Sikkim, India: Heaven on Earth

I had almost seen each and every state of India, but it was really incomplete till I took a decision to see this tiny state in the lap of the great Himalayan range. This is Sikkim, the land of mountains, green landscape, tough terrain, friendly people, highly efficient tourism department, and a good government to back it all...

Sikkim is the only state in India which shares its border with China, Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan.

The state capital is Gangtok, which is the biggest city in Sikkim.

How to get there? Well... the nearest airport is Bagdogra. (Near Siliguri, 117 kms from Gangtok). This is connected with regular flights from Kolkata International Airport. Bagdogra is connected to the other major airports like New Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai. This airport is not a hub, so one has to be careful about the timings of the flights.

Nearest railway station to Gangtok is New Jalpaiguri near Siliguri Town, 117 kms from Gangtok. Trains commute daily between Kolkata and New Jalpaiguri station. There are efficient taxi services and bus services from Siliguri which connect to Gangtok.

Once you are Sikkim, there is absolutely nothing to worry about ! Gangtok has hotels which range from cheap to moderate to expensive. The entire state is engaged in the tourism business, so it is very easy to locate a place to stay according to your needs. People are very welcoming and most importantly, they are very proud of their state and culture. They want you to go back and tell other people about this amazing place. Most of Sikkim people are into taxi business, and there is no concept of 'private taxi service, every taxi is government aided. So, you get a flat rate, no bargaining, no over pricing. I am very happy to say that, this is the place where you can roam around without fearing that you might get robbed or getting lost or being alone or any fear like that. It is a very safe place.

Sikkim is divided into four districts, North Sikkim, South Sikkim, East Sikkim, and West Sikkim.

North Sikkim shares its borders with Tibet. The entire northern Sikkim is a tough terrain, where only jeeps can go around. This is the place to look for monasteries, beautiful valleys, rivers, lakes, and hot springs. The main monasteries are Phodong and Phensang. If one wants to have a close look at the Mt. Kanchendzonga, Singhlik is the place. This place offers the most spectacular views of Mt. Kanchendzonga and the most graceful peak in the world, Mt. Siniolchu. The northern-most part of Sikkim is the Guru-dongmar lake. This lake is considered the most sacred, both by the Buddhists and the Hindus likewise. This lake stays milky throughout the year. It's the route to this lake which takes your breath away literally. This route is at an elevation of around 11,800 ft. This is the Yumthang valley, which is 'heaven on earth' personified. This valley is also the home to Rhododendrons, which is the state tree. During the winter season, the whole valley looks like it's been tucked in a beautiful purple and pink blanket, with the Rhododendron flowers. There are numerous hot springs; the one worth mentioning is the Lachung Chu, which is famous for its curative properties and healing powers.

South Sikkim shares its border with West Bengal. The main attraction of this part of the state is its tea gardens, the most famous of them, being Temi Tea Garden, from where the tea is exported to different parts of the world. Namchi is a village in south Sikkim from where you can watch the snow-capped mountains. It is at an elevation of 5,500 ft. Atop a hill near Namchi, is the world's tallest statue of Guru Padmasambhava, the saint of both Hindus and Buddhists.

East Sikkim shares its border with China. There are numerous Buddhist monasteries; actually the biggest monastery in the whole state is in South Sikkim, the Rumtek monastery. It's about 45 minutes drive from Gangtok. It's almost the replica of the original Kagyurpa Monastery in Tibet. The route to the Nathula Pass (border between India and China) is just awesome. It's about 55 kms from Gangtok. It's one of the highest motorable roads. Nathula is open for only Indian nationals, on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The visitors have to get the permit from the Tourism Department through a registered travel agency. On the way to Nathula Pass is the picturesque Tsomgo lake, which is frozen completely during winter. It's so frozen, that one can actually walk on the lake!!! One can do yak rides on the banks of this lake. Still further down is the Baba Harbhajan Singh temple, which is in memorial of a war soldier who died serving the country. You can witness different regiments of Indian Army which come here to visit the temple and pay homage to the brave soldier who is still believed to be guarding the borders of Indian land even after his death!!

West Sikkim shares its border with Nepal. It's got one of the oldest monasteries of the state, the Pemayangtse monastery. The first capital of Sikkim, Yuksam, is at a distance of about 32 kms from Pemayangtse monastery. The trek to Dzongri and to the base camp of Mt. Kanchendzonga starts here.

It would be no surprise if I say that Sikkim is the best state in whole of India. One should visit this place to learn about the great mountains, the people, the culture, the monasteries, valleys, lakes, and above all, to meet and greet the brave soldiers who guard their homeland in the bizarre weather conditions, who are from different parts of the country and become one in protecting the land, and who spend sleepless nights just to make sure that other Indians sleep well !!!
There was definitely a sense of pride when I visited this land, a sense of patriotism, a sense that I belong to India and to the world....