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Nathula Sikkim - Boosting Ties between India and China

6/29/2015

After exploring the magnificence of the beautiful Tsomgo Lake, we moved on to our next destination which was the Nathula Pass. This world famous pass used to be a corridor of great importance between Tibet and India. However, it was closed in the year 1962 due to the growing tensions in China but was reopened in 2006 after completing some bilateral agreements.

The Nathula Pass is considered to be of great significance for the growing and existing trade relations between the two countries and for boosting the region’s economical status. It is located at a height of 14450 feet and a distance of nearly 56 km from Gangtok. The Nathula Pass wasn’t much far away from the Tsomgo Lake and so it didn’t take much time for us to reach there.

Nathula Sikkim

Nathula Sikkim | Image Resource : en.wikipedia.org

We were really mesmerized while travelling on what is said to be amongst the world’s highest motorable paths. The dense of forests of alpine trees along with the cool and pleasant ambience gave us a feeling of thrill and excitement. We also visited the international border between India and China from where we could view soldiers from the other country sitting behind the barbed wire.

Before visiting the Nathula Pass, we had got the requisite permit from the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department thanks to a travel agency which was a recognised and registered member of the department. We were specifically barred from capturing any kind of photography and felt a bit sad that we couldn’t capture the beautiful scenery. We also spotted the only ATM facility which is renowned as the highest ATM machine in the world.

The name Nathula has been derived from two Tibetian terms, Nathu meaning listening ears and La meaning pass. Many believe that it used to be a part of the famous Silk Route. It is a part of the three existing open trading posts at the border between India and China, in addition to Lipulekh in Uttarakhand and Shipkila in Himachal. The Nathula Pass also enables people to access different Buddhist and Hindu pilgrimage sites located in this part of the world.

Photo Of The Week : Mayfair Spa Resort & Casino Gangtok

6/23/2015

Mayfair Spa Resort & Casino Gangtok

Mayfair Spa Resort & Casino Gangtok | Image Resource : east-himalaya.com

Mayfair Spa Resort & Casino Gangtok : This is one of the most beautiful resorts and spa’s in Sikkim. Being able to spend a quite day here enjoying the Himalayan mountain ranges amidst of beautiful surroundings is an amazing experience. The excellent night party the resort offers is very rejuvenating experience.

Tsomgo Lake Sikkim - Lending a Healing Touch to the Residents

6/22/2015

The next destination in our list was the ethereally magnificent Tsomgo Lake of Sikkim. The lake is located in a restricted zone and so we had to obtain special permits from the concerned authorities before reaching the place. We knew that missing out a trip to the lake would be a big loss. It is at a distance of 38km away from Gangtok and situated at a height of 12400 feet. It has an oval type shape with an area of 60.5 acres. We had to cover a winding road running through sharp cliffs and rugged hilly terrain; the journey was really adventurous.

The name of the lake has been derived from Bhutia language and stands for the source of water. The local people informed us that the melting of snow from the mountains serves as the source of water for the lake. They also told us that the lake exhibits completely different looks during different seasons. We were lucky that we were travelling during the summers the lake along with the nearby areas remain covered with snow during the winters. We could also spot a group of beautiful and rarely seen colourful flowers surrounding the lake.

Tsomgo Lake Sikkim

Tsomgo Lake Sikkim | Image Resource : brahmachaitanyaholidays.in

We knew that the lake is considered to extremely sacred by the local residents of Sikkim. Some of the local people informed us about the different types of legends and myths associated with the lake’s history. We came to know that in the ancient days, the Buddhist monks could tell the future of the state simply by studying the varying colours of the Tsomgo Lake’s water. We knew that faith healers or Jhakris, as locally called, gather at the lake once in a year to celebrate Guru Purnima.

We also carried out rides on beautifully crafted mules and yaks and were extremely overjoyed. There were a number of eating stalls and we tried out some exclusive beverages and snacks found in this part of the world. We could spot some magnificent steep mountains on different sides of the lake. We also came to know that we were very close to the border between India and China.

Photo Of The Week : Enchey Monastery Sikkim

6/17/2015

Enchey Monastery Sikkim

Enchey Monastery Sikkim | Image Resource : destinasia.org

Enchey Monastery Sikkim : My visit to Sikkim monastery was one of the most divine experiences I ever had. You can walk down a lane and be able to find mountains and another lane would give you some beautiful waterfalls. A view from Enchey Monastery gave me a beautiful vision from the mountain top which was enchanting and soothed my heart and soul!

Rumtek Monastery Sikkim - Peace in the Lap of Mountains

6/15/2015

After spending the first day in relaxing and exploring some parts of the local market, we went for a solid sleep on the comfortable beds. We got up early the next day as we had to cover a number of destinations and didn’t want to waste our time. All of us took our respective ID cards as we knew that we would need them at various destinations.

We had planned to start our journey with a visit to the Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim. It was pretty far away from Gangtok and we had to spend around 1500 bucks to reach the place. The taxi in which we were travelling took approximately 2 hours to reach the place.

It is extremely famous as a monastery, throughout the globe. In the past, it was known as the Dharma Chakra Centre and used to be a special spot for Buddhists of Tibet. On entering the monastery, we were left dumb struck by the sight of a monk practicing one of their typical instruments. The best thing about the music was as if it was the result of the simultaneous humming of 100 people.

Rumtek Monastery Sikkim

Rumtek Monastery Sikkim | Image Resource : rumtek.org

It was the 16th Karmapa who had built the monastery. We could spot a wonderfully crafted shrine and a number of monks, all of them peaceful in nature. We came to know from the monks that the monastery got its true recognition only after China decided to take over Tibet and religious gurus from the latter decided to move to Sikkim.

We also heard a sad thing related to the monastery that it has been the centre of attraction for controversies regarding the owner of the land on which it has been built. The problem associated with the monastery has been in existence for years and is known as the Karmapa controversy.

The monks were so impressed with our enthusiasm to visit the place that they treated us with their world famous Million Mantra Meditation Dance. It was the experience of a lifetime. We also had breakfast at the cafe inside the monastery and ate some noodles and momos. We left the place quite early as we had to travel a long distance to reach our next destination.

Photo Of The Week : Kabi Lungchok Sikkim

6/13/2015

Kabi Lungchok Sikkim

Kabi Lungchok Sikkim | Image Resource : en.wikipedia.org

Kabi Lungchok Sikkim : Being on a low budget, there is always a pressure on whenever we have to visit any place. This is why Kabi Lungchok in Sikkim was truly an amazing experience. It kept me hale and hearty at a very manageable budget. This is because it is not a place of big monuments but a simple village that gave me a lot of breathing space and I could let my hair down.

Study Skills for High School Students

6/8/2015

Lately, I have been noticing that high school students are not able to cope up with their studies. I clearly remember when I was in high school, I used to start studying right from the beginning of the academic year.

Today, I see that students are saving their studies, projects, assignments and other works for the last minute. As the good old saying goes, “A Stitch in Time, Saves Nine”, high school-goers fail to understand the importance of time and value of education.

Looking at the current scenario, it does not suggest a favourable condition for them in the latter part of their life. Therefore, here, I would like to share top study skills for high school students.

Study Skills

Study Skills | Image Resource : examandinterviewtips.com

Time Management is the key
First and foremost, keep track of your time. Set an alarm for your tasks. Make sure that you plan your activities through the day. It will not only help you schedule your studies with other tasks but also give you enough time to rest and relax.

Organize your daily routines
Maintain a journal. Follow it and update it with your to-do tasks. As and when you complete the activities for the day, mark them as “done” and concentrate on the ones that are pending.

Find out your learning abilities
Before you start studying, it would be great if you found out your learning abilities and capacities. Are you the one who jots down points, or one who repeats answers in a loud tone for a better understanding.

Catch up with your sleep
It has been proven that sleep is one of the most dominating factors while studying. It is not good to stay up late and cram up with answers that have not even been seen earlier. Meanwhile, studying early in the morning is helpful and lets you memorize things easily.

Ask questions, get doubts cleared
Some students are not comfortable with getting their doubts cleared in front of the class. But, this is an important and useful practice that helps a lot. Raise questions on topics that you find difficult to understand and get your doubts cleared then and there.

My Train Travel From Chennai Central To New Jalpaiguri - Time Taking But Fascinating

6/7/2015

Being a young girl, I have always been an ardent lover of travelling. It was since my childhood that I have been travelling to different corners of the country. Before school got over, I used to travel with my family. But now, I love to travel with my college buddies. Another thing which I love to do is capture all my memories in the form of pictures with my SLR. I have already travelled to various destinations like Coorg, Ganges, Goa and Western Ghats. So I was extremely eager to explore the north eastern part of the country.

After our semester exams, we had a long summer vacation. But before going to our respective homes, I, along with some of my close friends, decided to go for a trip. We had a lot of arguments regarding the destination to be covered. But thanks to the common passion about trekking amongst all my friends, that we finally decided to visit a hill station. We decided that Gangtok would be the best for us since it would suit our budget.

I used the hotel and flight booking Sikkim app downloaded in my smartphone to plan the entire trip. We chose to travel via train because first of all, it would suit our budget. Secondly, we wanted to experience the joy of covering a long distance via train. We boarded the YPRQKYQ Express at around 3.45 pm from the Chennai Central station. We had packed our bags with books, walkmans and other necessary stuff because we knew it was going to be a very long journey, around two and a half days, to be precise.

YPRQKYQ Express

YPRQKYQ Express | Image Resource : youtube.com

We were so excited and busy in chatting with each other that we didn’t even realise how time passed away in the YPRQKYQ Express. It was running perfectly on time and we got down at the New Jalpaiguri station early morning at around 5.45 am. It was very cold and we had to cover ourselves with our woollen clothes. We had to hire a taxi to reach Gangtok where we had booked our hotel and flight booking to Sikkim through app.

New Jalpaiguri Station

New Jalpaiguri Station | Image Resource : s933.photobucket.com

Travel Thought Of The Week - Rich Rideway

6/4/2015

Image Resource : bethsaunders.wordpress.com

The beauty and magnificence of many places in the world give birth to questions that many would never have thought about. Life is a lesson and for a travel geek like me, it starts by witnessing new places every now and then. If there is one thing that makes me richer in thoughts and actions, then it is traveling!

Holy Buddhist Treasures at the Bojjana Konda

6/2/2015

Bojjana Konda was constructed between the 4th century and 9th century A.D. and is among the oldest existing Buddhist monasteries in the world. It is believed that this was the time when the lord Buddha assumed the three phases of Buddhism (yanas). The Buddhist devotes from all around the world visit this monastery as it is easily accessible these days. The site is located just 44 km from the city of Visakhapatnam. Although some distance has to be travelled on foot to reach the actual site but I believe that is part of the experience at Bojjana Konda.

The Bojjana Konda Caves are built on two hills namely the Lingalakonda and the Bojjanakonda, the second being more popular and hence the name of the site. The Anakepelle village located close to these hilltops serves as a lodging place for tourists as it is impossible to explore the entire site within a day or two. I was short on time though so I saw the most I could. This site is great for pictures. I like remember my journey through photographs and hence I took many clicks of the beautiful monoliths at the Bojjana Konda.

Bojjana Konda Visakhapatnam

Bojjana Konda Visakhapatnam | Image Resource : workshopdestination.com

The Bojjanakonda hill is for its huge monoliths. A monolith is a statue made by carving a single piece of stone. When the stone is extremely large monoliths are often referred as megaliths. The monoliths picturing the dhyan mudra of Lord Buddha are unique and exuberant.

It is difficult to believe that these were built at a time when there were no machines to lift loads and everything had to be done by hand. I cannot imagine how many men and women would have been involved in the construction of these statues. The Lingalakonda on the other hand has smaller and numerous scattered idols of Lord Buddha. They are much more detailed and artistic.

Lingalakonda

Lingalakonda | Image Resource : indiansafari.jimdo.com

On the last day of my journey I had the chance to explore some lost treasures. I saw many relics of the era far gone and far forgotten. I realised that men and women of those days were not much different from us. They had their troubles and their vices but the world must move on and we must always thrive to be better citizens of a better world.

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About Author.

Hello, I am Ayushi Manroa. I love travelling and have also dabbled in photography. Being a student, I mostly end up back-packing! I started this blog to record my travelogues about the amazing places that I have been to. Be it frolicking in Goa, taking a dip in the Ganges, trekking in Coorg or hitching a ride up the Western Ghats, it is all listed here along with some of my best shots. Hope you like it. Happy reading!

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