When I traveled: Sikkim

Visiting Mini Switzerland.

Was I in heaven?

I was in paradise. The previous sentence is absolute by itself, but only to me. The Lepcha, the indigenous inhabitants of Sikkim agree with my statement as they refer to their home as Nye-mae-el translating to paradise. When I was there, I questioned myself if I had arrived at the place that many authors of religious books tried describing and called it the good place or heaven. The prayer flags waved gently as the breeze carried the prayers of peace to the four winds, the sky was as clear as hope and the air that I breathed there was innocent as it had never known pollution. The road to Sikkim took us on adventure as the hairpin bends kept us at the edge, literally. We reached the hotel at Pangthang and looking out the window of the hotel room, I saw a sight that brought a tear of joy to my eye. It was evening, the hills were enveloped by thick clouds so the townsfolk had switched on their lights and the lights seemed like stars that were shy and had hidden behind the clouds but couldn’t help shining through them. Early next morning when we were getting into the car, the famous footballer Bhaichung Bhutia silently cycled past us and I was left in awe of the humility that the people of Sikkim exhibited.

The sky was a canvas.

We were taken to Tashi View Point in the wee hours when it was yet dark and the mist still lingered. Armed with binoculars, we waited at Tashi View Point for dawn and when the sun rose, what I felt was something that can’t be conveyed through words. It was mystical as the sky turned into a canvas, the clouds took on a pinkish purple and the darkness was vanquished when a burst of gold spread across the heavens. My eyes forgot to blink and my heart paused its beating to behold the sight that a photograph would fail to capture in itself.

Another spiritual experience awaited.

A few minutes later, we left for the Gonjang Monastery where another spiritual experience awaited me. I entered the holy place where I found a silence that put my troubled mind to peace. I turned the prayer wheels and listened to the wind chimes as they preached the doctrine of nature and taught me that ‘One is all and all is one’. We left the monastery and proceeded to Lhasa Falls for a bit of fun where I went rock climbing, zip lining and had some good Sikkim tea. We had some juicy ice apples and left to Do-drul Chorten stupa where I spent some time admiring the Tibetan architecture and took some pictures with the monks there. We went back to the hotel as it had gotten dark and we were tired too.

Fireworks of ice.

When we reached the hotel, there was a strange tapping on the window and when I pulled back the curtain, I was surprised by what was revealed. It was hailing and the hail were exploding as they hit the window and seemed like small fireworks of ice that were more dangerous than their fire counterparts. Later that night, I had a paranormal encounter that left me terrified as I lay down to sleep but failed to escape to the perfect world of slumber. The next day, we were to leave to Nathula Pass but unfortunately, there was a landslide the night before which laid waste to our plans for that day.

The view of Gangtok.

We had to alter our plans and made our way to the cable car in Gangtok and had to wait in the long queue to purchase our ticket. The cable car ride gave me a clear view of the beautiful Gangtok. I was surprised to see a group of elderly women drinking and playing a game of cards in broad daylight, little children playing football in the clean streets and a food cart selling thukpa (Tibetan noodle soup). After the ride, we decided to visit the infamous MG Marg.

It felt like I had come to another country.

The MG Marg is a kilometer long pedestrian only zone which is lined with shops, bars and eateries. It felt like I had come to another country because it seemed different from other market places. The clean MG Marg had the best Chinese and Tibetan cuisine and was just so beautiful with its clean benches and Victorian lights that lit our way. We had some steaming thukpa for lunch and waffles with ice cream for dessert. We then went to the Flower Exhibition Centre which housed the most exotic and beautiful flowers that nature could make. My sister and I also wore the traditional Tibetan dress to take back home some good pictures. The people of Sikkim are hardworking, strong, hospitable and optimistic. They refer to each other as brother or sister and live in harmony. I saw an old man who was carrying a huge closet on his own and carrying it uphill, students hang out at eateries dressed sharply in school blazers, the locals setting out to work with smiles on their faces and I realized then that life is a simple sophistication. Life is something that we hold dear and it need not be filled with luxuries for it to be satisfying and it is often the small things in life that bring innocent joy. We fail to enjoy the things that matter because of some minor inconvenient happenings. When I look back to when I was in Sikkim, I remember the chill air, the beautiful sky and the lovely people I met. God seems to be an amazing artist as He painted the sky when the sun rose at Tashi View Point, the flowers in the exhibition and the rainbow at the waterfall. It is the feeling you get from moments like them that supports the existence of God and the trip to Sikkim confirmed my belief in the supernatural. There is a very famous dialogue in Hindi Cinema which teaches an indispensable lesson and it goes, “Babu Moshai, zindagi badi honi chahiye lambi nahi!” which translates to, “Babu Moshai, life is to be large, not long!”

“Babu Moshai, zindagi badi honi chahiye lambi nahi!”