Travelogue: Scenic Sikkim

By Kartik Lokhande
Usually, one imagines the hill-stations with beautiful sunrises and sunsets. But, if that hill-station is in the Himalayan mountain state of Sikkim, one should expect to enjoy the cloud-rises and cloud-sets apart from the picturesque inter-play of sunrays, blue sky visible through moving curtains of white-grey clouds, and the vegetation-covered and snow-capped mountains.
Add to this the colourful monasteries, cheerful people, countless flower varieties, winding and zig-zag trail of Teesta river, and the State carves its place in the heart and mind of visitors as a superb holiday destination. Moody weather – clear sky and rainfall – just adds to the holiday sensibility.

Mother Nature has showered her abundant blessings on the least populous and second-smallest state of India. Even if one spends one full month visiting various spots spread over only four districts, difficult and tiring journey to those through zig-zag and bumpy hill roads, leaves one with the feeling that something still remained unexplored. Thus, Sikkim arouses that feeling of ‘shall visit again to explore you completely’ quite naturally. The cheerful people belonging to various tribes – mainly Lepcha, Bhutia, and Nepalese also create a long-lasting imagery of the visit.
Sikkim has many unique places to visit. The part of Himalaya in Sikkim is dominated by the world’s third highest peak – Mt Kangchendzonga (popularly called as Kanchanjungha), which is also the highest peak in India. It is also home to entirely organic tea gardens, the only open border between India and China at Nathu La, the ancient Silk Route, more than 400 species of Orchids, the flower valley at Lachung, etc. Further, it boasts of having the world’s highest Golf Course at Kupup, India-China border trade location of Sherathang, the massive statue of Guru Padmasambhava at Samdruptse, the huge statue of Lord Shiva and replicas of ‘Chaar Dhaam’ and 12 Jyotirlinga temples atop a hill at Namchi, and the list goes on.
During our visit, we stayed at a relative’s place in Gangtok (a great relief because having a relative at such a beautiful place saves a lot of money), and intended to visit as many places possible. But, short vacation of nine days (apart from travelling time of four-five days from Nagpur), left us with the unavoidable feeling -- ‘will have to visit again’…

Gangtok

The capital of Sikkim is a popular hill-station in itself. As there is no direct railway connectivity, one has to travel up to New Jalpaiguri or Siliguri by train (or, Bagdogra by air) and then hire a taxi (it is costly, but no option) to reach Gangtok. River Teesta accompanies the road to Gangtok. The journey is quite refreshing.
At Rangpo check-post, the border between West Bengal and Sikkim, one is greeted by a board reading ‘Welcome to Sikkim’ on a bridge. And, quite naturally, one looks forward to reaching Gangtok eagerly. As one approaches Gangtok, which the original residents call ‘Gantok’, one is impressed by properly laid-out roads in hilly terrain, footpaths or walk-ways, cleanliness (Beware, the local authority fines Rs 5,000 if one if found littering on road), and of course, the smiling cheerful faces of local residents. The town itself is a place worth visiting. One has to just walk down the footpath and stop at spots from where one gets clear view of the mountains around. One cannot help but admire the scenic beauty. The temptation to get a photograph is natural.
There are several places to be visited around like Hanuman Tok, Ganesh Tok, Tashi View-Point, Namgyal Institute of Tibetology etc. As the names suggest, there are temples of Lord Hanuman and Lord Ganesh at Hanuman Tok and Ganesh Tok. Hanuman Tok is believed to be the place where Lord Hanuman stopped for a while carrying the ‘Sanjeevani Parvat’ from Himalayas to southern India.  Tashi View-Point offers a glimpse of Mt Kangchendzonga, only if the day is clear. If the day is cloudy, or it is raining, hard luck guys! Namgyal Institute of Tibetology offers a unique peek into Tibetan Buddhism, culture, and is home to some really precious heritage including a Tibetan religious text written in gold letters on hand-made paper.
An integral part of the old Silk Route between India and Tibet, Gangtok was the hub where Yaks, mules, and donkeys arrived laden mainly with wool, taking back in exchange salt, soap, precious stones, dried fruit, and a host of other items. But, if you wish to get some souvenir of your dream-like visit to Gangtok, the market is quite expensive as goods are to be brought from Siliguri (West Bengal) down the hilly terrain. Still, you can enjoy a leisurely stroll in M G Market, which one may term as a tourist destination in its own right. The admiration of beauty of Gangtok reaches its peak during the memorable travel in rope-way, as one gets to see the hill-town from above and appreciate its various features.

Published in 'Travel' section of The Hitavada sunday supplement 'Insight' on June 29, 2014

Temi Tea Estate

For those who do not know, Sikkim is fast moving towards becoming the first Indian state to be completely organic in agriculture. And, a very good milestone in this direction is visible on way to Namchi, in the form of Temi Tea Estate in South Sikkim.
After a journey of around one-and-a-half hours from Gangtok towards Namchi, one notices changes in the landscape. The tall coniferous trees, big fern plants (trees, actually), clouds coming down to kiss the top of vehicles on winding road, make the atmosphere more pleasant. Of course, as one gets out of the warm comfort of the vehicle, one is greeted by cold and wind chill factor and a brisk walk in excitement may result in giddiness for those unfamiliar with weather at height.
And, as one wishes of a break in journey to Namchi, the sight of Temi Tea Estate comes as a mood-refresher. One cannot resist the temptation of storing into cameras and heart the magnificent view of tea gardens rolled down like a green carpet on the hill. And, at this right juncture comes the much-awaited break at a designated place inside the Temi Tea Estate. At this location, one can get fresh, enjoy sipping hot tea sold there in the company of clouds outside and enthusiasm within. Isn’t it a wonderful experience to see the vapours of hot tea visibly piercing the invisible blanket of cold outside the cup? Of course, this is also the spot where tourists can enter the tea gardens and click photographs while roaming in the walking spaces between the tea plants. It is indeed a heavenly experience!

Sikkim -- The Name

There are different theories regarding origin of the name Sikkim. It is widely believed that Sikkim is a combination of two words from Limbu language -- Su meaning ‘new’ and Khyim meaning ‘palace’. It is said to be a reference to the palace built by the State’s first ruler Phuntsong Namgyal.
There are other references also. Tibetan reference to Sikkim is ‘Denzong’ meaning ‘valley of rice’. Today also, there are various references to this even in Gangtok, which has Denzong Cinema near Lall Bazar. Popular Hindi movie actor Danny’s surname is Denzongpa, with ‘pa’ meaning ‘child’. Bhutias call Sikkim as Beyul Demazong, which means ‘hidden valley of rice’. Lepcha tribals, the original inhabitants of Sikkim, call it Nye-mae-el meaning ‘paradise’. The Hindu religious texts refer to present-day Sikkim as Indrakil, meaning the garden of Lord Indra, the king of gods.
Despite so many references to its identity, the name Sikkim has become popular and official today.