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Nathu La Pass – A View From My Eyes

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I have mentioned about my vacation to Darjeeling, Pelling and Gangtok in my previous articles. When I wrote about Gangtok, I had mentioned that I would be covering extensively about Nathu La Pass; well, in this article I would be telling you 7 Things which you should do or keep in mind when you are going to Nathu La. I would like to advise you that if you are going to Gangtok and you don’t go to Nathu La then the trip is really of very little use; make sure that you talk to your travel guide and express your interest in this place otherwise making arrangements at the last moment becomes almost impossible because only 60 cars are allowed to enter Nathu La in a day.

Nathu La pass is located at a height of 14,140 ft so all those of you suffering from breathing problems, you should certainly avoid going to this place. The only way to reach Nathu La is a drive from Gangtok which is around 60 km; you will have to leave your hotel by 8 pm because it takes almost 3-4 hours to get here and then the permit checking takes a lot of time. In this article, I would be talking about Nathu La Pass – A View from My Eyes

Nathu La Pass – A View From My Eyes

nathu la photo
road to nathu-la by Shivali Chopra under CC BY 2.0

1. Getting the permit

My experience regarding this was really pathetic. Honestly, the reason me and my friends decided to get transferred from Pelling to Gangtok was because of Nathu La Pass otherwise we would have preferred going to Jalpaiguri so that we could leave for Kolkata. When we reached Gangtok my friend called up the travel guide and asked when was the car coming to pick us up for Nathu La the next day and he said that it might happen that we don’t get the permit to visit the pass. At that moment we had really lost our state of minds and we ended up shouting on the travel guide; he later promised to give us a healthy update in the afternoon.
For going to Nathu La you need to get your permits from the border office. You will have to submit a passport size photo and a few identity proofs; Since only 60 cars are allowed in 1 day it becomes really competing to get into this place during holidays. Our travel guide was trying to explain this to us but we had taken a commitment from him at the time when we were booking our tickets. Somehow we managed to get the permit and we had left our hotel at 8 am in the morning after having our breakfast.

2. The Road

The second point that I would like to mention in this article, Nathu La Pass – A View From My Eye is that I have never seen a more dangerous road than the road to Nathu La. After about 20-25 kilometres you will able to see little ice and after 30-35 kilometres you can literally see the clouds going above your car. Yes! It’s that beautiful. I will have to give kudos to the driver he had a superb vision. Whenever he was making turns, we could see the way down; and though none of us said anything to each other but yes, the height was definitely very scary. I would like to inform you one more thing that after about 10 or 15 kilometres your mobile service provider would give away and you would be unreachable for at least 3-4 hours (Taking a round trip journey into account) so make sure you inform your parents or relatives before going up. I did this mistake of not informing and after I got down from the pass I heard a handful from my mom.

nathu la momo photo
Nathu La. by Shayon Ghosh under CC BY-ND 2.0

3. Momos!

The third thing I would like to talk about in Nathu La Pass – A View From My Eyes is the Momos! I am a person who is really into chicken momos but when I entered Nathu La, I was informed by my driver that no shop there serves non-veg momos. For a moment I was really disappointed because I had no intentions of eating cabbage covered with steamed flour. It was around 11.30 am and all of us got really hungry because we had a very light breakfast because we knew that we are going to up 14,000 ft and no one had the intentions of throwing up in the car. So, we requested our driver to take a halt. He stopped at one of his known shops where he had ordered something with rice and me and my friends ordered momos and Maggi. I was a little hesitant while trying the veg momo but when I took my first bite trust me all my complaints went away in a second. They were so damn tasty and light that 4 of us had eaten 15 momos each. The Maggi was also great but I have had better in Kolkata so I am not going to brag about it.

4. Rent Boots!

This is again another funny story. Our driver made a halt and asked us to rent boots because the entire region is covered with ice and if the shoes aren’t correct, we will end up wetting them and hypothermia would be on its way. So, we decided to listen to our driver’s advice but one of my friends who happens to be a little miser decided to ignore his advice and go ahead with his sports shoes. He was trying to convince us and was told that the driver is trying to make money since we were tourists and we shouldn’t rent it. Actually, the rent was just Rs. 100 for the shoes and we really thought how does it really matter after all prevention is always better than cure. When we reached Nathu La, our miser friend had stepped into the snow not only did his shoes get wet but some ice managed to enter his socks; you should have looked at the expression of his face. We seriously had a blast looking at him!

5. Lake Tsomgo

The 5th place I would like to talk about in this article, Nathu La Pass – A view from my eyes is Lake Tsomgo. Suppose that you, unfortunately, do not manage to get a permit to Nathu La pass then you could still go to this beautiful place. If you are lucky enough you would be able to find a little snow; this place is really amazing for taking pictures. It is widely known as Changu Lake and is located on the way to Nathu La pass.

6. Kyongnosla Waterfall

Gangtok doesn’t have much to offer when it comes to waterfalls. So, if you are a person who is really into waterfalls then you should ask your driver to stop at this place. I remember just opposite waterfall there are 3-4 shops which sells gloves and snacks. I would personally suggest you to buy a pair of gloves because if you plan on touching the ice then you would really be needing it. Make sure, you have a cup of coffee or tea; the temperature there would be like 1 or 2 degrees and a hot beverage would really help your body to get a little warm. With this being said, Kyongnosla Waterfall deserves a spot in this article, Nathu La Pass – A view from my eyes

7. The View

After about 3 hours we reached Nathu La, the moment we stepped out of the car we were just laughing at each other because all of us knew that we were feeling screwed because of the temperature. The temperature that day was -2 degrees so you can just imagine our condition. I had never seen such a beautiful sight; I mean wheresoever you look everywhere you would be finding snow. We got up the pass and saw the India-China border and we even said hi to one of the Chinese soldiers. We interacted with one of our Indian soldiers because unlike us he was not wearing any sweater or vest just his army uniform; so out of curiosity we asked Sir, don’t you feel cold? He replied that if you stay here for 3 months you kind of get used to the cold around here. Salute to the Indian army! I can’t even imagine standing there with just a shirt and nothing else.

So, with this, we have come to an end to this article, Nathu La Pass – A view from my eyes. Like I mentioned many times in this article, this place is a must go if you’re going to Gangtok! It would seriously give you an experience of your lifetime so make sure you get your permits beforehand so that you don’t face the problems which we faced on our vacation.

Featured “Photo of Sherathang” by shankar s. under CC By 2.0

5 Best Places To Visit In Pelling

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In my previous article, I said that due to the scorching heat of Kolkata I and my friends decided to take a trip to Darjeeling, Pelling and Gangtok. But there is a story behind Pelling, actually, I had only 5 days to travel and under any case, I had to be back in Kolkata on the 5th day because of some college work. I didn’t really have the time to break my head with travel agents so I delegated this work to my friends. I was told by my friends that we are going to Darjeeling and Gangtok and on your journey from Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling one of my friends informed me that this was going to be a 5-day trip instead of 4 because they had added Pelling to our travelogue as well.

They knew very well that they had informed me this before there was no chance on earth that I was going to agree to this so they decided to hide this piece of information from me. Honestly, I was really mad over them regarding this because I really had to be in college on that day but eventually, I got over it and decided that if I am going there then I should go with a happy mood. In this article, I would be talking about 5 Best Places to Visit in Pelling.

5 Best Places To Visit In Pelling

Pelling photo
“Photo of scenic beauty of pelling” by Shivali Chopra under CC BY 2.0

1. Experience – Road Trip

Before I tell you about the 5 Best Places to Visit in Pelling I would like to share my experience of the transfer from Darjeeling to Pelling. The road trip took us around 4 hours and I have no shame in accepting that this was the worst road trip ever of my life. The roads are extremely pathetic, ill-maintained and filled with rocks which would definitely give you a body ache. Firstly, I was already annoyed that my friends didn’t tell me about this transfer to Pelling and then this irritating road trip acted like adding oil to a fire. They really got a handful from me during the road trip and later due to the road trip, they too were also regretting booking this transfer.

2. Singshore Bridge

The first place that I would like to talk about in this list of 5 Best Places to Visit in Pelling is the Singshore Bridge. On our arrival at the hotel at around 3 pm, we were informed by our travel agent that they didn’t make any arrangements for that particular day. After the wondrous road trip this was like a cherry on top of a cake. We checked with our travel agent about the places we will be visiting tomorrow so that the places we will be visiting that day didn’t get overlap with the next day. After an exchange of abusive words with my friends, we finally decided to rent a car for around 3 hours so that the day didn’t go as waste and we could roam around a little. The driver took us to Singshore Bridge; the view from this bridge is really amazing. It was like watching a hanging necklace in the middle of a mountain; if you look down from the bridge one can see water streams flowing. The view from here is very serene, and this bridge deserves a spot in this list of 5 Best Places to visit in Pelling

3. Khecheopalri Lake

Khecheopalri Lake photo
“Photo of Khecheopalri Lake” by Akuppa John Wigham under CC BY 2.0

The second place that I would like to mention in this list of 5 Best Places to visit in Pelling is Khecheopalri Lake. Honestly, there are numerous numbers of falls in Pelling; as a matter of fact, the only thing great about Pelling is the falls so if you are not a big fan of waterfalls then I will advise you not to visit here. This lake is kind of a holy lake and helps you understand the Sikkim culture from a broader perspective. The entry fee is also very cheap and shouldn’t cost you more than Rs. 100 (For a group of 5).

4. Kanchenjunga Falls

The third place to make it to the list of 5 Best Places to visit in Pelling is the Kanchenjunga Falls. The sound of these falls will seriously mesmerize you and if you just stand near the railing it really calms your mind. Also, near these falls there is an adventure sport which you can try. They tie you to a rope through a harness and make you cross the lake near these falls. They even stop you in the middle so that you can take pictures. The road to Kanchenjunga falls is not that great which acts as a disadvantage for this spot, but as I mentioned before roads in Pelling are not that maintained.

5. Rimbi Garden

This place is also called the Orange Garden. This place has a great collection of flowers so if you are a person who is really into fauna then Orange Garden is a must visit for you. They charge you a nominal entry fee of around Rs.30, if you have some patience then you should go to the very bottom of this garden where there is a valley. It is a really great place for taking pictures and there is a small stall which serves tea/coffee; Enjoying a hot beverage sitting on the shore of a valley would certainly relax your senses.

6. Rimbi Water Falls

The last place to make it to the list of 5 Best Places to visit in Pelling is Rimbi Water Falls. You will need to rent a car to reach this place. This waterfall is in the middle of the road so that is something unique. You should try touching the water from these falls; it is really very chilling and it is not something which you generally get to do around waterfalls.

There are not many places in Pelling where you can visit, it is limited but they are good. If you want to roam around Sikkim then you would be needing to rent a car because facilities like cab or buses are not available in this state. It doesn’t attract that much of tourism like the other cities like Darjeeling and Gangtok but it is a good place to visit if you are into waterfalls. The best thing that I liked about Pelling was that it was very quiet and not crowded, unlike Darjeeling and Gangtok. If you are looking for a place which is peaceful and not overcrowded then I would definitely recommend you to visit Pelling.

Featured “Photo of scenic beauty of pelling” by Shivali Chopra under CC BY 2.0

Odisha, Home to Taptapani, A Hot Water Spring Experience

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Travel is a great way to expand your horizons. You get to see new places, meet new people and do interesting things. There is so much to see and do in our country. A memorable experience to have is take a dip in Taptapani in Odisha.

Previously known as Orissa, Odisha is a gorgeous state in Eastern India. The history of this state is rich and powerful. Every body knows Ashoka, the mighty Emperor of the Maurya Empire. He was a powerful, strong ruler who conquered several parts of Ancient India. Long wars, suffering and violence made him turn to Buddhism. The once aggressive King was now a peaceful, calm saint and disciple. It is with tales like this that the history of Odisha is filled. Isn’t that intriguing? The state now has a majestic coastline with pretty beaches and blue skies. It was earlier a part of Bihar but later split up for administrative reasons. If you are a nature lover, then Odisha is the best place for you! Evergreen, thick and green forests are everywhere. You can take a walk on cool summer morning or go for a hike on exciting, safe trails. And for children or wildlife enthusiasts, there are rare and exotic animals and birds to view. At the amazing Simplipal National Park and Tiger Reserve, you can catch the Indian leopard, Jungle Cat, Sambar Deer, Indian Bison, Bengal Tiger and King Cobra. Or the Bhitarkanika National Park which is the world’s largest nesting site for Olive Ridley Sea Turtles. For a bit of thrill, you can watch salt water crocodiles! Of course there is much more to do and see as we will find out. Like Taptapani hot water springs.

Ruddy Shelduck by Soumyadeep Chatterjee under CC BY-SA 2.0

 

The cuisine in Odisha is worth every morsel. Sweets, savory snacks, curries and breads, they have it all. You should taste the Chennapoda, a local sweet which is sweet and has syrup. How is the weather in this amazing state? Odisha experiences all seasons so it’s better to visit it during later winter and early summer. The months of January to April are ideal and will be comfortable for everyone. All major national and international cities run flights and trains to Odisha. Once you have visited Bhubhaneshwar, Cuttack and the national parks, you should head to Taptapani. For tourists and travelers to get to Taptapani, they will have to take a train or bus from Bhubhaneshwar or Cuttack. Taptapani means ‘Tapta‘ means ‘Hot‘ and ‘Pani’ means ‘Water.’ The village is named after natural hot water springs packed with sulphur and minerals. It is on the side of a hill and provides a scenic view of valleys and forests. Locals and tourists think the springs have medicinal properties that benefit your skin and health. Compared to other hot water springs, these are mild with waters at 40 degrees Celsius. You still have to be careful of staying too long in the springs.

There is only one guesthouse for tourists so please book in advance before you visit the village. There are many other attractions nearby once you are done with the springs at Taptapani. Gopalpur-on-Sea is a cute little coastal town that has a nice pier and fishermen waiting for the catch of the day. It is a wonderful picnic spot with hillocks and trees providing you with shade in the summer sun. You can also head to Chandragiri which has a really ancient Buddhist Monastery. The Tibetan culture is prevalent here and you can also shop local artifacts at the town’s flea market. To make the most of Taptapani, plan a 3-day trip which gives you enough time to visit everything, shop to your heart’s content and enjoy local delicacies!

Featured Photo of Lone crab by Kandukuru Nagarjun under CC BY 2.0

Natuwadi Tunnel –  The Rail Tunnel On The Western Ghats

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The Natuwadi Tunnel is one of the 91 tunnels that you can pass through while traveling on the Konkan Railways’ route. The 4.7 km tunnel is the second longest tunnel on the route after the Karbude Tunnel. The tunnel is part of the beautiful curvy route of the Konkan Railways going through the hills of the lush green Western Ghats.

Construction of the Natuwadi Tunnel and the Konkan Rail Line

The Natuwadi Tunnel is built between Karanjadi and Diwan Khavati railway stations in the Maharashtra section of the Konkan rail line. The Konkan railway route was constructed to connect the west coast cities of Mumbai and Mangalore. Before the rail project was executed, there did not exist any railway line to connect the coastal towns of West India. There was either a travel by road option or trains running through inland India, which meant a lot of travel time.

In 1989 the work to lay the Konkan Railway Line was started. There were many challenges faced by the Railway engineering team to construct the route on the rough mountainous terrain. It took almost eight years to build the rail stretch covering Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka region.  Ninety-one tunnels and around two thousand bridges were built on the curvaceous route. The Natuwadi Tunnel is the sixth tunnel on the route also named as T-6, if you travel from the Mumbai end.

The Western Ghat Terrain is quite uneven with slopes and hills. It was necessary to level the uneven surface so as to build the rail track. The Natuwadi Tunnel was planned and built to level the line between the Karanjadi station and Diwan Khavati station. It was a challenge to build the tunnel because of the weather conditions and other issues. Special digging equipment was imported from Sweden to excavate the of the moist and loose soil of the Ghats.

The unpredictable landscape of Western Ghats with   steep rocks, rivers, rivulets, sandy soil, made work very difficult for the engineering team. Sometimes during the excavation process, the tunnel would cave in and the process had to be repeated. Many safety measures had also to be designed because of the falling rocks and loose boulders. In fact, heavy rains and land sliding is a major issue on the Konkan railway route during monsoons.

In 2004, there was a derailment accident just near the Natuwadi Tunnel near Karanjadi, caused by land sliding. But the team of efficient railway engineers are working to better the experience of the commuters. That is the reason, in record time of eight years the entire railway line of 738 kms was built including the tunnels and bridges under the leadership of India’s famous railway man Dr. E Sreedharan. The Konkan rail route is single track and operational for both passenger and freight trains.

Experience travelling through the Natuwadi Tunnel

The Konkan rail route is not only a picturesque track but also represents the amazing abilities of India’s engineers. If you want to experience a journey through this fascinating rail route and cross the Natuwadi Tunnel, then just book a train ticket of Konkan Railways. From Mumbai side, the Natuwadi station starts just after Karanjadi and ends before Diwan Khavati station.

A train ride on multiple bridges and passing through dark tunnels amidst the lush green landscape of Western Ghats will certainly be refreshing. You will admire Mother Nature’s bounty and appreciate the efforts of India’s engineers.

Featured Photo: Light at the end of the tunnel by LunchboxLarry under CC BY 2.0 (Representational)

Going Patriotic In Amritsar, Top Places Visit To Feel Truly Indian

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Amritsar is one such city in India, where one can have spiritual, gastronomical and patriotic experience all at one place.   You can make some remarkable memories in this vibrant city of Punjab, by praying at a holy place like the Golden Temple, eating Punjabi delicacies and feeling patriotic sentiments by visiting places like the Jallianwala Bagh or the Wagah Border.  So if you want to go all patriotic on your visit to Amritsar, check out these places to go for sure.

  • Jallianwala Bagh & the Martyr’s Well

Jallianwala photo
This wall and sign are recent additions by shankar s. under CC BY 2.0

Jallianwala Bagh, is a public garden officially opened in the year 1951 dedicated to the many peaceful freedom fighters – men, women and children – who had been killed there mercilessly by British Colonel Reginald Dyer in 1919. There is a memorial built in the garden to respect the deceased and there is a well named – Martyr’s well, where many had jumped to their deaths on that fateful day. The bullet marks on some of the walls still preserved as it is, are reminder of the tragedy and will sure give you goose bumps.

  • The Wagah-Atari Border

While Jallianwala Bagh can be a melancholic experience, the ceremony at the Wagah-Atari border will uplift your patriotic spirits. Located about an hour away from Amritsar city, this India-Pakistan border is easy to reach place as many tourist vehicles go there every day. Here the lowering of the flag ceremony in the evening is about an hour long affair of splendid display of energetic parade and sturdy salutes between the border forces of both nations. The patriotic songs, the national anthem and the parade by the crisply dressed soldiers will make you dance on your feet for sure. But make sure to be there on time as there are only limited seats at the viewing galleries, which are most of the time full of compatriots.

  • The Partition Museum

Town Hall Amritsar photo
A far shot of the Partition Museum, set in the old Town Hall by shankar s. under CC BY 2.0

This is a public museum inaugurated in 2017, located in the Town Hall area in Amritsar. It is the first museum telling the tragic tale of Partition of India in 1947 and the riots that followed it. The museum has historical documents, artefacts, pictures showing the effects of the dark chapter of India’s independence history.

  • Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum

This museum is dedicated to the history and glory of the Sikh empire, which flourished in Punjab under Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the early 19th century. It is an important part of India’s history which talks about the greatness of the bygone era monarch. There are paintings, artefacts, weapons, jewels on display for tourists to understand and absorb tales of the kings and their kingdoms.

  • Gobindgarh Fort

The magnificent fort located in the centre of the city was built over 250 years ago by Bhangi Misl and then taken over by Maharaja Ranjit Singh then went to the British East India Company and now is under the care of India’s Defence Force. The fort was restored in 2017 and now welcomes many tourists each day. There are weapons, armours on display and some interesting exhibits like a video depiction about Sikh Guru Gobind Singhji’s life, a special 7D show regarding Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s famous battles and show of Punjab’s traditional dances and music.

  • The Golden Temple

The famous Golden temple is sure a place for spiritual experience but it will make you a proud patriotic when you witness the serene atmosphere despite presence of lakhs of devotees there. You will see many bricks in the temple which display names of Indian Defence personnel who have donated for the upkeep of this heritage of India.

Featured Photo: “Vaande Maatram” – I bow to thee, Mother” by IncrediblyNuming under CC BY 2.0

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