A day in Namchi- the first of the Sikkim Series.

Much of 3rd grade geography was spent trying to learn the names of the states and their capitals. Sikkim and Tripura were my personal demons. I was always mixing the two up- their locations on the map as well as their capitals. They were just so remote, and so unimportant to a 9 year old living in Delhi. Even in the 15 years that followed, hardly any thought was given to these small eastern states. Till the time Air India announced all domestic flights at Rs. 1500. Almost on a whim, bookings were made for Bagdogra with the intent of traveling ahead to Sikkim.

We spent a day in Namchi, South Sikkim. At first sight, Namchi is unimpressive. A disappointment even, considering that the Chief Minister of the state for the last 25 years belongs to this constituency. The major 'attraction' is the Char Dham Temple Complex, which in my opinion, is essentially a Mini Siam of temples. There were smaller 'replicas' of the four main dhams and a gigantic Shiva statue to overlook the whole complex. The place is pretty enough- manicured and well maintained. The main prayer hall is adorned with murals depicting scenes from Shiva's life, which, being quite fond of mythology, I found interesting. However, I felt that the place lacked a certain character. It felt too artificial, too new and too 'perfect'. The sense of awe and wonder that you experience on beholding the massive, yet intricate temples of Kanchipuram, or the sense of peace and serenity that washes over you at the Bahai Temple, Delhi was missing in this place. It just felt too plastic. (Incidently, this is also how I feel about the Akshardham in Delhi.)

Walkway of the bazaar covered in pink gulaal after holi

In the evening, we walked to Namchi Bazar. All the shops were closed on account of holi. Well, almost all. The liquor shops were very much in business. So was a tiny little shop called 'Rekha's Fast Food'. People were lining up outside this shop for a hot cup of tea and samosas. After warming ourselves up with the Rs. 5 chai, we wandered along the Central Park. This is a misnomer since it's not technically a park, but a pedestrian-only area with a fountain and an aquarium surrounded by (shuttered) shops. The 

walkway was covered in pink gulaal after the day's festivities. We sat on one of the many benches and people watched. The longer I sat, the more I started warming up to the place. This was the heart of the city. Even though the heart was on holiday, there were still locals walking around, catching up, laughing... I imagine that the atmosphere would only be livelier on a regular day.

The statue at Samudruptse

We made an early start for Gangtok the following morning, stopping to visit a couple of places in between. Our first stop was at Samudruptse, where there is a massive statue of Guru Padmasambhav- the patron saint of Sikkim (according of one of the plaques). The path leading up to the statue was  lined with Buddhist flags waving in the wind, the air was fresh with the smell of the mountain forest and the sound of chirping birds flitted through the atmosphere. Peace! I made friends with a kitty who I found meditating (soaking up the sun) on one of the benches. It mewed and purred loudly in response to my petting but refused to pose for photos. 

We made another pitstop at a Temi Tea estate where we basked in the sun as we enjoyed a hot cuppa of the garden fresh tea. Refreshed, we resumed our drive to Gangtok, the state capital, which requires an entire blog post of it's own.

Fresh tea from the garden