Lockdown re-posting of a breathtakingly panoromic journey to Sikkim in May 2017. Facebook has the uncanny knack of reviving memories of places one can visit multiple times, virtually. The 45 minute drive from Gangtok, capital of Sikkim, to Rumtek Monastery, 4900 ft above sea level and 24 km from Gangtok, is a natural delight of lush…
Sikkim…. a combination of Limbu words: su, which means “new”, and khyim, which means “palace” in reference to the palace built by the state’s first ruler, Phuntsog Namgyal. To a Tibetan, Sikkim is ‘Drenjong‘ or “valley of rice” while the Bhutia call it ‘Beyul Demazong‘ or ‘the hidden valley of rice“. The Lepcha, the original inhabitants of…
A sure way to get the patriotic adrenalin overflowing in any Indian’s vein is to mention China and Pakistan vis-a-via sports, trade, cricket, the 1962 Indo China war etc. Nathu La, about 52 kms away from Gangtok the capital of Sikkim State, is the official border check post between China/Tibet and India and a reminder of…
Fei lai Feng, or ‘the Peak that Flew Hither’, on way to Lingyin Temple, northwest of Hangzhou, is a limestone peak with caves, exquisite ancient Buddha statues set amidst verdant greenery and gurgling streams. The skill and graceful detailing of Buddha statues carved in various sizes and poses, especially of Maitreya or Laughing Buddh, are a pleasure to…
