – 11 January 2008) a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953, Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers confirmed to have reached the summit of Mount Everest. This institute was established to promote Mountaineering by Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru.  At some distance from the institute, there is a rock known as Tenzing Rock where Sherpa Tenzing used to practice. Tourists are allowed to do rock climbing on it.

Our next destination was a Tibetan Refugee Center. The people who live there have come to India to seek refuge when China had become too aggressive with the locals in Tibet. They made their living by making and selling carpets and various handicraft goods at the center itself.

 I and my father happen to encounter a gentleman living there. Dad asked him if they live happily and comfortably here the man was almost in tears when he was talking to us. He said all the people who came along with him live very happily here and feel no threat to their lives. They are very thankful to the Indian Government for their new lives.

Whit this we ended our day and our trip also we headed to Bagdogra the same day in the afternoon as we had to fly to Hyderabad the next day in the morning.

This trip brought us close to nature. We took back many souvenirs for our loved once. We also brought back many unforgettable memories of Sikkim and the people we met there with us which cannot be described in words.

Thank You for reading !!!!