Where the Teesta Flows!

Day1:

Gangtok is a charming town nestled in the lower Himalayan ranges. The mountain peaks are hidden by mist and the valleys are shrouded in clouds of white. The sun rises at 4.30am and sets late in the evening. Gangtok is a heady mix of old-world charm and modern fashion trends. Curio shops selling Sikkimese craft and Tibetan curios coexist with ’lifestyle’ shops such as Adidas, Maybelline!

The plane journey from Calcutta to Bagdogra was uneventful. Bagdogra is basically an army cantonment and the air force is also stationed there. Bagdogra and New Jalpaiguri (about ten kms away) are the gateways to North-east India. The drive from Bagdogra to Gangtok is beyond earthly imagination. Almost the entire route stretches across a chain of mountains. The river Teesta thunders down towards West Bengal as one drives up to Sikkim. The frothy and frolicking waters of the Teesta accompanied us for about half the journey turning into an occasionally meandering river near towns. We were headed for the land where the Teesta flows.

It was raining when we reached Gangtok at 4.30 pm. Our room at the hotel had a splendid view of the lofty mountains and the mist shrouded valley. Later in the evening, we shopped at M.G. Road (why is that all the shopping areas in most cities are named after Gandhiji?). The Sikkimese masks, Buddha figurines, Feng Shui articles, Tibetan jewellery and richly woven tapestries were stunning. In a small road-side cafe, we had delicious Rossogulla, excellent samosas and to top these, a plate of Chowmien.

Day2:

Our destination, the exotic Nathula in East Sikkim, where India ends and the mystic lands of Tibet and Bhutan hide behind the mighty Himalayas. It was an enchanting drive across the mountains with gurgling mountain streams, numerous silvery waterfalls, abrupt landslides and camouflaged Indian army posts. The roads are superb and the taxi drivers are very jolly fellows.

On the way to Nathula, we halted at Lake Tsomgo, an alpine lake at 12,400ft. It is a snow-fed, serene, shimmering blue lake. One can ride on yaks up the slippery path bordering it to the snow covered hills. Then, there are ’yak’-touts who mount you on a yak for a snap. We also met army officers of the "Bombay Sappers" regiment.

None other than the army personnel are allowed to go to the actual border post. But, one can travel up to the Baba Mandir which rests on a windy plateau about 3kms away from the Border. It is a memorial for Harbhajan Singh, a soldier in the Punjab Sikh regiment, who was lost when he slipped into a mountain stream while accompanying a mule column. He appeared in the dream of one of his fellow soldiers and wanted a ’mandir’ to be built for him. Now, it has become a pilgrimage centre with locals believing it has healing powers. Legend goes that the Army continues to send his salary to his wife and he has now been promoted to the rank of a Captain!

The wind was icy cold and stung us like needles. But, there was a long queue, waiting patiently, leading to the Mandir as one sees near the American consulate. Finally, we all had a ’darshan’ and ate the ’prasadam’ offered by the army men and Amma’s headache, nausea stopped!!

Day3:

Life never seems to be short of surprises. What can you say when you see Buddhist monks robed in maroon and saffron perform a ritualistic dance to the music of cymbals, drums and gongs? The splendid spectacle was being enacted in the world-famous Rumtek monastery, on the outskirts of Gangtok. The seat of the Karmapa, it is a vision in blue and gold. A vast courtyard with a ’dhwajasthamba’ engraved with Buddhist scriptures welcomes you. A playful little puppy joins in a game of football with the young monks. Stern looking monks pass by chanting their prayers. A few wizened men and women are seated on snug rugs, eyes closed, hands holding beads and wrinkles smoothened in meditation.

And suddenly, a clash of drums broke us out of our reverie and we turned our feet towards the imposing and ornate monastery. It was the festival of ’Vaisakha Poornima’ and we feasted our eyes on the enthralling ritualistic dance by the young monks. What synchronization, what agility (they jumped and flitted about with large drums tied onto them) and what intense devotion- it was a breathtaking spectacle.

The interior of the monastery was richly furnished with ornate and larger-than-life tapestries and wall murals depicting the life and teachings of Buddha. Gold-plated idols of Lord Buddha, Goddess Tara and several revered ancient monks smiled upon us with compassion and serenity. A wonderful aroma from incense sticks wafted in the air. The head monks were inspecting the proceedings and we paid our obeisance to them.

The Nalanda Centre for Buddhist Studies is housed at the Rumtek monastery. Young men and a few young women come from all over the world to study and enlighten themselves in the way of the Buddha. Thanks to our guide’s resourcefulness, we could enter the inner chambers of the monastery, but the holy sanctum is accessible only to the monks. We met a delightful, witty, old monk who took us on a short tour around the inner chamber and regaled us with tales from his experiences.

The ride back to Gangtok over a long, bumpy road jolted us back to reality. Our stay in Gangtok had come to an end. So, we decided to spend the last night going for a moonlight walk. The exotic scent of orchids hung over the air. We finished up with hot, steaming veg momos in a small, late night road-side stall along with a group of friendly Sikkimese youth.

We left Gangtok with lovely memories engraved in our hearts, still reeling in the heady scent of orchids and steamy momos, of the ’Scotland of the East’. Darjeeling beckoned us but that’s another tale.