10 Days of Nobel Silence.

Golden Pagoda

Silence, the word can we used as a warning, reflexively prompting you to stop what you are doing. Silence is an escape, which many want to make into the deep oceans inside. Silence can be deafening when realized or it can be as sweet as the music of a peacock dancing in rain.  All of us have this calling from inside when we want to escape the reality into such world of subtle music and meditation is a one of the way to it.

I first chanced upon Vipassana meditation while reading about Buddhist traditions. Vipassana I read was a Buddhist meditation technique which Buddha himself used to attain enlightenment. I got very curious about this and started looking for the places in India where it is taught. I very easily found an organization; which was started by Shri Goenka and has more than 50 centers across India. I got myself registered to one of the 10 days courses in Pushkar center in Rajasthan for the month of May in 2015.

Rules of the course are pretty simple and not all that hard to follow if you are passionate about learning the technique. These rules are based on 5 sheels (शील  ) or the principles of morality which were given by Buddha and which act as a foundation for each meditator. According to Buddhism when you lie; their will always be a mental turmoil; which will hinder your meditation practice; therefore we were not allowed to speak for 10 days. Why was it so? Because human tendency is that whenever we speak, we either lie or exaggerate and to prevent that we were not allowed to speak. Also according to Buddhism you should not kill any living thing and therefore food that was served to us was pure vegetarian. The other three principles are :- you should not steal; you should not consume any intoxicating drinks and you should not do any sexual misconduct. So when a meditator follows all these five principles his mind is preconditioned for meditation. One of the great things to know about this course is that it is a free course which completely runs on donation and one is only allowed to donate if one has already attended at least one course. Boarding and lodging facilities are provided in the center itself and this too is without any charge.


After reaching Ajmer I took a bus to Pushkar and walked through colourful markets selling Rajasthani artwork. I took a small jeep from Pushkar, which dropped to the center, which was in an isolated village. Pushkar is one of the holiest places in the Hinduism as the only temple of Brahma; the creator of the world lies there. After reaching the center we were introduced to the course, given food and basic instructions; we were asked to relax for the night as we were supposed to wake up early at 4 AM from the next morning.

Schedule

Here is what the schedule looked like for next ten days that followed, we were woke up at 4 AM every morning by the sound of small bells that are used in puja ceremonies; a volunteer would come in front of each of our boarding spaces and ring the bell until he sees that you are up. Next from 4 AM to 4:30 AM we were allowed to complete our daily necessities and at 4:30 the volunteer will again come in front of your doorstep to ask to join the meditation session in the common room.  Till 6 AM in the morning we used to engross in deep meditation and no one utters a word, not a sound from instructor as well. At around 6:00 AM some chanting in Pali language used to start and as Pali is not all that different from Sanskrit we were able to understand it in essence. From 6:30 to 7:00 it was breakfast time it used to be one of the most delicious meals. We were given a fruit, porridge, toast and tea along with a special dish in the morning. After the meal you are supposed do your dishes. From 7:00 to 8:00 you could relax, I used to sleep in this duration and these sleeps, I can very confidently say were the most relaxing one.  From 8:00 to 11:00 we used to again sit for meditation, for initial one hour we are given the instructions and after that we are completely on our own. From 11:00 to 12:00 we had a lunch break, lunch again was very delicious although simple. We were generally given dal, rice, jaggery (for sweet dish), chapattis, curd and a vegetable. After the lunch we were allowed to relax from 12:00 to 1:00 and then from 1:00 to 5 we used to sit and meditate in our meditation quarters (Shayangrih). From 5 onwards till 6 we were allowed to walk around the center, most of time I used to sit in front of the golden pagoda and listen to the sound of bells on its top; which was created by the pattern of wind. From 6 to 7 we again use to sit and meditate in the common hall and from 7 to 8 the most important yet interesting time used to start, we used to listen to the discourse of Shri Goenka which used to be interesting and humorous. From 8:00 to 9:00 we used to have another session of meditation in which new technique was introduced and after the nine we used to break for the day.

I used to take some walk around the campus before finally retiring to bed at around 10 PM.

Dhamma Hall

The Technique

The road to meditation in Vipassana can be divided into three parts. One is sheel, which I have already described, Second is Samadhi(समाधी); which is about the right kind of concentration and the third one is Panya (पन्या) or wisdom and what is the right kind of wisdom.

So before starting the meditation itself the preconditioning of the mind is done. It has to be free from all the turmoil and be calm and still, it should be able to concentrate on the right thing to observe the truth clearly.  Sheel and Samadhi are used for these purposes. It should be reiterated here that in Vipassana course silence is not merely of words but also of action and mental thoughts.

Aan – Paan – Sati

For three days initially we try to get into right kind of concentration and to do that we focus on our breath. Why breath? One could argue. Here are a couple of reasons. When we are generally taught how to meditate in schools and other places we are asked to either imagine an object or create a sound and then try to focus on that, the problem with such a thing is that firstly, we are not observing what is truth as what we are focusing on is imaginary. Secondly, we are playing two roles for example, creating a noise and focusing on the same so here we are doer and the observer together and this dichotomy actually leads to more turmoil and can never keep the mind still. There are a lot of advantages in focusing on your breath Firstly, breath is the only process in your body; which can work either under a control or without any control, it is both voluntary and involuntary. The voluntary actions of your mind are controlled by your conscious mind and the involuntary actions of your mind are controlled by unconscious mind and breath in fact is a bridge between your conscious and unconscious mind. When you start focusing on your breath you slowly start traveling on this bridge; which takes you away from your conscious mind toward the unconscious mind.  Also here there is no dichotomy as there is no doer, as breath is involuntary and you only play the role of an observer. This process of focusing on breath is called Aan-Paan Sati.

Aan-Paan Sati is practiced for three days. In Buddhism there is a concept of Sama Samadhi, which literally means the right kind of mental state and Aan-Paan Sati gives that right kind of mental state for any meditator to move forward in the path of Vipassana.

Vipassana

For next seven days we practice Vipassana. Vipassana is about observing the truth as it is and in as much detail as possible within the framework of your body. Gautama came to a conclusion after observing the whole world that the world is filled with miseries and there are four kinds of dukkha, old age; illness; birth and death. In his pursuit to remove humanity from the cycle of birth and death, happiness and misery he came up with the idea of Vipassana.


Buddha divided the unconscious mind into four parts, First part has the function to receive the signals from outside world through Six sense doors (mind being one of them) Second part is responsible in analysing the signal, it works in binary; it decides whether the signal is good or bad. Third part is responsible for generating the sensation; which is also called Vedana (वेदना)  and the last part is supposed to react and this reaction is known as Sankara(संस्कार). It is believed that for a man to live a complete life, he will have to free himself from all the worldly pleasures and pains and for doing that he will have to stop responding to each and every Vedana and stop generating Sankara. This will only happen when the unconscious mind is properly trained and has attained mental equanimity and attaining mental equanimity is the ultimate aim of Vipassana.

After three days when you sit for meditation your mind will be so still, so focused and already on the unconscious level that you will start observing these Vedanas or sensations. These sensations are always present in the unconscious level of the mind but we are almost never able to observe them.  When you sit to meditate you can observe a lot of different kinds of sensations, the most prominent of them being, perspiration on the upper lip; itching due to biochemical reactions on the skin and pain in the back and in legs. The only task of a Vipassana yogi is to observe these sensations objectively without reacting to them or branding them as sensations of pleasure or pain. You are only supposed to realise the fact that such sensations exist and that you have observed it keeping the mind in perfect equanimity.

Different kind of sensations result from different experiences, It is said that the root cause of all the miseries of a man arise from three things, ignorance, aversion and passion. If the man is ignorant at present he will be in misery; if a man has  hateful thoughts or aversion for something that happened to him in past is will be in misery and if a man is too passionate about his future he will always be in misery. Passionate thoughts always invoke a good sensation within the body and the general habit pattern of the mind is to keep the good sensations flowing in the body which finally leads to a Sankara, Aversion of the past always leads to a bad/unpleasant sensation in the body and the mind wants to quickly do away with it which leads to another Sankara.


When one sits for meditation one will experience both good and bad sensation, to break out of general habit pattern of the mind you will have to start observing these sensations objectively without the understanding of them being good or bad. When the mind is equanimous the old Sankars; which are there in the mind also start coming up and they too are dissolved when we stop reacting to them.

As easy as it appear to sound it is a very tough thing to maintain equanimity in the face to severe pain or under a very pleasant sensation but this when understood properly, works greatly.

Residential Quarters

Learning Outcomes

The experience of undergoing such a rigorous course is very different from any thing in the world. When you silent for ten days you start question your actions in the world and try to understand where all you went wrong. Also, once you come back home you would very much like to continue this habit of meditating and following the Sheels because you know what it is like to be in that state of meditation to live in that moment of bliss which unlike the belief of most people cannot be attained from any drug or drink and can only come from within.


Also you start understanding the value of simple living and of mortality of your life.  This practice of meditation made me more interested to read Indian thinker and philosophers and ideas of Buddha.

Also the underlying philosophy of Buddhism which strikes one is very amazing, there no dichotomy between you and the God, here the is concept is  “ तत त्वाम असि “ or you are that.  It is not a belief or a devotion it is a logical and conscious attempt to attain enlightenment. There is no God and everyone can become one.

Walking back home I was a changed man.

Dzukou Valley Trek, Nagaland

Valley of Flower - Dzukou Valley, Nagaland 

Nagaland is a microcosm of India, many different languages, people with different religious beliefs and places of worship, multiple cuisine, different musical instruments and weapons for hunting (this although is not very Indian)


On my last trip to Nagaland I was totally taken by the diversity of Nagaland and hospitality of Naga people. I made couple of good friends and I was always trying to find ways to meet them again. Last trip was also a great learning experience as I got to learn a lot about Geography of Nagaland and I was advised by a good friend to trek around Dzukou Valley as the winter subsides and that is exactly what I did.

IIT has a very weird culture of Holi, we dig a hole in the ground, fill it with water and then you pick up everyone in the hostel and throw him in the mud. After having gone through all this for first year I planned to escape all this. Dzukou Valley essential came in my mind as it is a short trek, barely takes some 5-6 hours to climb up. So I called up my friends in Nagaland about this and they were all excited for the get together.

I planned on traveling during the night to Nagaland because of the time crunch. So I took a train from Guwahati to Dimapur which dropped me there at 6:30 AM. There is a taxi stand just outside the railway station, there taxis directly go to Kohima and charge around INR 200. It takes some two hours to reach Kohima.

The road to Kohima is beautifully dotted by the scenic expanse of the green valley, you can see the valorous Assam Rifles troops near the road and the prettiest faces of the Naga Women, awe-inspiring. At around 8:30 we were already in Kohima. As I got down the memories from the last visit flashed in my mind. I took a little walk around the city, on my way I saw the World War Two memorial with all its glories, it feels good to revisit the memories sometimes. As a general habit before any trek, I buy some chocolates for the way as they are good source of instant energy. Moku, a friend from Nagaland was waiting for me near the bus stop, so I stopped the train of memories and rushed towards it.

I requested Moku to make this trip with me but due to his preoccupations he could not make it. So he helped us in getting the right bus, after half an hour we landed in Vishwema Village from where the trek actually begin.


It was 9:30 in the morning and we started our trek, it is a short trek but not the effortless one. All along the trek one has to follow a stream which runs parallel. You can see a lot of local people on the way who are quite friendly in showing you the way. No guide of porter service offered for this trek, and one doesn't even feel the need of it. I could not find anyone else on the trek and this was giving me a strange sense of uncertainty.

So after five hours of trekking through the forest, we finally landed on the top. While taking the final steps, at first you don't see anything but when you span your sight around you a valley whose beauty is unparalleled. I sat there for half an hour and then made the journey forward. After walking for one more hour we saw couple of huts and from them was emanating an enchanting sound of christian music.

Meditating on Nature.

We went inside one of these huts, introduced ourself. We were advised to buy some firewood for the night as the temperature in the valley goes subzero. After spending some time interacting with another group of trekkers from Manipur we went to for a walk around the valley. From here I saw one of the most beautiful sunset in my life.

At night I went to meet the other group and had a nice time talking to them, they taught me how to light the fire, we discussed about the internal politics and problems in Manipur. I also got to know, in a great detail about the Arunanchal Pradesh. One very interesting thing that I noticed about Arunanchal Pradesh was that they speak hindi over there and that to in a "Bihari Accent" while the other parts of North East like Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland us english as a common language to communicate. I also go to know about the some very strange traditions in Arunanchal Pradesh.

At night we realised that the sheet which we brought on the trek was not enough as the temperature went below zero. I for the first time in my life realised slept inside my backpack and was just wishing that the night would end. When the cold became unbearable I covered went out to light the fire again, it took an effort of around one hour to light up the fire for a short duration of half and hour but anyway the efforts themselves kept me warm.


Next morning we could see the layer of ice on the valley, we could also see the small stream frozen. We walked around the valley to witness some amazing sights, an abandoned cave and sparse vegetation. We took some tea in one of the huts and than I started talking to the owner of the house. As always I am always curious about the traditional drinks of hill people and I was introduced to one such drink called "Sigmai". When I asked if they had some Zouthou, the drink which I had the last time in Nagaland they declined, but Sigmai did its job, it surely does lighten your mind.

After spending some time with local people and knowing some ghost stories about the place we trekked down the valley, it took us some four hours to trek down and just after climbing down for two hours we were able to find the motorable roads. You can find a lot of people, relaxing on there jeeps with hunting guns in there hands, if they see that it is discomforting they come to you to explain.

At the base we were lucky to find a jeep to Kohima, where we eat in one of shops managed by a marwadi. We were lucky meet Moku and his friends again and they bid us farewell.

The train from Dimapur to Guwahati was at night and we had some time in Kohima to spend. I got in  conversation with some Manipuri students and got an understanding about the AFSPA law there. At 3 PM around we left Kohima for Dimapur.


Thereon we had another train journey back to Guwahati.

On my second visit to Nagaland,  I have become more comfortable around Naga people. I also learned the differences in Political ideologies, need and necessities of minorities in our country. Also the fact that a ban in one part of a country on something can raise the insecurity in the minds of minorities living in the other part. If I have to sum up in one line, this trip really made me more diplomatic.

Hornbill Festival - Nagaland

Hornbill Festival in Nagaland is organised by Government of Nagaland every year in the month of December from 1st to 10th. It is a unlike anything that happens in India and is a testimony of the rich and diverse culture of Nagaland. To make a comparison, it is like an olympics for the 17 tribes in Nagaland which inhabit various district. Various sports competitions like spear throw and archery is the part of the event. Also, one could be a witness to the cultural programs by various tribes displaying their rich dance, music and daily ritual. The concept of festival is not merely limited to the display alone and you can actually participated in various events like Naga chilly eating competition and Rock Band competition with a bumper price money. There are mega events late at night in the city of Kohima and the whole city turns into a carnival for ten days.

I first came to know about this festival in the first year of under-graduation at IIT Guwahati. At that time I was trying to absorb the culture of North East and a friend from this region suggested that I should go to Hornbill festival to know about Nagaland. So I made up my mind to it and planned to go there during winter breaks in my second year.

To Nagaland

As usual there was an urge from inside to go alone as has been my philosophy. I feel that somehow I can introspect more in this free time, that I can come more closer to myself and the surroundings through these ventures. I can also learn more about culture and the beauty that I travel to seek, alone in a meditative state.

We get a month break during December in winters. On 5th December after going thorough a little about how to get there in Nagaland. I picked up my backpack and camera and headed straight to the Railway station. I took a general ticket to the Dimapur Station in Nagaland and boarded a train.

I have always noticed that people in North-East are very inquisitive when they see someone from the other part of country, travelling with them and in that spirit of enquiry I was involved into conversation by the fellow passengers in the train. As soon as they got know that I am travelling alone to Nagaland they got very concerned. Most of them being Assamese advised me against it, stating various incidents of kidnapping and killing in the recent past. It was not as if only one or two people were against they idea, they very same idea was reiterate throughout the journey of six hours and this painted a rather gory picture of Nagaland in my mind. I started thinking of getting down at Nagaland and taking the next train to Guwahati, whichever I am able to find and all that.

Finally the wait was over, a thousand thoughts were hitting my mind. Should I get down and stay in Dimapur for night? or should I simple wait at railway station and take a next train to Guwahati. I was frightened about that I am sure.

In Nagaland

After this mental conflict I made up my mind.  As I have come along, I won't go back unless I see for myself, If the problem exists at all. As soon as I came out of station a young man with Bihari accent came next to me and asked if I needed some help. He said that "As I am from his country" he wanted to help me in a "foreign" land. I didn't mind the way he referred and  gladly accepted his help. He helped me in getting an accommodation in a Hotel which was managed by Biharis who settled in Nagaland.  After putting my luggage inside, I planned to take a look outside, know a little about the situation in Nagaland, whether it is safe for me to proceed and things like that. 

I was told by the Gentleman sitting in Reception of the Hotel that it was fairly safe and that such incidents about which I was told are very sporadic and rare but are blown out of proportion by some people with vested interests. After hearing this I got by breath back and inquired about the way forward to Kohima.

Towards Kohima

They charge you Rs 220 for a government regulated Taxi to Kohima. You can catch the taxis just outside the Railway station and the journey is very comfortable. 

It takes some three to four hours to reach Kohima from Dimapur. As I we started climbing up, I came across more and more tourists and this made me all the more comfortable with my surroundings and with this confidence I carried on.

The vegetation of the hill is no wonder beautiful. The language of Nagaland is English so conversing with the local people was not a problem. On the way I came across a lot of sign board, instructing about Hornbill festival, its history and its aims.

After a ride of some four hours I landed in Kohima, the capital of Nagaland. It is like any other hill station in india. Jammed with traffic and beautiful landscape covered with concrete towers. As I got down, I was engaged into a conversation by a local and, I wanted to visit the World War Two memorial in Kohima before heading towards the Hornbill village.

It was on a walking distance from the place I landed and so within ten minutes I was able to reach the place. Although we talk about it very less in our history but the war at Kohima played a great role in Indian Independence from British and from any other colonial power. The Azad Hind Fauj, with Subash Chandra Bose as its leader and Imperial Japanese army in its supports attached the eastern front of the India. Kohima is a strategic place from where the situation around the region can be controlled and Japanese Army Planned on capturing that during second world war.

The most fierce battle took place on the Tennis court of the than Deputy Commissioner's bungalow. That area is still preserved by the British Commonwealth Organisation. Also in the World War two memorial you can find the gravestones of all those Muslim and Christian soldiers who died in the battle. The name of Hindu soldiers, who of course were not buried are there on an another stone.

Around Kisama Village

After spending some time in Memorial I took a taxi to the Kisama Village where the Hornbill festival actually takes place. Next to the entrance there is a World War two Museum, there are several local craftsman sitting around it, displaying the rich Naga art of weaving and painting. There was also an exhibition of photographs and paintings where the local and the international artists have captured the beauty of Nagaland and its people.

There is an amphitheatre right in the middle of the village where a lot of competitions and cultural programs take place. When I went there the spear throwing event was going on, there were representatives from all the tribes trying to hit the bull's eye with this giant dart. As competition got over I started looking for some snacks. There was this one store which I came across whose owner was from Pachuri tribe, I asked him if he had some "Zouthou", which is a traditional drink of Naga people and he said he has plenty, Also that Zouthou of different tribes are different and I must tribe them all.  The drink was indeed great, unlike general beer or alcoholic drinks it is sour in taste and makes your head light. After have some Zouthou I started taking the tour of the village.


There I got to know that Each tribe has built one "Morung", that is the house for display. Where they keep there traditional weapons, utensils which they still use to cook food, the hosts inside each of these houses are dressed in there traditional attire and you may if you want click a picture with them. I started talking to many of these hosts and got to know a fair deal about there tribe, some principals which they follow, the district from which they belong, food which they eat and so on. In one such Morung I met Moko and he inquired where I was out in Nagaland and after knowing that I am still to decide he quickly came forward to help with it. I gladly accepted and after few more glasses of Zouthou I joined him in his car towards Kohima again.

At night Kohima city is a carnival, there was a performance by Smokey in the city. The hotels in the city were jam packed but at the end of the day I was able to find room in one decent hotel, I thanked Moko and asked told him that we shall meet the next day, he said he would pick me up from the hotel itself.

After keeping by luggage in the room, I went out in the city. I was mesmerised by the beauty of Naga Woman. Also at the end of one street corner the Karaoke was going and I sat there for a while. Most of the songs were Christian Pop and I was not able to make out but in any case they sounded good. After strolling in the city for an hour I came back to hotel and ended my day.

Next morning Moko came right on time and we headed to Hornbill Village. I went to see the World war two museum, it still has a detail about the war formations, scrolls from that time and other informations. After that I walked around several Morungs and tried the local cuisine in some of them.  There was a cultural program where several tribes performed there local dances, most of the dances in Nagaland a procedural, expressing the act of doing something. I had some more Zouthou with Moko as he claimed that I haven't tried the best one yet, So After I was couple of glasses down we came back to Kohima city.

There we meet three friends of Moko, one of them his girlfriend and the other two her sisters. We hung around the city searching for places hangout. There was a fair in the city so we took little rides, wearing those flashy masks.  I took a round of the markets in the city and then said a finally adieu to my friends.

Back Again

Next morning I met another tourist, residing in the same Hostel as I was, a software engineer from Bangalore exploring North East. He asked for certain directions which I gladly helped him with and then headed for the taxi stand.

I took another shared cab to Dimapur, within two hours I was there, took another General ticket from the station, this time more confidently and as I was waiting for the train, I stated talking to a gentleman from Meghalaya. He started lecturing about life, family, responsibility and fun. Taking a note of all that, it was time for me to leave the place.

In my mind the I was clear that there was no danger in Nagaland and my experience proved it right. The propaganda will continue and is continuing but people like me will go, live, enjoy and know about people of that beautiful land always.

Coming back to Guwahati, I for the first time felt that I was back home.  I had a lot of treasures with me in my bag, a bamboo cup in which Zouthou is served, Naga Chilly and some pleasant memories captured as pictures.

Trek To Sandakphu

There has always been a constant pull from Himalayas.  The mighty Himalayas  standing as the natural boundary of our nation. I started looking for some trek in Himalayan range and came across Sandakphu. It is situated in northern bengal, the highest peak of West Bengal state of India. Also from this point one can enjoy the beautiful view of Kanchendzonga, the highest peak in India (if you discard K2 which comes under POK), you see the Mount everest very clearly and enjoy a nice sunrise. It takes four days of hard trekking to reach this point but it is totally worth it. 

7 Days in Sikkim

Yumthang Valley

One of the most fascinating thing about studying in North East is the short break that you get during the October on the occasion of much revered Durga Puja. It is a season when Monsoon just retreats and chill of winter is about to blanket us. One of the objective of taking a college in North East was to explore the natural beauty of this less explored mystic land and I started this campaign with the first opportunity that came on way.

Sikkim, is always an ideal place for October. It isn't all that cold which means that roads are still open and you can see the ice. Also, Sikkim offered a chance to explore Buddhism, which has always been an interest for me, also you can be face to face with Chinese, being an India at least at one place on Earth. And so it was decided, without much plan, Sikkim it will be.

A rickety Bus ride.

As soon as the exam got over at about four in the afternoon, I rushed back to hostel, stuffed some clothes inside a bag, took out some cash and headed straight to the ISBT, Guwahati. The beautiful part of an unplanned journey is its unpredictability, you don't know what follows next. So what followed next was a rickety bus ride to Siliguri.

The bus started after a delay of two hours at eight in night and it was raining already. The roof of the bus was leaking and water was dripping on our heads. After some four hour of ride the driver stopped the bus, just like that and went off to sleep. I was told that there were some regulations and Police do not allow public transports to pass through that area at night and so the sleeping break. I also dozed off on my wet seat.

When I woke up, we were about to reach Siliguri. The scenery of Northern Bengal plains is beautiful. You can see Hills covered with Tea in distant horizon and the moisture of early morning shower was still visible on the greens.

After a fourteen hour journey. I was at my destination.

The Travel Agents of Siliguri.

Siliguri is the gateway to four major tourist destination, Nepal, Bhutan, Darjeeling and Sikkim. Everything around Siliguri is bent to prove the same. As soon as I got down I was surrounded by a group of travel agents, selling the "cheapest package deal" just for me.

After a great deal of resistance I gave up to one such tenacious travel agent and went inside his small shop, what is it that he was offering. The offer was not bad indeed and I got a hotel in Gangtok and a ride to it.

It took five hours to reach Gangtok against 3 hours that was shown on Google. Some Nepali song was playing in the background and I could see beautiful Tea Gardens all around. We passed a Checkpoint, where they affirm your Indian Identity and after sometime stopped at one street side restaurant for some tea. It was overlooking the Teesta River, which is blue and intense.

I reached Gangtok at about three in the afternoon. Went straight to the hotel, kept my luggage inside and headed out. The manager was a Nepali Gentleman and he instructed me to be back by eight otherwise his doors won't open. With this in mind I headed to the much heard about place in Gangtok, the MG Road.

M.G Road and The Hot Cop.

M.G Road. What a  sight. The most beautiful concrete path on earth. Most part of this beauty is added by the creatures who walk on it. M.G. Road indeed has some of the most stunningly beautiful women walking around, you can see a group of Buddhist monk walking around with headphones on. People seem buy something, but they actually are not and I tried my hand at window shopping as well.

I was unsure about which way to walk to get back to my hotel and then I saw a very unconventionally attractive women in a role of traffic police near a square. Asking for directions and acting foolish or a slow learner was interesting now. I took complete five minutes to exactly understand the route which I need to take to get back. She was very patient and helping.

One good thing about Sikkim is that everyone follows the rule. People will not throw things out on road, and instruct you about it as well (Sometimes before you even think about throwing it on street, as they have a general idea about an average person from Mainland), people will walk on footpaths which are nicely crafted and the taxi drivers follow a government regulated price.

Also, the Nepali people in general will always have stories to share. Knowledge, out in open, you just need enough ears. While walking back to Hotel I met one such Gentleman and had a very worthy discussion on Durga Puja to Ramayana to what they might actually mean.

After reaching back to hotel I started planning for the next day. I met with the Hotel Manager and he guided me about all that can be done.

In Sikkim for visiting most of the places you have to take permits and the Hotel Manager helped me in getting those made. I just provided him with a  college ID and some photographs. Also getting  a permit ready may take about one day. I needed to utilize this one day and Gangtok has enough places to keep you busy.

Birds Eye View of Gangtok

Around Gangtok

Next morning I took a walk around the city of Gangtok. It is like any other hill station in India but with very less traffic. You can see clearly laid footpaths around fine taxis running around.

There are several things that can be done in the city. You can enjoy a ropeway ride and see the whole city from  a bird's eye view. There are couple of monasteries, with fine gardens and peaceful courtyard where you can city and meditate. There is a Tibetan museum where contain all the diverse cultural relics of Tibetan Buddhism.  One thing which amazed me was that a lot of deities were common signalling the link in the cultures, Lord Shiva being called Natraja with similar rules as in Hinduism.

Then to have a nice view of the whole place you can go to Ganesh Tok. For believers there is a temple of Ganesh, but this place is also the top most point of Sikkim.

One thing that no one should miss once in Sikkim is  Momo.  Throughout the my trip in Sikkim most of what I eat was Momo.

So I walked around the city and at the end of the day came back to MG Road. Enjoyed the view around for a while. Got a chance to talk to a young girl who recently converted in Hinduism from Christianity and walked back to the hotel.

To Nathu-la - Eye to Eye to Chinese  

Next morning I left early for Nathu-La pass and China Border.

The Manager had arranged for me a shared cab with a group of students from NIT Rourkela. Through my research before coming to Gangtok, I was aware that I will need some warm clothes a wind-cheater probably to escape the cold. But in my hurry I left the jacket and everything in the college and hence so I had got a wind-cheater on a rent.


All set, with some Nepali song again in the background we headed towards the east of Gangtok. After an hour of a drive uphill I was sure. The winter kills and it can kill me indeed and so at the first stop where we good down for refreshment, I took out a breezier. It really helped.

We passed Tsangmo Lake on  the way, Driver a Sherpa told us that we were to stop while coming down. The whole surrounding was very picturesque. Snow Covered Peaks in distance sometimes you feel as if you are passing through one of the clouds. You can see many small spring on the  way, their sound complementing the songs in background.

The Next stop was  Baba Harbhajan Mandir. Which is made in the memory of a soldier, who is believed to live in spite of being dead from many years. It is said that his army uniform is washed and ironed and everyday it gets creased and dirty. Also, his boots get muddy every day. He also has goes on an official leave, a seat is booked for him along with a companion for his visit home. Whatever it may be, this place gives a fighting courage, a sense of nationalism and is a source of inspiration for our soldiers on China Border.

From this point one view which gives you greatest pride is "Mera Bharat Mahan" written on the top of a hill. This area also falls under Chinese observation.

We climbed a little more uphill and reached the final destination, the Indo-China Border. You can shake hands with Chinese Soldiers and the area is very peaceful. The Climate there is chilling and high speed wind blows around that area. Our Soldiers are doing great job indeed in such a climatic conditions.


One our way down we stopped at Tsangmo Lack. You get amazed seeing the its expanse. You can also ride a yak. I sat there for a while, lost in the vastness and then moved on.

Zero Point

3 Nights and 300 Rupees

The next day started with some unexpected occurrences. The Hotel Manager informed me that he will be not able to arrange a shared cab for me for the trip to North Sikkim. I became really depressed over this and seeing this the manager tried pulled some strings and finally was able to make some arrangements.

And so the trip to North Sikkim began. I was had two Bengali families in company and I had an idea how next three days were going to be. The driver was a Tibetan Sherpa by the name Baichung. Yet again, some Nepali song in background and wonderful Sikkim scenery with springs and steep mountains.

I had already made payment for my food and accommodation and therefore I was carrying only small amount of cash, Rs 300 to be precise. As we started climbing uphill the weather became cold with sporadic rainfalls.

Our first stop was Lachen a small town. We stayed at a "home turned guest house". The Tibetan family living there were very hospitable. They told us that we were lucky and that just two days ago there was ice on the road and that we could go to Gurudogmer lake tomorrow. I had a very decent "home-made" rice and Pulses. The nights in these areas fall early and the day start early as well. It was freezing cold outside and I was icy cold. I took a nice view of the town and  jumped right into bed. The next day was going to be amazing.

Next day we woke up early in the morning at about four in the morning. From the previous night experience I was wearing an extra layer of clothes. We had a very decent breakfast at our hosts place and left the place early.

The roads were covered with snow and I could see tyre marks on the semi-melted snow everywhere. We passed some four to five army camps and at most of these areas photography is not allowed due to security reasons. The roads in North Sikkim are very treacherous, one can expect avalanches anytime due to intense construction work around. The roads were almost always enough only for one four wheeler. This added on the journey time but there was always Nepali songs in the background.

The Lake Gurudogmer is one of the most beautiful sight. It is said that Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh religion  while passing through Sikkim  was approached by a local dweller. He informed Guru Nanak Dev of their plight. During winter they faced a lot of problem for drinking water as everything around gets freeze. Guru Nanak with a stick in his hand, thumped the floor of ice at this place and there was a whole at the point where he struck. Water in this hole never freezes and this is the most beautiful thing to. A wonder of nature indeed, humbly explained in tales. We spent some two hours around this spot. It was very calm, beauty was serene and life was still.

We headed to La-chung after this.  La-Chung was also the place to where Baichung, our driver belonged. La-chung described most other parts in North Sikkim, Scant population, housing, construction and Military camps.  There was a small Momo joint at one point on the a hill, also a general store which surprisingly had cold jaleebis up for sale. The place where we were living, house of a young Tibetan lady with a  cute little kid, came under military camp. We met some soldiers who were candidly asked us " What brought us here?" This question was more like an answer from a homesick soldier who wonders, why will someone willingly come to this place. Photography as usually was not allowed in military area. Our room as is the case in most part of North Sikkim was very comfortable and clean.
After having some tea we went on a search for Mobile signals. The evening light had still not passed and so we trekked down a little from the place where we were living. While climbing down we saw a helipad where people were playing football and seeing this we went to this helipad to have a little chat with local people which is always refreshing and an enjoyable experience.

We spent an hour at this spot and then climbed back up. Night Creeps in early on mountains and silence follows and in this silence I dissolved all my thoughts and headed to the room for a little rest.

Next morning I woke to a beautiful sight of clear sky and in it a very special sight of snow covered mountains. I took a chair outside the house and sat there staring the mountain and listening to the music of a stream coming down from it. After out tea and some bread and butter, we headed to Yumthang Valley.

Yumthang and the Zero Point

The road to Yumthang Valley had a lot of springs and some makeshift bridges. It was all covered in snow and I was shivering in the back of the bus. By now I already half of the Nepali songs in the background and tried to sing them, to divert the attention a bit.

It took us two hours to reach Yumthang Valley. I fell in love with the very sight of it. After travelling in mountains for days  as I came across the expanse of the valley, the rich sunlight, I almost felt like staying in that warmth forever. You can sat around river teesta, meditated on the sound of water gushing past the stones. Up in the sky the sight of snow capped mountains was very clear now, the whole moment was of infinite bliss.
After some two hours we left for Zero Point. The specialty of Zero point is that it remains snow capped throughout the year. The entrance to it was jammed as a lot of people had come to visit. We had a to walk a while to reach the exact point as the jeep could not go.

On snow I did all sorts of mad things, made a Snow man and gave it my own Hat and muffler, made a shiv linga and also skidded, slipped and jumped on it. At one corner a guy selling local rum could be seen.

We stayed there for an hour and enjoyed the life, adventure and youth around. Next destination was Gangtok. We were heading back.

Last Night in Gangtok.

We were able to make it to Gangtok around five and this gave me another chance to visit the most "beautiful" street on the earth, MG Road. Coming back to Gangtok was a relief. It was less cold and more lively. Also after having rice and pulses for some three days it was time now to have a real  meal and  I was able to find a North Indian Restaurant for that.

As I was very tired and a little sick I took a walk back to hotel, capturing every sight of the wonderful city and then retired to the bed.
Next morning I inquired about the river rafting and was told that I should take a state transport bus to Siliguri and get down in middle at a point. I got into one such bus, told the driver about my rafting plan and he stopped the bus at the spot for me. From that spot I saw a man in a jeep with a raft on the top if it. I inquired him about rafting and it turned out that he himself arranges for rafting in Teesta.

I enjoyed a wonderful ride down the Teesta on a shared raft with some Bangladeshi citizens. At one shore was West Bengal and at other side was Sikkim. At some point during my journey I saw myself completely covered with water and at other times I could not feel the support of the raft on my back. Overall it was a enjoyable experience.

Journey Back

I took a jeep from this point to siliguri. Everything about siliguri was a proving its "Indianess". I came across a very good Aloo Pratha point near the bus stand, had some lunch there, found a bus to Guwahati and sat in it.

It took another ride on a rickety bus of some fourteen hours to get me back early in the morning at around five in Guwahati. Returning back to Guwahati I had a feeling of homecoming. With beautiful memories of Sikkim and some sense of proud about this travel I returned back to comfortable hostel.