My first trip to Vaishnodevi was unimpressive. Climbing was hard, and it only served to highlight how badly out of shape I was, while my in-laws managed to cope so much better. Further, I hadn’t quite realized that the cave experience wouldn’t be the same as I had imagined, since the original cave was only opened at certain times a year, and that we only entered a newly created tunnel, one far easier to access, and hence more manageable with the crowds that thronged the mountain shrine. The resulting experience at the shrine, for barely a fraction of a second, hardly compared to what I had expected / imagined / heard about. So, for me, Vaishnodevi was like any other temple, nothing to write home about, something that was reflected (though not explicitly mentioned) in the blog post I wrote then.
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 commonly called ‘Kanchenjunga’, and it is one of the few
mountain ranges so revered that even now, the peak is never scaled, out of
respect for local sentiments.
The
mountain’s name
is said to come from the Tibetan phrase – Five Treasures of the Great Snow. The
number refers to the five major peaks, and also to the five actual
treasures - Gold, Silver, Gems, Food
Grains and Religious Texts.
These
ranges are famed
for disappearing for days at a stretch, behind clouds, showing no sign of
existence, but we were lucky. We had our first sight of the majestic mountain
range as we approached Darjeeling…
The
peaks loomed
over Tathagata Farms, where we stayed, far from the madding crowds of
Darjeeling…
Over
the next few days,
as we explored Sikkim, the weather stayed clear, and the mountains watched over
us, towering over the region like an omnipresent deity. No wonder the locals
revere them!
They
are also the biggest draw for tourists in the area, and the most visited places are the points
which provide the best view of the ranges. We didn’t go to Tiger Hill in
Darjeeling, but managed to the sun rise over the ranges, bathing them in a
golden glow, near Baiguney in West Sikkim. I have already written about it
here.
At
Namchi, the
Padmasambhava statue has a superb view of the snow-capped mountains…
and
visitors at the TEMI Tea Estates click the mountains more than the plantation!
Around
Gangtok, the
best viewpoints also double up as temples, the only ones we visited in the
region. The Hanuman Tok is, as the name suggests, a shrine to
Hanuman. As at many mountains, it is also believed that he rested here while
returning with the Sanjeevani mountain. The shrine is a relatively recent one,
with an idol of the God installed in the 1950s by an officer posted here. The
view of course, is magnificent….
The
other point is Ganesh Tok, which is of course, a temple to Ganesha. This is an even more modern
affair, but again, the view is what grabs the most attention.
However, the best view we had of the Kanchenjunga wasn’t from any of these points,
but somewhere near the Nathu La pass, when we visited the temple to Baba
Harbhajan Singh.
The
clouds had
begun to set in, and had begun to cover the mountains. Yet, it was an
impressive sight. It was here that we could see how the mountains changed as we
approached the mighty range, and we finally realized just how lucky we were,
that we had seen the mighty sentinels of this region, for over a week, without
a single cloud obscuring them!
Here,
seeing the mountains so close, and yet so far, so high, almost touching the skies, they did feel
divine!
That's some grand views of Kanchenjunga! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Neelima! It feels wonderful hearing that, esp from you :D
DeleteMajestic mountain range. Beautifully explained. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThank you Arun.
DeleteBeautiful captures, Anuradha.
ReplyDeleteThank you Niranjan!
DeleteNice snaps!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Aravind!
DeleteSo majestic! Mountains like this give me a sense of peace and happiness. As a matter of fact, as I read your blog and enjoyed your photos, I have a postcard of the Grand Teton range in winter propped against my computer. :) The Tetons (in Wyoming, USA) are impressive, but would be only foothills compared to the heights of this mountain range. Thank you for the beautiful post, Anuradha!
ReplyDeleteThank you Natalie! I guess mountains everywhere are beautiful, no matter what the size. But of course, the impressiveness increases with size :D which means i have lots more to see and be impressed by :D you know what, you should plan a trip to India, and we should meet!
DeleteHi Anuradha,
ReplyDeleteSeeing your post on The Kanchenjunga really captivated me and inspired me to pack my bags and leave for Sikkim. The pictures of the Kanchenjunga truly were majestic and unreal. You are very lucky to get a week of clear skies. I wish that would be the case when I visit, cheers.