Nathu La

Golden rays of the sun falling on the majestic peaks of the Himalayas

Sikkim, no words can describe the beauty of Sikkim. The 28^th State of India, Sikkim is virtually in the lap of the mighty Himalayas, the abode of the Gods. It is the second smallest state in India after Goa area wise. It also has the lowest population with diverse cultures, and traditions. The main language of Sikkim is Nepalese, apart from Tibetan and Dzongkha. Hindi and English are the other languages mainly used due to growing tourism.

Sikkim offers a spectacular scene with every turn of the road. Though Sikkim has no official airport of its own, the nearest airport is Bagdogra about 124 kms from the capital Gangtok. There are other means of transport as well. The nearest railway stations are Siliguri about 114 kms and New Jalpaiguri about 125 kms connecting Kolkata the capital of West Bengal. The road from Bagdogra to Gangtok takes about 5 hours and to Darjeeling about 3 hours.

Sikkim is very strict about cleanliness, road sense, traffic, and its cultures and traditions. Smoking is prohibited all over Gangtok, though people smoke openly once you leave the capital. However, use of plastics is banned in entire Sikkim. Nuisance of any kind is prohibited; throwing of plastics, water bottles, wrappers is banned. Hence the government ensures that Sikkim is clean and green.

The state of Sikkim is divided into 4 zones, North, South, East and West.

The important places to vist in the :

North:

• Singhik
• Chungthang
• Yumthang
• Gurudongmar Lake

East:

• Directorate of Handicrafts & Handlooms
• Enchey Monastery
• Ganesh Tok
• Hanuman Tok
• Tashi View Point
• Flower Exhibition
• Do Drul Chorten
• Namgyal Research Institute of Tibetology
• Saramsa Garden
• Rumtek Monastery
• Ranka Monastery
• Jawaharlal Nehru Botanical Garden
• Himalayan Zoological Park
• Tsomgo Lake or Changu Lake
• Nathu-la Pass
• Baba Mandir

West:

• Pemayangtse Monastery
• Rabdentse Ruins
• Pelling
• Sangacholing Monastery
• Singshore Bridge
• Kanchendzonga Waterfalls
• Yuksam
• Khecheopalri Lake
• Shiv Mandir

South:

• Namchi
• Temi Tea Garden
• Samdruptse
• Rock Garden

I had made our tour arrangement with Yatra.com who in turn made further arrangements with M/s. Shah Tours & Travels of Siliguri. I had given my itinerary to Yatra along with the places I wanted to visit, and to make our stay at all the places as comfortable as possible in good hotels.

We booked our 7.45a.m. flight from Mumbai on the 15^th May 2012 to Kolkata and then on the connecting 2.00p.m. flight to Bagdogra. From there a car was arranged to Gangtok. After having lunch on the way, we proceeded to Gangtok and it took nearly 5-6 hours to reach, since the roads are in a bad shape. Infact apart from the beauty of Sikkim, the only minus fact is the roads. All the roads were either damaged in the September earthquake or the landslides and rain washed them out.

It is advised to take anti vomiting medicines if one is prone to travel sickness since the roads are bumpy and winding.

After reaching Gangtok at about 7.30 we checked into Hotel Asian Heights which was away from the main hustle bustle of the city mall, but very close to the Secretariat and the Assembly Hall. The Ropeway was also at a stone’s throw. The whole atmosphere changed from the heat of the plains to the cool of the hills and mountains. 

We got fresh and then left for the Mall Road by steps which were adjacent to our hotel. These steps were a long flight and ended straight down to the Mall Road, it takes a mere 5-7 minutes to reach down but a good 10 mins to climb which is very tiring.

The Mall Road or M.G. Road

The Mall Road as usual is a no traffic zone with the entire stretch teeming with hoards of people, mainly tourists, either sitting on the cement benches or shopping for curios. There are a lot of curio shops and restaurants lined on either side of the Mall Road. Tuesday is a holiday for the Mall Road shops, shops are open on either side of the Mall Road. Sikkim completed its 25^th year of Statehood this year, and hence the entire stretch of the Mall Road was lit up with small rice-bulb strings, there were fountains in the middle of the road and there was an overall festive mood.   

The restaurants serve good vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Bars are within the hotel and liquor is freely served in the state.

One salient feature which I observed was that I didn’t find any beggar in the entire state of Sikkim.

Our hotel for the night – Asian Heights is a budget hotel with a restaurant and good staff. Overlooking the narrow road, it is difficult to get a cab as there is no parking anywhere on the street. Though cabs do park outside the hotel for a short while for the convenience of the tourists.

The very next day on the 16^th May, we left for Nathula Pass which is about 55 kms from Gangtok. We were told that there may be snowfall there and carry all the winter wear possible to combat it. We had our thermals and our sweaters, with mufflers and monkey caps, gloves and all. A permit has to be obtained from the government counters at the bus stand to enter Nathula. The tour operator had made arrangements with the driver to obtain the permits. 

Vehicles to Nathu-la waiting patiently at the checkpost

It is necessary to carry 4 sets of passport sized photographs and identity proof like Aadhar card, Pan Card, Driving license, or any other Government issued card of identity. Better to keep more copies in case of going to places where it is necessary. I had carried 6 of each. Our driver came early in the morning at about 6.30 and took the documents to get the permit ready. We left about an hour later after breakfast.

The road to Nathula though only 55 kms is torturous, winding, full of bumps and never a plain road at any given point. The climb is slow and steady and the maximum speed is just about 15-20 kmph. As the road climbed steadly, we reached the check point where our permits were scrutinized and we were allowed to proceed further. 

We reached a wide area where a large waterfalls was seen to our left… our driver told us that it is known as the Mandakini Waterfalls. We halted for a good 15 mins. and refreshed ourselves with a cuppa tea at a nearby stall which served practically everything from gloves and jackets, to eatables and tea. We purchased good woolen gloves and a jacket for my daughter and having refreshed, set out for our onward journey.

Mandakini Waterfalls

Somewhere in the middle of our journey we saw the vast expanse of the Tsomgo or Changu Lake with shops and eateries on the right side of the road. There was a diversion ahead to go to Baba Mandir and were told that we will be visiting it on our way back. It took us a good one and half hour to reach Nathula from here, and the weather began to deteriorate as we climbed slowly. It began to rain, a drizzle, which steadily turned into snowfall as we climbed further. The climb was slow, and arduous. Vehicles groaned due to the inclines and the cold weather. Atlast we could see the Indo-China border far across on the high mountain top. What a sight it was…… snow covered peaks and the fencing on the border which could be seen from the road. 

The Indo-China Border on top of the mountain

It took us an overall 4 hours to reach Nathula Pass from Gangtok. This pass is a military sensitive area and the Indo-China border. I was told that during the months of August – October, Chinese traders travel across the border and trade with their Indian counterparts.

We reached the parking lot which was flooded with vehicles who had made a dash to be there as fast as possible to secure a better parking space much closer to the gate.

By now it was snowing hard, and people were enjoying the beauty of nature. Many were seen playing in the snow piled on the side of the road. We got out of our Sumo, and inched our way to the gate which had Nathu-la written on it. As we slowly climbed the few steps to avoid slipping on the smooth ice, we saw a magnificent spectacle of the huge mountains bordering our beautiful country. 

This was the entrance to the Indo-China border, and we found that here the air is a bit rarer and breathing became hard. The cold was intense. We inched our way through the ice and snow to a small shack which was a "mess" or a military canteen which served hot soup, Maggie Noodles, tea and momos among other eatables. We refreshed ourselves to hot steaming soup and noodles and having warmed ourselves, we came out to go to the pass gate. It was really snowing very hard now and so we dropped the idea of climbing to the pass which was a good 200 meters from the mess.

The Indian Tricolour at the gate of Nathu La pass

Also known as the Pass of Listening Ears

After a brief moment of admiring the beauty, we slowly returned back to our Sumo to return back and visit the Baba Mandir and Tsomgo Lake enroute to Gangtok.

The winding road to Nathu-La