Monthly Archives: September 2009

The Hills of Gangtok, Sikkim

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My Sikkim impression as published in Koseli: [PDF version]

sikkim_india_ (8)Young Buddhist monks smile while their friends try to bring down walnut from a tall tree near their Gumba, the most important and oldest in Gangtok, Sikkim.

The word Sikkim evokes a very different sort of image and emotion in us, Nepalis, that is anything but exotic and touristy. Sikkimization is a term often used in Nepali politics. For those of us who are in our 20s or early 30s, it is hard to believe that Sikkim was an independent nation state till 1975.  India attacked and annexed Sikkim in a broad day light April that year. [Here is the story about that] The same India that suffered under the British Raj (who reportedly puts signs such as ‘dogs and Indians not allowed’) and fought so heroically to gain independence in 1947.  That’s the story of Sikkim that lost its independence to the sinister conspiracy of Indian intelligence agencies and their political leadership. Here are photos from my tour there that portray the present day Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim.

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Evening at Mahatma Gandhi Road in Gangtok, Sikkim. It seems every major city in India has this road called MG named after their father of nation.
The capital city of Sikkim as seen from the top of a shopping complex
Monks at the top of a shopping complex enjoying the view
The oldest monastery of Gangtok
At the top of Gangtok, this monastery is attached to the palace of the ex Chogyal (king) of Sikkim
A young monk shows the walnut he collected
Smiling Buddhas? Walnut is the secret. Their friends threw stones and sticks towards the tree
He is making sticks that will be used for the affairs of Gumba later
Once the Chogyal used to live in this palace that is now kind of abandoned. The followign story (below) tells how India masterminded the annexation of the independent state of Sikkim.
A dad and his daughter pose for the camera as her mother clicks inside the flower garden of Gangtok, Sikkim
Dear dad and his sweet daughter
Flower garden
A woman goes around the prayers wheels of Enchey monastery.
His eyes fixed on the walnut
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Chance Encounters (with Nepalis) In India

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“I don’t know what sins we committed in our previous life that we have to serve in a foreign army. It feels like we are going to all these dhams all over India to wash away our sins.”

chandigarh chance encounter with a nepali lad
Bhagiram Gharti didn’t want to be photographed

By Dinesh Wagle
This article first appeared in today’s Kathmandu Post Op-Ed

It was his solitary lunch. Perhaps his time to think and reflect upon the life he had lived so far. He was slowly chewing rice from a small plate in front of him. Under a concrete shade in the middle of the wide courtyard at Chandigarh’s main marketplace, he was seated cross-legged on a concrete bench fully focused on the meal. He was hungry. I don’t know what exactly, but there was something familiar about him that prompted me to ask (in Hindi), “Where are you from?”

In fact, I almost did that in Nepali. The reply, delivered in low but firm voice, confirmed my doubt. “Nepaaal,” he said, looking directly at my eyes. Continue reading →

Life Around the Lake in Udaipur

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Lake Pichola, Udaipur, India

No Phelps: At the Pichola lake, Udaipur.

Udaipur’s the destination of our tour. We are taking train to Delhi in the evening. We went around the city. I liked the place as it was small, cozy and vibrant.

City at the bank of the artificial lake. The palace in the middle of the lake has been turned into a luxary hotel
Parts of the lake as seen from the rooftop of the hotel where we stayed.
Xu Jie, the Chinese traveller, at the rooftop restaurant of the hotel
Kids plunge at the Pichola lake
Not far from lake Pichola is a Thamel like tourist lane. We stayed at the other side of the lake.
A woman tries to fix a postcard while her husband and father-in-law in a family run shop near lake Pichola
An artist who makes postcards and other paintings and sells to tourists at his shop near lake Pichola
Xu Jie, the Chinese tourist, writes at the wall of the postcard shop after buying postcards. He said he wrote something good about the shop and the art!
Xu Jie explains the postcard shop owner what he just scribbled
Ren shi nin hen gao xing? That’s Mandarian for ‘nice to meet you’ accordign to a site. But not sure what Xu wrote on the wall there. Seems like some piece of art to me though!
Xu Jie calls his home
There are several hills like this one around Udaipur
Like all other major palaces of the region, this is huge
As seen from the front of the City palace
It was very hot when we were in Udaipur
So many tourists visit Udaipur that these kids are used to with cameras
A sadhu washes out
Rooftop of the hotel where we stayed. It’s comfortale over there and folks spend hours to enjoying the view and some okay type food.
We arrived in Jodhpur early in the morning from Jaisalmer. Xu Jie is having tea in a chai shop near the railway station.
At a tea shop at the Jodhpur railway station. The touts, autowallas and agents working for hotels make visitors go crazy by their offers
A traveller awaits bus in Jodhpur to go to Udaipur
Xu Jie takes nap in the bus on way to Udaipur
Near the Pichola lake, Udaipur

Riding Camels in Jaisalmer

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jaisalmer_camel_safari (8)Tied to Graze: They carry full loads of human and other items during the duty hours. During the off hour, their legs are tied and left to graze. The life of camel.

Tweets (in reverse order):
6.  @snkr It’s ramailo bt camel daudida chai afulai bado pida n kasta hune! Same 4 sand-sleeping. But now, thinking after doing it, feels good! [Riding camel's an enjoyable experince but when they run you feel the pain in your butt]
5.  Leaving Jaisalmer in train (which’ll move in few mins-@11:10) ll reach Jodhpur @ 5am 2 catch bus 2 Udaipur. Jaisalmer fort’s like old city

Videos from the desert


Riding Camel, Video

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Jodhpur: the Blue City and Forts

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jodhpur_fort_pink_city (3)@ the Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Sept 2009

Here are some of the tweets from the journey to Jodhpur from Chandigarh.

1. After making a round of Chandigarh, heading 2 railway station 2 catch train 2 Jodhpur, Rajasthan. A Chinese n a Nepali exploring India

2. @ d upper berth of d train 2 Jodhpur. It’s 18 hr journey. Expected arivl tym 16:30 hrs tom. Verdict on Chandigarh: beautifully made city

3. This berth’s pain in my neck, v low, can’t sit. Thankfully long enough 2 stretch legs but 1 in Bombay-Gorakhpur train in Oct was torturous

4. Tryin 2 sleep, missing pillow. 2 days ago, in Jammu-Amritsar train, my shoulder had kindly become pillow 4 a man!http://twitpic.com/gc1ui

5. The rail journey to Rajasthan. Smile from the berth. Co-travelers including Xu Jie are sleeping :)  http://twitpic.com/gc0vh

6. As I switched on phone, got dis SMS: Airtel Welcomes you to Rajasthan. We wish you a pleasant stay here…[it's mornin, train's still movin]

7. Feeling unbelievably sleepy. Train moving smwhere in Rajasthan. Desert like scene frm windows. Dust particles flowing in, can c em on phone

8. Arrived @ Bikaner Jn. leaving Lalgarh station behind. It’s not the same Maoist hotbed Lalgarh of West Bengal. I am in Rajastan.

9. Dis lil Bhanjo was makin his Mama (maternal uncle) go crazy by all his lil fundas. Almst jumped off (halted) train http://twitpic.com/gej5v

10. This train makes it’s passengers hungry! No chaiwallah, food vendors in sight since morning. Amazed. N will soon be starved : (

11. It’s bin 20 mins since dis train (Barmer-Kalka) stopped @ Badwasi station aprntly waitin 4 signal. startin 2 fil hungr. Jodhpur’s 3 hrs away

12. @abishadh yea, got pakauda like things in a station n water n some juice. After eatin Slept and Xu had to wake me up @ d Jodhpur station

13. @peterfrancon Dal Bhat’s paramount. God, hail d almighty, can wait. Jst had nice dinner @ Shivam paying gst house near Clock Tower, Jodhpur

14.  The itinerary. Tom: Jodhpur, night: head to Jaisalmer (desert). Next: Udaipur via Jodhpur. From there, back to Delhi on 10th

15. @peterfrancon it was a nice day 2de. Can hear 9 PM dhamakas nw, coming frm Fort. Will reach Jaisalmer tom morn. Hoping 2 c desert 1st time!

It’s huge.
The whole hill is occupied by the palace (fort)
His job is to, first play the music and then sell the instrument.
Visitors of all kinds reach there. This palace is the top tourist destination of the city.
Goddess of the palace
…and fashion inspiration for the locals
For the secuirty of the palace during those those days of history when Jodhpur was a separate country.
Finally, the view of the city from the Mehrangarh Fort.
Where kings used to meet their ‘subjects’ and disccuss matters of world importance!
His job is to provide musical aroma to the visitors and sell the insturments
Peaceful time
Nothing serious, this thing doesn’t function anymore. Only a showpiece
Imagine…what will happen if it actually worked..
Xu Jie, the Chinese. Now, he is not afraid a bit because he knows its harmless!!
There are several caoonons all pointed towards the city.
It was terribly hot when we were there at the fort and Jodhpur
The city of Jodhpur
Inside the fort compound, this temple was built for the royal convinence
Our Xu Jie from China
Women exit from the main gate of the palace
And there were lot of ponies too. Tweets: 2. Jodhpur seems 2′ve more cow/oxen on streets then any cities in India (perhaps barring Banaras). No, @peterfrancon? http://twitpic.com/gkd3c7:15 AM Sep 5th from Echofon
Tweet: 1. Jodhpur transportation dilemma: Horse-cart environment friendly but slow n painful 2 animal. Auto: fast bt pollutive n terribly noisy#India5:22 AM Sep 5th from Echofon
An old clock in Umaid Bhawan Palace museum.. to keep time for the royals.
“time immemorial”. LOL.
The City.