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Sikkim |
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The tiny himalayan state of Sikkim, part of gigantic India, lies between Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan. Because of its strategic position, as a gateway to Tibet and China, it has been off-limits foir tourists until few years ago. When I visited in 2002, special permits were still required to visit the North and do trekking. Although now the situation for tourists has improved, trekking is subjected to restrictions, and more expensive than in the neighboring Nepal. The landscape of Sikkim is dominated by deep valleys and mountains. Although some real giants are found here, like the majestic and "magnetic" Kangchendzonga (the third highest peak after Everest and K2, reaching more than 8000mt), the mountain scenery is not as dramatic as in other parts of the Himalayas. However, the valleys are characterized by a beautiful and rare flora, an interesting mix of monsonic jungle and Alpine-like vegetation.
The capital Gangtok is nothing special, having lost its old charm, described in
such a masterly way by the Italian writer and explorer Fosco Maraini, who visited it
in early 1900 during one of Prof.
Tucci's expeditions to Lhasa. Not far from the city, the monastery of Rumtek is one of the most well-known in Sikkim. Although it is architectonically interesting and set in a nice location, the atmosphere has suffered in recent years because of tensions arisen after an internal dispute between two factions of monks. Although the average one-day visitor would possibly fail to perceive it, many will notice the armed guards at the entrance (seemingly, for security reasons). Striking is also the lack of smiles of the local villagers, such an uncommon attitude in the ever-smiling Sikkim!
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second most popular destination is Pelling, a "hill"-station (at 3100+mt!) set in an unbeatable position on a
crest overlooking the Himalayan range. There are some inexpensive
guest-houses, and a lot of things to do: walking, trekking or visiting
monasteries. Set on the very top of a hill in the nearbies of Pelling, the tiny monastery of Sanga Choelling, possibly the oldest in Sikkim, is very isolated and dominated by a special, somewhat strange atmosphere. Indeed it seems to be more a meditation retreat than a proper monastery. It was guarded by some young novices, very willing to show the two or three English words they knew to the occasional visitor.
From Pelling, I decided to continued to Yuksom by foot, so I hired a porter in the village. The "soft" trekking lasted two days, via the Ketchopalry lake. A nice trek, with beautiful panoramas and passing through secluded mountain-villages inaccessible from the main road. Yuksom is set in a green valley, and its principal reason of interest is its closeness to the starting point for the trekking to Kangchendzonga. Unfortunately February was still too early for a trek, so I could only look at those peaks from afar, dreaming about their inaccessible heights.
My next destination was the highly venerated monastery of Taksin. I was lucky enough to be there just in time for the once-in-a-year Bhumchu festival, which attracts thousands of pilgrims, especially from Bhutan. The apex is reached in the middle of the night, when the lamas reunites inside the closed monastery hall to open the sacred pot containing the never-ending, healing water brought there hundreds of years ago by a Buddhist saint. Having mixed it with a little bit of new water, they can distribuite it to perhaps a few thousands of pilgrims with their families.
R e a d i n g s Segreto Tibet, Fosco Maraini.
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© COPYRIGHT Andrea Acri 2007
