‘Go out alone on the hills and listen.
You will hear much. The winds will be more than sound; the
stream will not be merely the babbling of hurrying water.
The trees and flowers are not so separate from you, but very
near. Alone amidst nature, a man learns to be one with all
and all with one.`<br><br>
Inspired by Frank Smithe’s words, we began our planning
for a ‘great escape’ in the Trans-Himalayan region
of Sikkim. Our destination was lake Gurudongmar- the largest
and most sacred lake of the state situated at an altitude
of 17,800. After reaching New Jalpaiguri, we rushed to Gangtok
by a car. It’s a 124 kilometre drive. Near Sevok, we
were welcomed by mighty river Teesta of North Bengal. At Gangtok
we took our time off in a hostel. All of us were excited because
the next day we were about to start for Lachen the gateway
of Gurudongmar.
Next morning we woke up early. We kept
most of our luggage in the cloakroom except the winter garments
and necessary medicines. Our tour operator introduced our
driver, Sering and our guide, Satish to us.
Lachen is 126 km from Gangtok. Travelling
32 kilometres via North Sikkim highway, we came across the
Seven Sisters Waterfalls. We took photographs and started
again before stopping at Menchu falls another picturesque
beauty of nature. We had our lunch at Phodong. Mangan the
district headquarters of North Sikkim, which is 70 kilometres
away from Gangtok is famous for large cardamom. Mt. Kanchenjunga
the the third highest peak of the world and Mt Sinialchu worlds
most beautiful peak are located near the confluence of Lachen
and Lachung rivers and the emerging point of river Teesta.
Lachen is only 29 kilometres from here.
We reached Lachen at about 5 pm. Lachen,
a small village is situated at an altitude of 8,960. The rays
of the setting sun made the peak mysteriously beautiful. The
beauty of nature spellbound us. Next day we got up very early.
As we opened the window, we had a glorious scene. The magnificent
Lachen peak was welcoming the rising sun. It seemed as if
someone has decorated the peak with golden streaks and the
peak was looking gorgeous again. As the time scrolled by,
the golden colour turned to silver. Paying homage to the mighty
Himalayas, two cars started for our ultimate destination,
Gurudongmar, which is 61 kilometres from Lachen. After 5 kilometres
we entered into the world of snow. Patches of snow were accumulated
on both sides of the road. Army bulldozer has cleared the
ice from the road made driving possible.
After 28 kilometres we came to Thangu –a
small village at an altitude of 14,000. The valley was covered
with fresh snow. Ice sicklers were hanging from the roofs
and windowpanes of the houses. The alpine forests were found
wrapped in snow. From Thangu, the road became extremely narrow
and rough. Here, we stepped into the alpine meadow region.
Scarcity of oxygen made it difficult to breathe. At last we
reached the army check post. Once the routine formalities
were over, the army men invited us for tea.
Now, the enthralling journey through landmines
and army bunkers began. Altitude sickness is an acute problem
of this route. Within a few minutes we encountered a real
danger. The road was covered with snow and the drivers could
not trace the thickness of the snow at one junction. As a
result the wheels of our vechiles got stuck in snow. We encounter
breathing problems thereafter, which became acute. However,
army men came to our rescue with iron rope and shovel and
we manage to escape.
Again we started and this time we requested
the army men to accompany us. After half an hour drive, it
was impossible to cut the snow and drive, hence we decided
to trek for one kilometre to reach Gurudongmar. After the
tedious trek we reached our dream destination Gurudongmar.
The ice-cold water of the lake was turquoise blue in colour
and surmounted by the mighty Himalayas. The peculiarity about
the lake is that it never freezes completely even under such
temperature zone. It is believed that Guru Padmasambhava touched
the lake whilst he visited Tibet. The beauty of this lake
is splendid and a mere photograph can’t be a complement
to its grace. On the bank of the lake was a temple dedicated
to religious harmony. As per rituals we placed five rocks
on top of each other and made wishes. Our eyes were full of
satisfaction. We were in such an ecstasy that we forgot the
miseries of life. And that perhaps enthrall us to decide that
we will make a trip to this place once again. |
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