Gangtok Sikkim- Journey To Himalayas!!!!

Gangtok, Sikkim - India

Away from the hustle and bustle of city life I along with my family went to visit this beautiful place of East India, the Lofty Hill, Gangtok. India is a land of diversity and Sikkim is one such antique diverse element. Like any other hill station, Gangtok has a similar ambience with a little pinch of sophistication.

The drive was enthralling with the Tista River on one side and the lofty snow covered hills on the other. The slopes and bumps posed threats added our thrill experience. The Tista River is very popular among the adventure freaks. Here people go for rafting, trekking and all sorts of adventure.

Gurudongmar Lake is one of the highest lakes in the world, located at an altitude of 17800 ft in the  indian state of Sikkim. It is a lake which is considered sacred by both Buddhists and Sikhs. The lake is named after Guru Padmasanbhave also known as Guru Rinpoche, founder of Tibetan Buddhism who visited the lake in the 8th century. The lake is also blessed by Guru Nanak, the spiritual leader of Sikhism while he had passed through this area, and hence regarded as sacred.

Gangtok is popular place with tourist heading on treks, though the facilities do not reflect the number of international visitors. Highly organised and beautifully maintained, it used to be the Switzerland of the east, Gangtok is a really nice place to unwind. The city resembles the Bhutanese capital, Thimphu. Our next destination was Tsomgo Lake. A beautiful silent lake with green water between the hills. The lake was grave and deep. There we had yak ride. We had a great time there.

There are a number of beautiful views of the surrounding hills from Gangtok itself, but the best views of Mt Kanchenjunga the world's third-highest mountain can be viewed from Tashi view point on a clear day. The heart or the main hub of Gangtok is Mahatma Gandhi Road, which has been converted into something like a long stretch of open promenade and mall area. Its a pedestrian only zone and vehicles are not allowed there. 

Nathula is a famous mountain pass between India and China in the Himalayas. The route was beguiling; the zig zag road up the hill was incredible. We reached the peak at the height of about 14000 feet where only tranquillity prevailed. The temperature was below freezing point and the horizon so near. There lies the demarcation set up by man, the Indo-china border. †here is no human settlement only few nomads and army people.

Then we went to the famous Baba mandir, made in the memory of Baba Harbajan Singh, a BSF soldier who guarded the post bravely during the China War. It is believed that his soul still persist somewhere here. He is revered by soldiers of the Indian army as the "Hero of Nathula" and the army men have also built a shrine in his honour. There are also stories of soldiers discovering that he visited the camps at night, used the bedclothes and boots in his room and on that can be found in various social network posts about him.

Gangtok is absolutely beautiful and the hospitality of the people is remarkable. But Gangtok on foot is all the more splendid. The law and order and maintenance of public places are worth mentioning. I simply love this place and look forward to come here again sometime. Thus, I leave with beautiful memories to cherish that got pasted in the album of my mind.

It is a "must-go" place for every traveler who enjoy living the journey.