Our first encounter with the Kanchenjunga - A Photo Blog

It is the third highest mountain in the world, and the highest in India. Located on the border of Nepal and Sikkim, the name of the mountain range is written in various ways – Kangchenjunga, Kang-cheng-Dzo-nga and Kanchanjanga, among others. It is most...

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The Gangtok Zoo

We stood on a platform and looked at the woods. Beyond them was the city of Gangtok, and further ahead, we could see the snow-capped mountains.  A small cabin up ahead and a wall partly visible between the pine trees was the only indication that...

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Namchi, Sikkim - Of two statues, temples and some thoughts

A huge statue is visible on the mountain as our car makes its way along the winding roads. We ask what it is and our driver replies “Oh, that is the Padmasambhava Statue. We shall be going there.” Soon, the curves hide the statue from our eyes, and we...

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Some Unexpected Birding in West Sikkim

“Amma, there is a black, white and red bird!” Samhith exclaimed. He had just ventured to the river , which flowed through the Club Mahindra’s property at Baiguney, Sikkim, and was excited to have seen a bird without me! Shankar, returning after a long...

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Sunrise on the Mountains of Sikkim

Waking up at 4 AM is never an easy task for me. But waking up at that unearthly hour to climb up a mountain to see the sunrise? I wasn’t sure if I would even be able to walk. But the activity guy at Club Mahindra’s Baiguney resort was persuasive. “You...

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Our KidZania Experience with Blogadda

Years ago, when I was a kid, playing with friends involved a lot of role-play. Of course, we didn’t call it that. We called our games Ghar-Ghar or Teacher-Teacher, depending on what roles we decided to take on. When I told Samhith about those days, he...

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Kanchenjunga Waterfalls

Taking a break from my longer posts, here is a photoblog... of a waterfall we saw near Pelling...This is what you first see when you stop by the roadRead more...

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Khecheopalri Lake - One Lake, Many Legends!

It is a small lake, nestled amidst the mountains, surrounded by forests. The shape is slightly elongated, though not a regular oval. But then, you wouldn’t expect a natural lake to have a perfect shape, would you? At first glance, it appears like any...

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Pemayangtse Monastery - of art, faith and spirituality

The Pemayangtse Monastery is the second stop on our tour of Pelling. It is one of the oldest monasteries in Sikkim, as well as one of the most important ones. From the outside, it looks colourful, but we have no clue about what awaits us inside! Read...

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Rabdentse Palace - home of the Sikkim Kings

Three stone structuresstand at the edge of the mountain. Behind them is the valley, and beyond it, the mountains stretch as far as our eyes can see. It is an impressive sight, and I can finally understand why the erstwhile rulers of Sikkim chose this...

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Prayer Flags and Prayer Wheels

Our visit to Sikkim in December 2014 was the first time we had set foot in the North-Eastern parts of India. Everything appeared new, interesting and yes, fascinating. No matter how much we had read or seen photographs of, it was still a ‘First Experience’,...

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Book Review: Kurukshetra by Krishna Udayasankar

“Give me the present, Acharya. In return, I will give you the future.”  …… “I don’t care what you write or do not write, or how you wish to record all that has come to pass. I will neither thwart you nor question your wisdom in presenting and...

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Collecting Memories at Tathagata Farm, Darjeeling

It was in early 2013that I first heard of Tathagata Farm, near Darjeeling. They invited me to visit their farm stay, but I had no plans then, of travelling east. It was an open offer, they assured me, and I could stay with them whenever I did make the...

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Journeying into the wild at Jaldapara

It was Sankara, who put the idea of visiting Jaldapara into my head. I was in the process of planning my December trip to Kolkata, Darjeeling and Gangtok, and, happening to meet him, asked his advice. “Why do you want to go to Darjeeling?” He asked....

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