PURI TEMPLE, KONARK

Traditionally, people have been flocking  to places of worship to pray individually,as a family or in a group to seek salvation from a higher order. And no where this is more evident than in India with its multitude where millions upon millions go on temple visits everyday.The enormous patience and self control that has been derived through the process of pilgrimage and the "Pray to God” that we have inculcated have stood us in good stead,over centuries

One such popular destination for pilgrimage in India has been the abode of Lord Jagannath in Puri, Orissa which we visited recently.

As they say, bigger the legend greater is the following; so it is here. Legend has it that Vishnu appeared in the dreams of  pious King Indradyumna, millennia ago, and directed him to a special wooden Log by the sea shore, which was later carved into a Deity by no less than the celestial architect Vishwakarma and Lord Jagannath was established.

Sri Mandap

The present temple structure was built in the 12^th century with its impressive Sri Mandir, the Nata mandap (dancing hall), and the Bhoga mandap, the very large kitchen employing 500 cooks to prepare the Mahaprasad which is offered to the deity 6 times a day.

Within the huge compound and its four large gates, lies one hundred shrines committed to the demigods in charge of universal affairs.

In Sri Mandir, a five foot tall Lord Jagannath  rests on a  ratna singhasan and to his right are Subhadra and Balarama. The deity’s eyes are large and round, his complexion black and his nature is all-merciful to his devotees.We had a good darshan without much waiting,thanks to our arrangement with the Panda who took very good care and answered all our queries.

This is only a representation

We have all heard about the famous Ratha yatra that is held every year in the month of July.There is a profound spiritual meaning behind the Ratha yatra which the great sages and devotees of Jagannath have described thus:

“ The worship of Jagannath is generally conducted on a grand scale of awe and reverence wherein his devotees see and revere him as the Supreme God. This mood of awe and reverence, however, is not as pleasing to Jagannath as the mood of spontaneous love of God exhibited by his most confidential devotees… the gopis of Vrindavan. Jagannath at times remembers the intimate affairs between himself and the gopis, and he is overwhelmed with feelings of separation and desires to return to Vrindavan. He leaves the temple and mounts his chariot to go to Vrindavan and meet with the gopis. It is as though Jagannath sees the white stretch of sandy road in front of his chariot with beautiful gardens on both sides; he is reminded of the Yamuna River and the groves of Vrindavan where he sported with his gopis. His mind  fills with pleasure at these thoughts and he smiles intensely.”

The Grand Ratha Yatra

Millions,and many of them foreigners from around the world congregate in Puri for the Yatra.It is only at this time can a foreigner catch a glimpse of the Deity as they are prohibited to visit his sanctum inside the temple complex.

Another world famous heritage site we visited is Konarak which is 30 Kms from Puri,a drive of a little over 1 Hour.

Again, legend has it that  the Original Sun Temple at Konark was built by Samba, the son of Krishna, as a token of gratitude to Sun God who cured him of  Leprosy.
The present temple was built in the 13^th century, in the sea,but the sea has since  retreated and is now 5 km from the temple

I was captivated not only by the architectural grandeur but also by  the intricacy and richness of the sculptures found here. The entire temple has been built as a Chariot of the Sun God with 24 wheels, each about 10 feet in diameter and having a set of spokes carved exquisitely. 
Seven horses drag the chariot. Two lions guarding the entrance are  crushing the elephants in battle. Each elephant in turn lies on top of a human body. 
Great imagination!

 The temple is indeed a classic and the only one of its kind. Following are the details of its construction as I have understood.It is believed that no  limestone or cement was used to join the granite blocks of the temple structure. The huge granite blocks were separated by iron plates and held together by several small magnets.
Then there were two primary powerful magnets; one at the top of the temple and the other at the base. The idol of Sun God was kept suspended in the air by the field created by the magnets. The idol had a diamond which reflected the rays of the Sun, hence the name Kon-ark. Oh! it must have been such a wonderful sight to behold

 The magnet at the top of the temple was the main force holding most of the temple structure. This was so powerful that it used to disrupt the magnetic compass of 
 the ships sailing,Konark being a major port at that time.

The Portuguese removed the lodestone, as it was the cause of the destruction of their ships. This led to the collapse of most of the temple structure. For fear of losing the Idols they were taken away and placed in the Puri temple and one of them still exists there. The present structure is filled with rocks and sand to prevent it from caving in..



One can spend hours examining and appreciating the intricate

art fashioned by the sculptors and craftsman of those years.

They lay in ruins after they were damaged and pillaged during the Muslim rule and Konark was a destitute till the 19th century until restored and given back to humanity to appreciate the value  of this wondrous creation.

As a fitting finale we were treated to a fine exhibition of sand art by the locals at the  sea beach nearby.We watched the beautiful sunset and returned to Puri.

Sikkim

 
"I say ,we are going up to Sikkim are we?"
To this somebody among the foursome said that we cannot go up to Sikkim...We can only go down to it from a much bigger metro city blah blah."It is silly,the whole of Sikkim is blatantly,geographically up'"I said,It has  Nepal for company on the west and Bhutan and Tibet on the east.So what if it is tiny? Such quibbling over semantics seemed very silly

Sikkim is known as the sacred land.Which land isn't? Just because one saint Rinpoche visited Sikkim in the 9th century, introduced Buddhism and foretold the era of the monarchy? He was right. The Chogyals ruled Sikkim from 1642 ending with the rule of one Palden Thondup who took the throne in 1965  after his famous marriage in 1963 to the American Hope Cook ...a strong,no nonsense name,full of expectation...who could neither save the marriage nor the kingdom beyond a decade.There was much agitation against the monarchy led by a Nepalese majority, and Indian troops stepped in and Sikkim became the 22^nd State of India in 1975.

 On 18^th September 2011 an earthquake of 6.8 mag gave Sikkim a shake of its life and much was lost.Most of North Sikkim was affected and cut off from rest of Sikkim.This was the very region that we had  visited in April 2011.The story unfolds below.
                                             

At the Resort in Gangtok

Our flight from Mumbai took us to Bagdogra,via Kolkata and the four of us trooped into the capacious Innova not knowing how enjoyable the evening was to be.Bagdogra to Siliguri was fine.Then we started climbing looking at nature around and above and Teesta river flowing below.Weather was pleasant but...we were not moving.We were caught in a horrible traffic jam and very soon dusk fell and there was no more talk of "nice scenery".Gangtok is connected to the rest of India by NH 31,which links Siliguri located 114 km  away. The narrow highway also provides a link to the neighboring hill stations of Darjeeling and Kalimpong.Now you can imagine the traffic on this road.How long and how much can you hear about Danny Denzongpa or for that matter Baichung Bhutia? To add to our discomfort the driver showed us a beer factory owned and run by the aforesaid Denzongpa.And we are drinking water here,whatever little is left of it.We managed to convey to the Hotel Hidden Forest Retreat,our state of hopelessness,and in return received a number of calls from them asking our whereabouts.The last call said something to the effect of leaving containers of food near our door or some such thing.Cold food? Surely they can do better...Surprise...Surprise..hot and tasty dinner was served at the dining hall by the very capable staff and the Owner, who waited up.This resort is a must stop for any of you contemplating a visit!

Day 2 … We go to Nathula Pass and Tsomgo lake

A view of Gangtok

We got up to a beautiful day and had tea admiring the scenery all around us.The Resort lounges were filled with flower pots and a view of Gangtok across, cascading down the hill, was breathtaking.The resort grows its own vegetables.Organic.I have heard this word before. We enjoyed our breakfast admiring Nature in its splendor around us and were ready to board the Scorpio with its Nepali driver who was to take us out that day. We went up to the city center to collect our Passes for the Lake and Nathula and were on our way. Soon we left the city and were climbing through...yes! narrow roads and dirt tracks where the Border roads organization (BRO) was working on road construction. 

A Cuppa on the way

Winding road with its army barracks

A great view as we traverse the hilly terrain

Road signs alerting the drivers were everywhere as were the army trucks and bull-dozers. Army barracks were nestled in the open spaces, as we climbed up beyond 10,000feet.  We were now amidst snow-capped peaks and soon came upon Tsomgo lake at 12300 feet where we made a pit stop to hire snow boots and gloves for battling the cold and snow at Nathula, beyond. .Tsomgo in Bhutia language relates to "source of the lake"If this was just the source where was the lake? Subterranean!! I did not ask

one of the many Road signs

Serene Tsomgo Lake

The Nathula Pass, located about 50 km from Gangtok, used to be the primary route of the wool, fur and spice trade with Tibet and spurred economic growth for Gangtok till the mid-20th century. In 1962, after the border was closed during the war with China, Gangtok fell into recession...Naturally! The pass was reopened in 2006...it is an achievement! and trade through it is expected to boost the economy of Gangtok. The Sikkim government is keen to open a Lhasa–Gangtok bus service via Nathula pass.All because China wants to flood the market

 
Nathula at 14000 feet was bitterly cold. But we,I mean the seniors, had no difficulty in walking or stomping the snow covered area. Plenty of loud tourists could be heard, in spite of the earmuffs,and seen trudging their way up to the  gateway to China.We climbed up a row of steps covered in snow with some help from the army Jawans and reached the border. The border is a waist-high barbed wire fence!

While the Indian side was resembling a scene out of "Mela",full of tourists and some soon to be lost Judwa children, having a shouting match to hear over each other,the Chinese side had only a solitary soldier standing still with grim and serious expression not unlike the  grenadier guard outside #10.How boring!I am sure he crawls over in the evenings to have a cuppa with the Sikh Jawans and to listen to them talk.We call that a joke and only get the abridged version.A monument is erected here to honor our troops who perished in the 1962 war. We managed to stay alive and grabbed MOMOS and tea at the restaurant run by the army.
 

We came back to the lake,but first the Baba mandir.On your way to Nathula don't miss the Baba's Mandir cries a brochure.It adds...frequented by locals, defense personnel, mountaineers and tourists,this is a very popular tourist and pilgrim destination situated at a height of 14,500feet(???) built to honor Captain "Baba" Harbhajan Singh (1941–68) an Indian army soldier who died near the Nathula pass.His namesake is dying to play Test cricket once again twirling his Doosras.When we reached there,we found a mile long Queue, jostling to get inside.For what? And miss being with wonderful nature all around? in fact I could hear a couple arguing, with one of them saying that bad luck would befall if they did not pay homage to the martyr.We quietly left the place and entered our vehicle much to the chagrin of the driver who was at peace sleeping soundly

Back to Tsomgo

We now stopped at the lake for pics with Yaks, most colorful in their attire.We did not want to ride on it although this was recommended by the brochure which also said... It is 1 Km long,the lake I mean, and oval in shape and 15 meters deep.It is  a stopover for various migratory birds.The lake remains frozen during the winter months:).Between April and August it is possible to see a variety of flowers in bloom,including the rhododendrons,various species of primulas,blue and yellow poppies,irises etc.It is also an ideal habitat for the red panda and various species of birds.IF YOU TRY HARD YOU MAY SEE A POLAR BEAR!
If I was given  a form to check various sightings,two of them being..."all of the above" and "none of the above" I would have checked the latter

 All of a sudden the weather changed and a strong Sleet pelted us and soon the ground was covered with ice.The youngsters had gone on a meandering walk as they must and could not be seen in the vicinity.The driver rushed to me and said Jaldi,Jaldi.We tossed a coin and he got the hard part,to search I mean, and was he livid.Later,we had to drive through the icy slush in poor visibility but the driver took utmost care to avoid a skid which could have been perilous at this altitude. 

colorfully attired Yak at the lake

The bright and sunny morning had suddenly turned to a cold and grey afternoon and the mood inside the vehicle was somewhat frosty until we came upon a wayside shop serving Hot Hot Maggi,tea and what not.We gorged upon whatever was on offer which made the shop keeper sing...Kancha re Kancha re.There was this misty waterfall nearby,they always are nearby,which made me take photos of the couple under the most trying... .We encountered heavy traffic on the way what with a vehicle gone topsy turvy and had to be straightened out by a crane and towed.Luckily there was no landslide and I thanked all those who had visited Harbajan Singh Sr's.......

We reached our resort at 9PM after an adventure and thrill filled day,got rid of the ear muffs,and thought about the "opportunity loss" of not being able to rub shoulders with the Chinese up North at the border.I can't lie to my grandchildren can I?

                               
Day 3 - We go to Lachung in North Sikkim, via a Monastery, Seven sisters falls, Mangan and Chungthang

We regrouped in the morning for breakfast, a veritable feast,and our Agent,a diminutive Lepcha with a squeaky voice, was ready with the special passes that one needs for a trip to North Sikkim.We were to be with our new driver and a 4 wheel drive for the next 4 days.The driver is good the Lepcha said and added quickly that we need to pay extra for an additional view point that was not included in the original itinerary.He had the pass ready for that one too!

Murals at Phodong Monastery

26 Kms from Gangtok,we stopped at an ancient Buddhist Monastery rebuilt in the 18th century at the site of its predecessor.The exterior was grand but the interior was gloomy.There wasn't enough light for non flash photography.We got talking to the monks and learnt about their customs and rituals.

The Phodang monastery has a residence of  260 monks and has a numerous collection of ancient murals.Some of the younger monks were playing cricket

We left the Monastery with a feeling of great inner peace,so much,that there was pin drop silence as we labored up  a steep incline with a sheer fall on the side and drove up to the Seven sisters fall.Can you imagine seven sisters? What a cacophony that will be.Anyway,The water fall breaks direction at seven different altitudes from the top


Of Seven Sisters the brochure says...A picturesque must stop that should be enjoyed by every tourist who is exploring northwards of Gangtok,for you can see the Mt.Kanchenjunga in all its splendor...on a clear day


We reached the capital of North Sikkim,Mangan,and stopped for lunch. From here the road goes straight to Chungthang,said one crow to another,but for us it was  a drive through one mountain range to another,
straddling the Teesta river over a rattling bridge that was swaying too!and the work being done for the hydro electric project did not make it any easier.There were convoys of military trucks,Cranes,Bull-dozers and such impediments to progress all the way. Chungthang is 95 km from Gangtok. From here the road forked, the left going to Lachen and the road to the right to Lachung our destination for the day.

Teesta

We stopped at the towering Beema Waterfalls for, you know what,and refreshments and carried on.I was starting to feel cold and was constantly reminded of the bottle of Rum tucked away in the boot

Bashir on top of the world

Bhima water fall

                                         

As dusk fell we reached Lachung and the Scorpio climbed to Yarlam Resort nearing 6PM.We were now located at 8000feet above sea level .The temperature was hovering around 10C!We had traveled 120 kms from Gangtok.

Outside the Resort in the evening

Yarlam Resort brings back fond memories, for it was here that we were upgraded to "Suite"by the management to compensate for a goof up on dates,forcing us to tweak our itinerary a bit
Day 4 : To Yumthang and Zero Point

A cold but bright morning greeted us as we sat down for breakfast observing views of bright snow clad mountains across.

The Resort offers snow boots and other winter gear for its guests,which we collected and started our journey to Yumthang some 20 Kms away.

Yumthang, at an elevation of 11,800 ft. and 140 kms from Gangtok is a paradise for nature lovers.The valley is dotted with clear streams, snow covered peaks and  lush green lands. It is also called the valley of flowers, as during the spring season, numerous flowers bloom in the valley lending infinite color to the environs.The best time to view this is during April and May. And if you wish to see snow covered valley, then prefer time between November and March. There is a natural hot spring here which is said to have medicinal values.

Let's see what happens,actually.

After a long ride we reached the valley which was swathed in snow as the winter had extended into April.There goes your valley of flowers and lush greenery

It was extremely cold when we walked down from the parked vehicle and tried our best to enjoy the pristine condition of the valley,streams and all.

We walked up and down the market where the locals were busy selling curios,snow gear and hot Momos and Maggi to tourists.Then we saw this lady dressed as if she was walking on the Marina!We asked the obvious question and she says "I take my breath and conserve it,and I release it ever so slowly"She was ready to give us a discourse on Pranayama  

An hour's drive from Yumthang, Zero point at 15500 feet is mind boggling and the squeaky Lepcha Agent had forgotten to include this!Zero point is fully covered in snow most of the year.For those who just want to be in the close proximity of majestic peaks,this is it.The setting is devastatingly beautiful and grand.I could see people of all ages frolicking,sliding down the slopes of brilliant snow, playing with snowballs and having a good time.It is the same thing that Edmund Hillary must have felt like doing but for Tensing Norgay who dangled the rope in front of him and said "Climb"or was it the other way around?

We walked amidst the hillock of snow  and joined in the fun and frolic for a while in spite of extreme cold

We came across a group of Nuns from Gangtok, who had made a great snowman, and here they are with their creation.We also enjoyed a photo-op with the snowman which they were so happy to grant us.

 We left zero point after a drink of chicken soup and went back to Yumthang looking for lunch This is a view of the road in Yumthang with its row of shops on either side where we found a place to lunch on Maggi and Momos, staple diet for the tourists that will be repeated again and again.

Shops were closing for the day as we finished lunch at 2PM.

Conditions become inhospitable as the weather turns cold and misty in the afternoons

We walked up over a bridge to locate the curative Spring but could not see it.We found some locals who wanted a lift back to town and carried them along stopping now and then to take pictures of the beautiful flowers,a few that were available on display,in the wintry conditions prevailing.                                                        

The driver and the fellow travelers introduced us to the head of a local family very near our Hotel,who upon our request,agreed to host us a simple traditional meal which we ate heartily that evening,after much alcohol had entered the system.

 Day 5 : We head out to Katao and Lachen

On the recommendation of Yarlam Resort Manager we decided to look up Katao,another view point at the end of a scenic drive of 25 Kms.

After a many a hairpin bend we reached the valley.Katao is situated at an altitude of 15,000 ft above sea level. With the panoramic view of snow capped peaks of the Himalayas, it rivals  Yumthang in beauty.

A military check-post stopped further motion of the vehicle and informed us to explore the locale on foot,if we cared

So we walked up slowly taking pictures of the awesome mountain range all around us.We met army personnel;paramedics who are sent up regularly on acclimatisation training from base camps.The Bihari guy was being very chirpy and cheerful and said that he was proceeding home to see his new born son.They have named him Trivedi he said.We looked at each other and he was smirking.No further words were exchanged

After an hour of feasting our eyes on Nature we drove down and proceeded to Chungtang and Lachen.You can't miss Chungtang can you

Bridges such as this straddling a stream is common sight.But they sway,sag and clatter


Prayer flags are an abiding part of Sikkimese landscape.The flags,usually in the white of purity,carry the prayers of the faithful "on the wings of the wind"

                                                         
Chortens are solid conical  structures, abundant around monasteries,rising white from the surrounding green.

Pleasant country side

On our way back we traversed through great country side resembling Swiss Chalets and familiar sites such as the Beema fall where we stopped for Chana and Aaloo dum and at Chungtang we stopped for Maggi lunch which took half an hour to prepare.I suppose it was the altitude and something to do with Physics

After buying Diesel on the way we took the road to Lachen and stopped at the Chaten waterfall and reached our destination The Apple Orchard at 4PM.

It is a breathtaking property with "Eco-friendly" written all over and located near a Monastery.Built out of wood and stone at many levels,it made climbing difficult for arthritic knees and weak hearts.But after a welcome drink of cherry brandy or two we took two steps at a time as we were shown to our rooms.

The view from the room was awesome,with dusk settling in and the clouds hugging the mountains.A drizzle had started making life miserable and cold and instead of sitting down with a drink I had to follow orders to explore the nearby monastery and to take a walk.Is this a holiday or what?

Add caption

 


We walked in the rain carrying umbrellas and torches provided by the resort and visited the Monastery from where steps led to the town below.A monk told us to be careful and not to take the  steps during rains as there was a very good chance of slipping,falling and so on.Thanks to divine intervention,the walk ended prematurely and drinks flowed perpetually that evening and everything was swell until we met this family.

Apparently this guy has followed our trail and done Lachung.He got talking and asked us about our experience at Zero Point.Each one was waxing eloquent.He put a stop to our discourse and said that we have been fooled and insisted that we have not seen Zero Point.He said it was far away and totally inaccessible etc.We now knew that his agent had duped him.Later under influence of alcohol he was bemoaning the fact that he was not shown the place for which his agent will pay dearly etc..We silently thanked our dimunitive Lepcha

Day 6 : Gurudongmar Lake: High point of the entire trip

As discussed and prearranged with the driver and the Resort,we got up at 4AM had our coffee,completed our toilet,picked up our packed breakfast and left the Resort.It was 5AM.

After an arduous drive of  2 Hrs; climbing and dropping over the poor roadway and being rattled and shaken we reached a spot where the driver stopped near a small shack(res) perched on stilts with only the front  rim on solid ground to support it.Inside it a family of locals entertained us with tea while we had our packed breakfast huddled on seats provided near a fire that was going.The driver got free breakfast and tea as we paid a handsome tip to the head of the family

From here we proceeded to Thangu at an altitude of 13500 Feet where we left the main road and went up to a view point to see the vast expanse of the Chopta valley

 Here are the views of the valley

 

 We joined the main road and began our journey towards the lake.We passed various army posts, going over extremely bad roads where our speed was hampered considerably. The weather was good and the Sun was shining which was a good boding  At 15000 feet we saw the sign for the world's highest Cafe but turned our face away with the sheer determination of reaching our destination before the weather turned foul.Finally we arrived at a police check post where our pass was checked and we were told not to overstay at Gurudongmar lake site.

 Now we were at a level of 16000 feet and traversing over snow covered flat land/dessert.The sky was blueee and sunlight was reflecting off the snow clad hills surrounding us making it all brilliant.I imagined I was on the surface of the moon.We drove on slowly and we could see tracks left by the cars in front of us.At some point the driver stopped and shook his head from side to side.Negative! Can't drive any further in the snow.We were 1/2 Km short of the mandir and the lake and he told us to proceed on foot.There it is.You can see it.It is a piece of cake he said
The youngsters Pooja and Bashir got off immediately and started trudging through the snow and we two were feeling lost.We came out and sat on a boulder for a while.I looked at her and she looked at me and she said "No.I cannot do it". I could hear the children say.Come,walk slowly etc.So,I started walking,5 steps at a time.Lack of Oxygen was a factor at 17000feet  that deterred my progress.I took deep breaths and continued taking my own time over it.

I thought about,..reaching North Pole and I plodded on with a heavy heart. I made it to the top! and took this pic of the couple.

WOW...Gurudongmar Lake! We all agreed that we had seen heaven on earth.



Looks right out of a movie set? Heck No!!It's the real thing
 It is a pristine lake set amidst rocky uninhabited deserts on the Indo China border.It is considered as one of the sacred lakes of India both by the Buddhists and the Hindus. The lake remains milky in color throughout the year and it is believed that Guru Padmasambhava and Guru Nanak blessed it. A portion of lake does not freeze even in extreme winter.You can see that in the pic and I can vouch for it.But if something defies Science then there must be another explanation

A "Sarva Dharam Sthal" built on this site is run by Sikh Jawans who treated us to refreshing water.Sadly there was no Tea or MoMoS/Maggi

  As we were enjoying the heavenly site,numb with cold,the fourth member joined us.Our vehicle had made it to the top following many others that had taken the opportunity with the  snow thawing in the heat of the Sun.The four of us were together again.

We left Gurudongmar reluctantly after 45 minutes, stopped at Thangu for some refreshments and drove all the way back and reached our resort at 2:30PM.
We had spent close to 10Hrs on this amazing journey which took  us all the way to 17100feet

Day 7: We return to Gangtok

 Being the 28th of April we wished Bashir "Happy Birthday"and he posed adorably for the picture wearing a new Tee

We left The Apple Orchard and Lachen and passed through some memorable scenery on the way to Chungthang

 We tried to catch a glimpse of Kanchenjunga from a point beyond Mangan but it was clouded over

 We arrived at our beloved Hidden Forest Retreat braving some heavy rain on the way.

We had some refreshing tea and some more pics of those lovely flowers.

 

 We explored Gangtok for a while by walking up and down M.G.Road,a pedestrian plaza,where many tourists like us were enjoying the evening


We regrouped later and celebrated Bash's birthday with a delicious chocolate cake arranged by Kesang our hostess.We opened a bottle of Champagne that we had carried all the way!
It was our last evening on this memorable trip and we made the most of it

  







Day 8: Kangchendzonga,Bagdogra

A visit to Sikkim is not complete without a view of the great range Kangchendzonga.

We went up to the park at Tashi point in the morning to take a look at the mountain which was truly magnificient.

The brochure said...

Nestled in the eastern Himalaya of India is the tiny state of Sikkim, known for its natural beauty and inhabited by very hospitable, gentle and peace loving people. North Sikkim is perhaps the most beautiful of the four districts of Sikkim.

Very true

We drove to Bagdogra airport carrying memories of the wonderful trip that we had completed.


Adios...till next time