JOIN USFrom the tiger's nest...
I was lucky that I was born an Air Force child as I have spent most of my life growing up in cities and hamlets, trekking from passes to peaks and scurrying from rivers to roads. I often believe that I rankle with rich stories from the places that I uncover and people I encounter so anticipation bubbles in me before any trip. And it was the same when a trip to Bhutan materialised.
Bhutan is like a breath of fresh air. A quiet kingdom without any glitz, it is probably one of the last few places which rocks to the music and poetry of Mother Earth. Located in the Eastern Himalayan slopes, ‘The Land of the Thunder Dragon’ is anything close to fiery. Human eyes naturally rove from steep mountains and valleys to narrow ridges and monasteries on mountains. Exotic trees which I had heard about only in textbooks, like fir, pine and cedar, lay cloaked over peaks.
Apart from the overdose of statues of ‘Buddhas’ and ‘Dzongs’, a fortress-like structure, In all truth, I went to Bhutan in search of happiness as it is ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world. I set off from Darjeeling I reached New Jalpaiguri, in Siliguri and tried to find out the easiest way to reach Bhutan.
However, I ended up getting confused and was often misled. I struck up a conversation with a stranger who told me to take a train to Hasimara, the last Indian town. My instincts immediately trusted him. My favourite aspect of travelling is always meeting simple people and being humbled by them so I was glad that my trip started on good foot. I went to Hasimara, a small town in Alipurduar which borders Bhutan, by train. Spread over a high altitudinal range, the majestic capital sparkled of natural marvel.
We reached a hotel in Thimphu in seven hours, which was right opposite a football stadium, and from the balcony, we enjoyed a football match between Bhutan and Singapore. As dawn gave way to dusk, Salwat, my friend, and I did what we love best. We aimlessly walked around the city, occasionally drinking up the sounds of the local streets and gorging on ‘momos’. Though my parents had slight problem with the food, I savoured Bhutanese cuisine till its last bite. I glimpsed at the culinary trail in the Himalayan kingdom and from the National dish, which is ‘Ema Datshi (a Chili Cheese stew), ‘bathup’ (soup with homemade noodles) and cheese momos, I relished the tasty delights and realised that the food could be one of the reasons for Bhutan’s high Happiness Index. I also recall telling my parents then that if an Indian ate like an Indian in Bhutan, they wouldn’t enjoy the food but if they ate like a Bhutanese in Bhutan they would hail their platter in all its glory.
The next day, we took a taxi to the statue, ‘Buddha Dordenma’, a gigantic Buddha statue in Thimphu. Adding to the architectural marvel was the aesthetic view of snow capped mountains and tiny ‘Dzongs’. Although I felt disappointed by ‘Dzongs’ as every one was the same, the breathtaking view made me connect to the universe in a subtle way that words can’t capture. We then went to Punakha.
A clear river, ‘Po Chu’, flowed along the district, which seemed like it bubbled of ancient mysteries. A hanging bridge, which is the longest suspension bridge, was built on the river. It was a seamless marriage between the natural and an engineering marvel. Another highlight of my trip was the war memorial which we saw on the road from Thimphu to Phunaka.
As many as 108 memorial ‘stupas’ were built to honour the Bhutanese soldiers. A trip to Bhutan doesn’t end without a trek to the ‘Paro Taktsang Palphug’ monastery, popularly known as a Tiger’s Nest. Guru Padmasambhava, who is lauded for introducing Buddhism in Bhutan, is said to have meditated here. So the next day, my parents and I trekked at a steep mountain to reach a monastery at the peak. This is another beautiful takeaway from my trip and a must-see in everyone’s bucket list. I spotted a cave amidst these monasteries and decided to put my sleuthing cap on. It was too small to enter, even for a thin, lanky person like me but I was determined to go inside. Turned out that it was the same spot where Buddha had meditated. Boy! Was I elated! A small light through a crack shone through.
I followed the light and as I got out, I found myself standing at sheer drop point. This was surely the light at the end of a cave for me. Many say that the Bhutanese are caught in a time-warp, landlocked inside a kingdom of ancient traditions. So were we. We will remember this blissful holiday for eternity.
How to get there
Take a taxi or a bus from Darjeeling to New Jalpaiguri and reach Hasimara in a bus or a shared taxi. One can also take a direct bus from Darjeeling to Phunkshnug.
Places to stay
Hotel Riverview in Thimphu
Ishan Sharma
(As told to Anushka Sivakumar)