India Travel
Khecheopalri Lake in Western Sikkim
Surrounded by dense forests and hidden in a mountain bowl (2000m) 33km to the northwest of Pelling, Khecheopalri Lake, known as the “Wishing Lake", is sacred to the Lepchas. Legend has it that if a leaf drops onto the lake’s surface a guardian bird swoops down and picks it up, thereby maintaining the purity of the water. Another tale tells that Khecheopalri Lake and Kathok Lake in Yoksum are female and male counterparts and were once neighbours. However, villagers gave more importance to Kathok and neglected Khecheopalri, dumping rubbish there and destroying her sanctity, causing her to relocate in a huff to a more salubrious and less inhabited area. Public transport runs along the Pellmg-Yuksom road (only when conditions allow) to the Khecheopalri turn-off known as zero point, from where it’s an eleven-kilo metre hike up a rough but motorable road with only occasional Jeeps travelling the route (landslides permitting) to the lake. The Pelling bus, if it is running, leaves Felling at 3pm. stays overnight and returns at 7am. If you want to trek to Khecheopalri, a shortcut leads down to the river valley, steeply up to the Pelling Yuksoni road and then up to the lake (allow 5hr); you can continue the circuit to Yuksom.
Khecheopaln village and the gompa 2km from the lake on top of the ridge provide excellent views of Mount Pandim, and several sacred caves are scattered through the hills. Guides to these caves and to Yoksum, Tashiding and Pelling can be arranged through Trekker’s Hut, one of the few accommodation places at Khecheopalri, a friendly but very basic option which serves simple meals such as rice and dhal, noodles and Tibetan bread. It also has some very useful information on the local area and a definitive list for bird-watchers. Another option is the tiny Pilgrim’s Rest Home nearer the lake, which has a shrine room and chapel sometimes used by visiting monks. A small tea stall next to the Pilgrim’s Rest House serves chai and simple meals. The trail to Yoksum is 18km long and takes around four hours. Stock up on snacks from Ghezing market or some of the small stalls in Pelling. The Garuda hotel in Pelling can also provide food and information on the trail.
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Yoksum in Western Sikkim
The sleepy, spread-out hamlet of YOKSUM, which occupies a large shelf at the entrance to the Rathong Chu gorge, 40km north of Pemayangtse at the end of the road, holds a special place in Sikkimese history. This was the spot where three lamas converged to enthrone the first religious king of Sikkim, Chogyal Phuntsog Namgyal, in 1642. Named the "Great Religious King" he established Tibetan Buddhism in Sikkim.This meeting of three lamas coming from different directions across the Himalayas was predicted by Guru Rinpoche nine centuries earlier. Lhatsun Chenpo is supposed to have buried offerings inYoksum's large white Norbugang Chorten
Pelling and around in Western Sikkim
The laid-back, scenic, but rapidly swelling hamlet of PELLING. situated 2085m above sea level only 2km beyond Pemayangtse, looks north cowards the glaciers and peaks of Kanchenjunga. High above forest-covered hills, in an amphitheatre of cloud, snow and rock, the entire route from Yoksum over Dzongri La to the Rathong Glacier can be seen. Pelling itself consists of little more than a road junction, helicopter pad and numerous hotels - most of which have been built in the last few years, creating the so-called "Bengali Boulevard", a strip of highly unimaginative identikit concrete blocks. Luckily, this is not enough to
Ghezing in Western Sikkim
The unattractive market town of GHEZING (which sometimes appears as GYALSHING). 110km west of Gangtok, is the administration centre and transport hub of western Sikkim. It's a good place to stock up on provisions, and has a handful of basic hotels around the main square, including the Kanchanzonga, which has a restaurant; the Mayalu; and the Chopstick, with lighter and brighter rooms and views across the valley to Ravangla.The most comfortable place in the centre of town is the Ami at the top end of Ghezing with a/c double rooms. But for a bit of luxury head for the dramatically situated
Arrival and information of Gangtok in Sikkim
Gangtok is not served directly by rail; most travellers arrive by Jeep from Siliguri in West Bengal (4hr 30min; see p.72), the transport centre for the railhead at New Jalpaiguri and forBagdogra airport. Shared Jeeps also run from Darjeeling and Kalimpong. A helicopter service (Rs1500) connects Bagdogra airport with Gangtok, run in conjunction with Sikkim Tourism and designed to meet passengers arriving on Indian Airlines and Jet Airways flights. At the time of writing, though, both airlines had temporarily suspended flights to Bagdogra due to ongoing repairs to the runway. All buses run by Sikkim Nationalized Transport (SNT), the state carrier,
Some history of Sikkim
No one knows quite when or how the Lepchas - or the Rong, as they call themselves - came to Sikkim, but their roots can be traced back to the animist Nagas of the Indo-Burmese border. Buddhism, which arrived from Tibet in the thirteenth century, took its distinctive Sikkimese form four centuries later, when three Tibetan monks of the old Nyingmapa order, disenchanted with the rise of the reformist Gelug-pas, migrated south and gathered at Yoksum in western Sikkim. Having consulted the oracle, they sent to Gangtok for a certain Phuntsog Namgyal, whom they crowned as the first chogyal or
Special permits
In addition to a visa, special permits may be required for travel to certain areas of the country - notably Sikkim, parts of Ladakh,the Andaman Islands, Lakshadweep, the far west of the Thar desert beyond Jaisalmer, and some northeastern hill states. There are two types of permits: those for restricted areas such as Sikkim, and the Inner Line Permit required by both foreigners and Indians intending to visit politically sensitive border areas of Ladakh, parts of the northeast, and north and east Sikkim. Inner Line Permits are usually issued by the District Magistrate (see chapters for more detail). Some areas (parts
Jorethang and Legship in Western Sikkim
The most important town in western Sikkim, JORETHANG, lies in the very south of the state, just across the River Rangit from Singla Bazaar in West Bengal and a mere 30km north of Darjeeling, just visible across the tea plantations. Set on an extensive shelf, which makes it feel oddly flat despite the huge hills that rise in every direction, it's a surprisingly pleasant and well-ordered place, with a good market and a couple of decent budget hotels. The Namgyal next to the Darjeeling taxi stand has good-value doubles with running hot water, some with river views; it also has
Western Sikkim
This beautiful land, characterized by great tracts of virgin forest and deep river valleys, offers ancient monasteries such as Pemayangtse and Tashiding and the attractive but rapidly developing hamlet of Pelling. The old capital. Yoksum, lies at the start of the trail towards Dzongri and Kanchenjunga. On the far west, along the border with Nepal, the watershed of the Singalila Range rises along a single ridge, with giants such as Rathong and Kabru culminating in Kanchenjunga itself. Although only two high-altitude trails are currently available, and these are subject to restrictions and high charges, several low-altitude treks provide opportunities to
Around Gangtok in Sikkim
The most obvious destinations for day-trips from Gangtok are the great Buddhist monasteries of Rumtek to the southwest, and Phodong to the north. Towering above the town of Ravangla to the west of Gangtok, the forested peak of Maenatn is famous for its plants and the tremendous view from its summit; the trek could be done as a short excursion or en route to West Sikkim. Closer to Gangtok there are three popular viewing points offering panoramas of the Kanchenjunga Range. The mos: accessible is Ganesh Tok, a steep walk from the TV tower and Enchey monastery. A small Ganesh shrine
Details of North Sikkim
Most of spectacular north Sikkim is closed to visitors. Until 1993 no one was allowed to venture past Phodong, but now groups armed with special permits, arranged through travel and tour operators in Gangtok, are allowed as far as Yume Samdang and Thanggu, at the edge of the Tibetan plateau. Every year throughout the monsoon, landslides take out stretches of road, severely disrupting transport, and areas get cut off from Gangtok and the rest of the country. Teams of local villagers are drafted in to clear boulders, rebuild and shore up the cliffs. The road north of Gangtok follows the deep
Fateh Sagar of Udaipur in Rajasthan
Not far west of Sahelion-ki-Bari is Fateh Sagar, a lake fringed by sharp hills and connected to Lake Pichola by a canal built shortly after the turn of the twentieth century. At the jetty on the western shore, you can hop on the boat that ferries tourists across the water to Nehru Park in the centre of the Jake (daily: summer Sam—6.30pm; winter 8am-6pm; Rs3).The park, constructed in 1937 as a famine relief project, is nothing special, but pleasant enough if you want to get away from the bustle of the town.
Gangtok Town in Sikkim
The capital of Sikkim, the overgrown hill town of GANGTOK (1870m), occupies a rising ridge in the southeast of the state, on what used to be a busy trade route into Tibet. Due to rapid development and new wealth, it now retains only a few traditional Sikkimese elements; there's an ugly assortment of concrete multistorey buildings which is growing, virtually unchecked, all the time. However, a short amble soon leads you away from the hectic central market area, while longer walks out into the surrounding countryside provide glimpses of the full grandeur of the Himalayas. On a good day, you
Accommodation to Udaipur in Rajasthan
Sandwiched between the City Palace and jagdish temple on the east side of Lake Pichola, countless guesthouses vie for views of the water with elegant havelis and royal palaces. Cut-throat competition in this area has meant perennially low tariffs for punters in most categories. But it has also sparked off a destructive building boom as hoteliers scramble to attract customers with better views from ever loftier tower blocks. The result is a mass of hideous concrete that threatens to engulf the very skyline tourists flock here to see. In 1999, the High Court ruled that no further building should take
Arrival, information and transport in North Bengal
Virtually all travellers arriving in Darjeeling from the plains come via Siligun, whether by the Toy Train, shared Jeep or bus. Jeeps and buses stop at the bus stand in the lower half of the town from where it's a bit of an uphill trek to the main hotel area. Taxis and some Jeeps will take you up to Clubside near the Mall, at the upper end of town; porters are available (from Rs20), but be careful as some act as touts so you could end up paying more for your room. Darjeeling is best explored on foot - in
Ambala Lake in Maharashtra
Another of Ramtek's sacred sites is Ambala Lake, a holy bathing tank 1500m on foot from the hilltop. To pick up the flagstone pathway that leads down to it, head along the concourse opposite the temple's main entrance porch to the edge of the plateau. From here, either turn left towards the small Trivikarma Krishna temple, clinging to the north slope of the hill, or continue down the main pilgrims' trail to the lake, which lies at the bottom of the gully, enfolded by a spur of parched brown hills. Its main attractions, at least for the shaven-headed pilgrims who
North Bengal in North Bengal
North Bengal, where the Himalayas soar from the flat alluvial plains towards Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan, holds some magnificent mountain panoramas, and also some of India's best hill stations. Most visitors pass as quickly as possible through Siliguri en route to Darjeeling, Kalimpong and the small state of Sikkim. For anyone with a bit of time on their hands, the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, home to the one-horned rhino, bison and wild boar, east of Siliguri near the Bhutanese border, makes a worthwhile detour. Besides the occasional strike, few travellers will notice, but today the region is wracked by political turmoil, with
Loktak Lake to the South Imphal in the Northeast
South of Imphal, the huge and complex body of water known as Loktak Lake, fed by numerous rivers and dotted with islands, is home to a unique community of fishermen who live on large rafts made of reeds. Rare and endangered sangai, brow-antlered "dancing" deer, live on the floating vegetation that covers much of the lake, sharing their habitat with other species including the hog deer. Much of the lake is taken up by the Keibul Lamjao National Park, 53km tram Imphal, which attracts a host of waterfowl and migratory birds between November and March. A forty-room hilltop Tourist Bungalow
The lake and ghats East of Jaipur in Rajasthan
Pushkar lake is ringed by five hundred beautiful whitewashed temples, connected to the water by 52 ghats - one for each of Rajasthan's maharajas, who built separate guesthouses and employed their own private pujaris (priests) to perform rituals during their stays here. Each is named after an event or person, and three in particular bear special significance. Primary among them is Gau Ghat, sometimes called Main Ghat, where visiting ministers and politicians come to worship, and from which ashes of Mahatmu Gandhijawaharlal Nehru and Shn Lai Bahadur Shastri were sprinkled into the lake. Brahma Ghat marks the spot where Brahma
Practicalities in North Bengal
Bagdogra airport, 12km west of Siliguri and served by flights from Delhi, Calcutta and Guwahati, is connected not only with Siliguri itself, but also directly to Darjeeling as well as to Gangtok in Sikkim by helicopter.
Mirik in North Bengal
MIRIK, 45km southwest of Darjeeling near the border with Nepal, is the region's newest resort, primarily geared up for domestic tourists. There is a large and lively Gelugpa or "yellow hat" monastery above the picturesque central lake, but most of the tourism is centred around boating on the lake. Surrounded by large tea estates and pine forests, Mirik is a pleasant enough place and can be visited as a long day-trip from Darjeeling or as a stopover on an alternative route down to Sihguri. Most of the accommodation is restricted to the newer Krishnagar settlement at the southern end of the