Baba Mandir, Nathula Pass (pic credit Varsha / Ranjit)
A few kilometers ahead of the Pass you will see the Baba ka Mandir, a venerated shrine of Major Harbhajan Singh. Singh was a soldier who in 1962 drowned in a glacier during the Indo-Chinese war. As per the army legend, Major Singh popularly known as Baba to the faujis, appeared in a fellow soldier’s dream and asked him to build a Samadhi in his name after his death. And right up to this day the army continues to send his personal belongings home every year to drop Baba home during the vacations. (A soldier from the army carries a picture of Major Singh and visits Singh’s native village of Kapurthala)
Nathula Pass (pic credit Varsha / Ranjit)
The Rumtek Monastery was our next stop. Built under the aegis of the 16th Karmapa in exile, the monastery has plenty to offer to the regular shutter bug. From Buddhist monks to the beautiful monastery building, it certainly reinforces the tension that exists between Tibet and China, as you notice ‘join the free Tibet movement’ posters around. It is quite an experience watching the monks pray and accept the stares of tons of tourists who move around noisily.
View of the mountains from Lachung (pic credit Varsha / Ranjit)
Day four meant moving towards Lachung, where you are advised to stay the night to acclimatize to the tremendous dip in the temperature, especially if you are driving up from Gangtok. Lachung was the age old trading post between Sikkim and Tibet; it was later shut down later soon after the Chinese annexation of Tibet. Lachung is a tourist stop-over of sorts who are thinking of visiting the Yumthang valley, renowned for its Rhododendron Sanctuary. But since we were in Sikkim at the beginning of the winter season, we had to make do with some fantastic sights of the mountains and enjoy the local hospitality.
View of the mountains from Lachung(pic credit Varsha / Ranjit)
Day five was when we actually got a closer sight of the Kanchenjunga (the Guardian Deity of Sikkim) range and that was at Rinchengpong, situated at the west of Sikkim. With decent cottage accommodations available you are guaranteed a window/balcony view of the Kanchenjunga range. So there they were the snow capped Himalayan peaks of Kanchenjunga, Rathong, Kabru, and Koktang, and it’s a sight that will remain in our memories for days on end.
The majestic Kanchenjunga(pic credit Varsha / Ranjit)more on Sikkim to follow….
