I was starring in my own movie as the jeep clawed up the rugged mountains of the Himalayas with lulling Bollywood songs emanating from the speakers. We were in what would be the quintessential scene from a Yash Chopra rom-com. The heroine running through the snowy mountains waving her onion skin thick saree. My heart went out for her as i sat shivering in three layers.
Jeeping Our Way Up
We were approaching a height of 4300 meters. The air was cold. The rivulets & numerous tiny waterfalls along the way had frozen midway their destination.
Hills in All Hues
After about half an hours drive from the Tsomgo lake we reached the Nathula pass. As I stood there surrounded by the towering peaks, the Indian tricolor flapping away with her soldiers standing guard, patriotism welled up in my heart & fueled up enough oxygen into my lungs to climb up to the Indo – China border. A word of caution for people travelling with kids & elderly – take time to acclimatize to the falling oxygen levels before dashing up.
The Rugged Terrain
Up I climbed & stood just feet away from Chinese soil. I could picture the rhythmic march of the caravans through the silk route, laden with colorful merchandise. I was surprised on finding not a single soul on the Chinese side of the border whilst the Indian gates were guarded by soldiers braving the extremities of the weather. One of the soldiers was also graciously acting as a guide answering all the questions thrown in by curious travelers. It is he who brought to us the story of Baba Harbhajan Singh.
Baba Harbhajan Singh was a soldier of the Indian army who was martyred on his border patrol. The legend goes that he went missing after going on a patrol. He was believed to have drowned in a stream but the army could not find his body & abandoned efforts due to bad weather. It is said that Baba Harbhajan Singh appeared to one of the soldiers in his dream & revealed to him the exact location of his body. A search party was sent, the body found & cremated with full militarily honors. The baba also appeared in the dreams of another colleague, asking a shrine to be built at the location where his body was found & promising to carry on his duties as a soldier. It is believed that Baba’s spirit still patrols the border, ready to warn the soldiers of any impending attack. Reports have been made of sightings of an uniformed horseman patrolling the Indo-Chinese Border. The Chinese side of the border has also confirmed these sightings. His spirit is also believed to be quite the disciplinarian, handing down smacks to soldiers who fall short on discipline (has a caffeine effect on the ones on night patrol).
A shrine was built by the Indian army in honor of Baba Harbhajan Singh as desired by Baba. The shrine houses a replica of Baba’s living room. The soldiers religiously keep his room spick & span & make his bed everyday. It is said that on occasional mornings the bedding has been found crumpled & the boots muddy by the bedside. He was considered to be a soldier on duty till December 2016 when he was retired with full honors. Until then on every September 11, Baba was sent on annual leaves with three army men accompanying his trunk to his village . A small allowance was also sent to his mother.
After paying my respects at the shrine I made my way up further to admire the massive marble statue of Shiva lit up by the striking sun rays. Lo & behold! what met the eyes here was the sight of a frozen waterfalls!
The Sparkling Shiva
The Frozen Waterfalls
The only obstacle ahead was the half slushy, half frozen, slippery path & the rocks strewn around. One good slip would potentially knock you out. But the adrenaline overrode all apprehensions. The young lot of us made our way to the top grappling, slipping, regaining balance, putting our cerebellum to the test. We finally made it to the waterfalls. The descending carpet of milky white was beckoning to us. With Rihanna singing ‘I walk on water, But only when it freezes’ in my head I climbed up the waterfalls.
‘I Walk on Water, But Only When It Freezes’
It was an enthralling feeling to put it in the least. Buddhist prayer flags fluttering from bare branches jutting out, the breathtaking view, vast expanse of rugged mountains interspersed with dashings of snow, the sun shinning a golden yellow, the chill in the air, the lack of oxygen in the lungs, the legend of Baba Harbhajan Singh, the immense respect & pride for the soldiers guarding our borders day & night.
Heavenly Light : The Sun Filtering Through the Clouds
We made our way back to Gangtok after stopping for a customary cup of masala chai & steaming plate of maggi.
Later i stepped into the cold night for a quick taxi drive to the famed MG Road. The pedestrian friendly street was lit up & buzzing on account of the winter festival. The street was a maze branching off every 100 meters into an alley which further snaked off to a number of other alleys. These alleys were crammed with shops selling everything from Buddhist prayer flags to Chinese silk. The shopping street was a amalgam of luxury brands, street stalls, fine diners, fast food joints, souvenir shop and what not. For dinner I chose a restaurant serving hot thupka. After the sumptuous treat i strolled around the street for sometime soaking in the colorful festivities before catching a ride back to the hotel.
The Lit up MG Road
A Thousand Glimmering Lights : Sikkim in the Night.
Back at the hotel i packed my bags. Snuggled into my cosy bed with all the happy moments Sikkim had gifted me in these two days & pledged to come back to this winter wonderland where the wind is chill & people so warm.
Where did I Stay
I stayed at the Udaan, Woodberry Hotel & Spa at Upper Burtuk, Gangtok. Burtuk is a quiet place with charming views but being farther up from the city centre you might have to wait quite a while for transport. The room cost me 2500/- with additional cost for heating. You will easily find cheaper places in the city. It is recommended to walk into one of these & make a booking.
Udaan Woodberry Hotel & Spa [ Click Here]
How did I Transport Myself
Shared cabs & jeeps are the way to go. The rides are priced decent & it goes without saying (if i have not asserted it enough already) the cabbies are really helpful & polite. Solo ladies need not worry.
Permits Required
Nathula is open for Indian nationals on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sundays. The visitors can avail a permit by applying to the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department through a registered and recognized Travel Agency.
To make things easy (and that is how i did it) you can just walk in to the taxi stand a day before, book a shared jeep, provide a passport size photo, basic details & a small fee & the rest will be taken care of by the driver.
Foreign nationals are not allowed to visit Nathula (Sorry guys).
What to Wear
The temperature in the city in the month of February went down to around 5 degrees in the evenings. Up in the hills it can get very chilly even in the afternoons & hence it is recommended to carry a couple of warm cloths ( gloves, mufflers & beanie recommended ). In case you forgot any of these you can always buy them en route from the stalls lining the road.
Here is what i chose to keep me warm:
Dorothy Perkins Sweater [ Click Here]
Fort Collins Jacket [ Click Here]
Roadster Unisex Beanie [ Click Here]
Forclaz Trekking Gloves [ Click Here]