Following an old tradition, our friend Ajoy Roy again visited Sunderbans to celebrate the pre-Puja Season Community Feast.
We love to share with you some impressions:
more about the community feasts in Sunderbans
Tashiding, the main centre of pilgrimage in East Himalaya, is located in the West District of Sikkim. Sikkim, referred to as the Bayul Demazong (Hidden Valley of Rice) in the Neyig (Guide Book to Holy Places), was blessed by Guru Padmasambhava himself. The centre of this blessed land is the most sacred establishment, ‘Dakkar Tashiding’, surrounded by four holy caves, Sharchog Bephug in the East, Khandozangphu in the South, Decchenphug in the West and Lhari Nyingphug in the North.
The Bumchu or the ‘Holy Water Vase’ festival is organized every year on the night of the 14th day of the 1st month of Tibetian Almanac. It is the celebration of the entire agrarian society of the East Himalaya, including Bhutan, where The Vase containing Holy Waters is kept in a miniature mansion (Chosham) under lock and seal of the Chogyal (King) of Sikkim, to be opened only during the particular occasion under strict supervision of Lamas and high officials. The quantity and quality of water decides the fate of agriculture and the society of the running calendar year. It is believed that a drop of Bumchu Water is the Seed of Enlightment.
The once very inaccessible Tashiding is well connected by roads and bridges maintained regularly by the Government of Sikkim. The more remote areas have been recently connected by fair weather road under the initiative of the present Area MLA and Speaker, Mr.D.N.Thakarpa and his team of active Gram Panchayat (Village administration) leaders. Several remote and interesting villages has now become easily accessible from Tashiding, specially to mention the Gangyap village, dominated by the age old Lepcha Monastery, Sinlon Gompha and the Eklabya Tribal School. The Lepcha people believe that one of their greatest religious leaders had arrived here at the Sinlon Gompha with his disciples to create a new world in the late 1950s, but had to leave and finally walked into the glaciers north. The Eklabya Tribal School, housed in the more than 100 year old Lepcha house has students from various communities of the adjoining areas. The Principal boasts about the multi talented students, who care for their traditions and also excel in modern education, sports and music.
The road from here continues further north to Labdang village (7,000 ft / 2,100 mtrs approx) via Kongri waterfalls. The rock bee hives in the waterfalls starts becoming active from March end and so does the birds dependent on them. The road leads through the Lepcha villages to Labdang, which is dominated by the Gurung community, who are also Buddhists by belief. Labdang can be designated as the cleanest village and very hospitable people. The road ends here combining traditions with modernity, people with nature. Labdang is the base camp for the Areylungchok Dzongri Round Trek Expedition, Neythem Holy Cave Trek and several day and overnight trails.
There are several other villages like Mangham, Karjee etc which can now be heard of because of the road connectivity, but the major circuit would be a combine of Tashiding, Gangyap and Labdang villages. There is no major tourism infrastructure in this circuit and hence basic home stays are the main support for the visitors of all categories. A week long package program launched by Help Tourism with the support of the Gram Panchayats is a major breakthrough for the tourism in the East Himalaya, which in the long run would be instrumental in the formation of ‘Peace Parks’ locally.
The Sunderbans are quiet, remote, dark – boring for many, a lifetime experience for others. Here’s what Elizabeth from the US experienced:
The night before we left though, is seared into my brain. Dev (our guide) took us to the local village ceremony. Since noise travels for miles there, each morning we heard music at about 5 AM …… We inquired where the music was coming from …… He told us that it was a local village ceremony that was going on for a few days. On the last night, he asked if we wanted to go to the ceremony. It was a 45 minute walk from the camp to the village. A little dog ( they are all over the place) followed us the entire way, which was a very brave thing to do since almost everyone has a dog near their little thatch hut and the dogs serve as “alarm systems” challenging anyone or any dog that passes by the outside. Thank the Lord it was a semi full moon, and our guide had a “torch” which was really a big flashlight”
It was surreal. Mist coming off the water, the tiny fishing boats anchored in the water right off the path, thick trees coming out of the water, thatched huts all around. What I could conjure up was Japan circa 1700. And, the anticipation that a tiger could emerge at any moment . Thinking back on it, it was a “bit” life threatening but I NEVER think that anything BAD can happen – and figuring I was with my guide – what could happen? As it happened, we were completely safe …. And the visual of that night it right up there with the great moments of life … the Pyramids ( I was in the Mena House) , the Great Wall of China ( I trekked the 6 mile section of it), the Peruvian Amazon ( spent 4 nights in the THICK OF IT) , the Taj Mahal, Varanassi ( I can go on but you get the picture) . It was an OH MY GOD……
Once we got to the village – the people were incredulous. We were a hit!! We were in the middle of nowhere at a local festival -[...]
When we set up a new project like the Great Indian Elephant Safari in a remote area like Eastern Arunachal Pradesh, we are always a bit fidgety when it finally goes live. Receiving a feedback like the one from Leslie than feels like balm:
“The trip with Raj was amazing, more than anything we could have hoped for. Raj is an amazing man, I am so grateful you put us together. I am so glad the 2 people that backed out did so, the trip could never have happened the way it did if they had been there.
The [Pangsau] pass was closed when we got in the area, but we were able to visit with the Commanding Officer of the Indian Army Rifles that control the check points & he phoned ahead. At each check point, soldiers met us with tea & wanted to visit. The road was a mess which made it all the more memorable so John , Raj, & me were going to hike to the pass the last 5 miles. But several Indian soldiers went back & got the stuck vehicle out & we went on getting stuck several more times but managed each time with the help of an Indian soldier that went up with us.
Everyone was so very interested in John’s dad having been in the area during WW2, the adventure just never stopped. The elephants were great, I could have stayed with them for days, took lots of notes & got more info on elephant management from Raj & the mahouts than could ever be found on the internet.”
