The magic of Kamakhya: Experiencing Ambubachi Religious Fair of Assam.

It was almost 2 in the night. I reached Kamakhya temple. I was in Guwahati to cover Ambubachi Mela, a great religious fair of Assam. It is the most important festival of kamakhya temple of Guwahati and is held every year in the month of June. I was surprised to see the devotees. I mean it was raining the entire day and night, and devotees were sitting and waiting for their turn to enter the temple. They did not have any problem.  It was the first time when I was seeing these ritual activities. When I asked a Baba that why you are seating in this rain, go and sit somewhere else, he replied “बारिश कहाँ हो रही बेटा, मैं तो बिलकुल भी नहीं भीगा| ऊपर देखो आसमान कितना साफ़ है, ऐसा लग रहा माँ कामख्या ऊपर से आशीर्वाद दे रही हम सबको”| (Son, Look at the sky. It is clear and it’s not raining. I am not wet. It seems that Goddess Kamakhya is blessing us). I was speechless at that time. I was walking throughout there and was shocked to see that in spite of heavy rain, they were doing traditional rituals there. The Ambubachi Mela is celebrated in the capital city of Guwahati, in the northeastern state of Assam in India. The Ambubachi is a ritual of access observed with “Tantrik means”. It is believed that the presiding goddess of the temple, Devi Kamakhya, the Mother Shakti, goes through her annual cycle of menstruation during this time stretch. During the Ambubachi Mela in Guwahati, the doors of the Kamakhya Temple remain closed for three days. It is believed that the Mother Earth becomes unclean for three days. During this time any kind of farming work is not taken on. Daily worships and other religious performances are also stopped during the Ambubachi Mela of Guwahati in Assam. After the completion of three days, the doors of the Kamakhya Temple are reopened. But the doors of the temple are reopened only after Devi Kamakhya is bathed and the other rituals are executed. It is then believed that the Mother Earth has retrieved her purity. This is purely a ritual of the Tantrik cult.

There are thousands of people who come from all over India, especially West Bengal, Bihar and Assam to witness this festival and take blessings from the goddess in form of a small bit of cloth which is believe to be wet with the menstrual fluid of Goddess Kamakhya. shaktipeeths. According to legend, when Vishnu cut Sati’s body into 51 parts, the vagina fell at this place. This is a must-do pilgrimage for the tantric cult sadhus.

City of Joy with some essence of haunts: Exploring the haunted places in Kolkata

I have been traveling in Jharkhand and West Bengal for my work from the last few days. Well yes, I am a Nomad and whenever I get time, I try to explore the nearby places. I finished my work in Pakur and reached Kolkata on the same day. My train for Delhi is at 4:50pm so now I have 8 hours in hand, 8 hours in Kolkata, 8 hours in the city of joy. What should I do? I started making my plans. Should I go for street photography…? Naah…I have already done that so many times. Then What? Esplanade…Zoo…Victoria Memorial…Confused…one of my friend is in Kolkata so I preferred to ask her. Haunted places, this is the word that I heard from her mouth. Haunted places? Like seriously, there are no any haunted places in Kolkata. Yes there are..and here she got my attention.

My uncle lives in Kolkata so I have been in the city of joy so many times. I never knew that Kolkata has any haunted areas or places. So this information made my day. I gathered all the information and started walking towards the exit of Howrah Junction. 

South park street cemetery

My first stoppage was south park street cemetery. This cemetery is also known as the city of dead. The entry fee is rs.20 (without camera) and Rs.50 (with camera). The entrance was quite attractive. Well, to be very frank, I am not a fan of haunted places but still, I was excited. The last time I visited a haunted place was Bhangarh, Rajasthan. I observed the place and I realized I am walking in between the deads. Old Cemeteries everywhere of every size. The year’s mentioned on the cemeteries are like 1793, 1802, 1806, 1839 and so on. I saw that this place was more a lovers point than a haunted place. I felt nothing like a haunted place. Even the lady, who works there as a caretaker, has the same opinion like me. I asked few people and the story was like, In that cemetery, there’s the grave of Sir W.H. Mac Naghten whose body was ripped apart in Afghanistan. Later, his wife had assembled the remaining pieces of his body, brought to Calcutta and buried here in this cemetery. Apparently, if someone narrates this incident near his grave, then huge tree above his grave shivers. The place has some historical importance so I saw the place in that point of view only. 

Putulbari

Since I had limited time so it was my last stop. Putulbari is also known as the house of dolls. Imagine a century-old house that is almost in its ruins with the Roman architecture depicting dolls in the arches and spooky cobwebs, resonating with hue and cry of female voices. Jittery isn't it! So is the Putulbari or the House of Dolls in Kolkata. As per the sources, The haunted and dark upper stories of the hoary house are assumed to be haunted by the spirits of the women, Opulent landlords of Bengal, who were  tortured and subjugated by opulent landlords, screeching laughter or even jangling of bangles and anklets. The place was scary. I could only manage to enter the house but not to the upper floors. The building was so old, not maintained. I thought for now it was enough for me and I left the other haunted places for next time.

Ravindra Sarovar Metro

Jumping at the tracks of Metro railways which carries 4000 volts of current seems to be the Suicide paradise of Kolkata—it’s been en vogue since the inception of the Metro in Kolkata. However, around 70% of the total suicides have been committed at the Rabindra Sarobar Metro Station.   I had heard about the suicides but didn’t know this metro station was haunted. I reached there and started walking towards the platform. Since I was there at day time so nothing felt like haunted. But yes, Haunted by the spirits of people who had committed suicide it is labeled as the 'Paradise of Suicide'. The last train is claimed to be haunted and travelers and the station staff have seen creepy shadows wandering and then disappearing in the wind. The metro pillars are colorful and scary. I was given this suggestion by the metro staffs and other locals:  Don't board the last train! 

National Library

And here we go, a haunted library. National library is one of the most famous places to visit in Kolkata. Dare you break the arrangement of the rare and substantial books and publications treasured in The National Library in Kolkata! The erstwhile abode of Governor-General during the British period have witnessed some paranormal activities, as the place is said to be haunted by the wife of Lord Metcalfe, who keeps wandering in the halls. She was a bibliophile and a hygiene freak. She hated, if things were out of order, even now it pisses her off! Another eerie mystery of this place was revealed in 2010, during the restoration work. The Ministry of Culture and Archeological Survey of India noticed a door-less secret chamber on the ground floor of this 250-year old building. There are also few chambers there in which you can’t visit. Well I am very daring in so many things but when it comes to ghosts and witches, I don’t even try to dare.

Tales of Sikkim: A Solo Nomadic Journey

How would you react when you suddenly get to know that you are going to the place which you always wanted to visit? I have already visited Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and some part of Meghalaya before but couldn’t get chance to visit Sikkim. I had heard and read so many things about Sikkim and was just waiting for the right time to explore this place. But unfortunately, this particular ‘Right time’ took a long time to come. Ok, let me take you to a little flashback. After completing my post graduation from Rajasthan and spending almost a month in Delhi, I reached my home town, Motihari. In the month of May or June only, I had applied in Central University of Sikkim for M.Phil but was not sure about my application status i.e. selected or not and very frankly, I forgot about it. After spending almost 15 days at home, I started getting bored but it was quite tough to escape because I was there after a long time. One day, I got a mail. No, it was not only mail; actually it was a fantastic sudden escape plan for me. The mail was from Central University of Sikkim and they were calling me for M.phil interview. The campus is situated in Gangtok so I had to be there.

Taxi from siliguri bus stand

Silliguri to Gangtok

Since there are no trains for Sikkim, I took bus from Motihari to Silliguri, West Bengal. It took almost 12 hours to reach Silliguri. This place is also called as the connecting city to Darjeeling and Sikkim. I arrived there at 3 in the morning. It was a dark but beautiful morning. Other than private and shared taxis, public bus service is also available between Siliguri and Gangtok.  The entire road between Silliguri and Gangtok is mixed. Now you can take this word ‘Mixed’ as smooth, dangerous and adventurous. The road routes from Bagdogra (nearest airport), NJP and Silliguri all meet the Sevoke Road which leads to the National Highway NH31A. The route passes through the Teesta area and then goes all the way to Gangtok. For a long part of the drive, you will see the beautiful River Teesta flowing alongside. If you take a private or a shared taxi with West Bengal state registration, then they will drop you at the Deorali taxi stand near Gangtok which is about 2kms below the town center. This is due to restrictions in Gangtok for non-state vehicles. From Deorali stand you will need to take a local Sikkim taxi to reach your hotel (they will charge some Rs. 200 - 300 depending on the distance).

Accommodation

Ok, always remember that if you are planning to visit Gangtok during peak season, do book your hotel room in advance because I had faced problems in finding cheap accommodation. After wandering here and there, finally, I made a perfect deal when I visited a hotel near taxi stand. You won’t believe but after a round of negotiations and bargains, the receptionist agreed on 300 per day. The room I booked was a semi deluxe and service was also good.

Systematic and Beautiful

One thing I loved and amazed about Gangtok was, everything is well organized and it looks like planned city. First thing that amazed me as soon as I entered Gangtok, was the Footpath and Footbridges. I have seen in Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata and many more places that we do have footpath, but I never seen maximum people using that, instead peoples walk along the main road. Well how would they? Footpaths are filled up with different stalls. But here in Gangtok, I was amazed to see, that everyone was walking along the footpath and using footbridges to cross the road. Next thing, I loved was, the organized Cab system. Like, cabs that bring you from Deorali to the City can only run along the same route and they cannot hop into short distance passengers or cannot run in different route. So the cab that runs within the city for short distance cannot hop into other passengers too. Each cab has the license stucked on the front window which determines its route.

After checking into hotel and having lunch, I took rest for few hours and went for a visit to M.G marg. Again, it was simply stunning. With the lighting and decorations everything seemed planned. Had some delicious Momo and Tea and walked around the Marg. The MG Marg can easily pass off as a European street with its cobbled streets, flowers, Victorian street lamps and those ornate benches. Most parts of this road are exclusively for pedestrians. The lights make the fountain and the Gandhiji statue look magnificent after sunset.

Next day I left for Central University of Sikkim. The university is located approx. 8km far from city and I was totally surprised to see that the entire campus is based in a building only. Well after attending my Interview, which was not so good, I came back to city and started wandering here and there. I talked to various people. Some of them suggested me to visit Enchey Gompa Monastery. Enchey Monastery is a very sacred and beautiful place of worship in Gangtok. Set up in the year 1909, it is constructed on a scenic hill above Gangtok from where one can enjoy a spectacular view of Mount Kanchenjunga. The name 'Enchey Monastery' means solitary monastery and yet another legend says that the place is sacred for the presence of the protecting deities – Khangchendzonga and Yabdean within the place. I also visited Hanuman Tok, Ranka Monastery, Tashi View Point, and Flower Exhibition Centre same day.

Lachen – Gurudongmar Lake & Lachung – Yumthung Valley

Next day after breakfast, I left for 3D/2N North Sikkim tour (also known as Lachung – Lachen tour). The Lachung – Lachen tour is generally available within 3000/- per person (everything inclusive i.e. Accommodation and Food). This tour comes in various forms and can be booked from hotel or in Tour Stalls in M. G Marg.

The North Sikkim tour comes in various forms, such as

• 2D/1N – Lachung with Yumthung Valley
• 2D/1N – Lachen with Gurudongmar Lake
• 3D/2N – Lachen – Gurudongmar Lake & Lachung – Yumthung Valley

All the above tour comes with accommodation and meal plan. You cannot deviate from this i.e. you can’t book hotel yourself. The reason is, at that high altitude you won’t find anything. The hotels are very basic, so keep your expectation low. Though, they are more of a Lodge rather than Hotel. You will be served Bengali Cuisine throughout your stay. These hotels run depending on these tour operators in Gangtok. Each tour operator has collaboration with a particular hotel accordingly.

I, with the cab driver Bhupen, started the journey at 11 AM and reached Chungthang at around 6 PM in the evening with a 30 mins lunch break in between. In Chungthang only, I found that I have left my Nikon camera battery charger in hotel room. Oh god, what will I do now? I was literally crying. How could I forget my charger? Now there was no chance to bring back the charger from hotel room. So, I decided to click pictures from my cell phone. From Chungthang the road gets divided to Lachung & Lachen. Generally Lachen is covered first and then Lachung. So after having some Momo and Tea in Chungthang, we started for Lachen again without wasting much time. Chungthang is the last destination where you’ll get Mobile tower. So take your time to make any calls or surf internet if you needed to. After this point, only BSNL will work. So you’ll be out of coverage area for 2 days if your provider is not BSNL. We sighed when we reached Lachen after around 1.5 Hours. Finally we were at Lachen at 7:30 PM starting from Gangtok at 11 AM. I checked into the Hotel.

Next day early morning at sharp 3’O Clock, we left for Gurudongmar Lake. We reached Thangu, the last village of Indo – Chinese Border at around 7 AM. It’s mostly covered with the military base so be ready to be amazed to see different Regiments, Armor, Tanks, Shelling Equipment’s etc. So finally at 7:30 we reached Gurudongmar Lake at 17,100 ft. Many of tourists felt ill due to low oxygen and started facing breathing problem. The hills looked awesome; it was like made of Gold. The beautiful and awe inspiring lake remains milky in color throughout the year. While coming back to Lachen I had breakfast at Thangu and spoke to some of our Army men’s regarding the border conditions. Finally I was back at Lachen again at 12’O Clock, took rest and a nap for an hour and then I was called for Lunch. Just after the lunch, I left for Lachung. We reached Lachung at 5:30 PM. Took rest for the evening I was really tired after the hectic trip of 2 days, well still 1 day remaining.  At 5’O Clock in the morning I left for Yumthung. Yumthung is famous for varieties of Rhododendrons and known as “Valley of Flowers. I reached the entrance to Yumthung Valley and get down there. Actually the road goes right through the Valley. Entering the Valley, I came across a breathtaking view. A flat grassy valley in the middle, a mountain river flowing through it, and lush green mountains covered with trees and vegetation on both sides. I stood there speechless for a while, taking in the view. Then I climbed on to the slopes, to look for flowers. Indeed, the Himalayan Yellow Poppy is right there. Wow, what a beautiful view it was.

It was around 7 AM, I thought of extending my tour to Zero Point. Generally Zero Point is not covered in the tour, but you can always negotiate with the driver. Don’t negotiate about Zero Point with the Tour Operator beforehand, as it requires permission which will raise the cost. Instead pay your driver 300 – 500 bucks and ask him to take you to Zero Point. I reached Zero Point at around 9:00 AM. Finally after enjoying and playing a lot with ice bergs, I left for Lachung at around 10:30. At sharp 12’O Clock I reached Lachung, back to my Hotel again and left for Gangtok at 2’O Clock after having lunch and freshening up a bit.

Finally, I was back to Gangtok at around 8pm. I was really very tired from this 3days north Sikkim tour. I wanted to go M.G Marg. again but failed to do so as there was no energy left. So I decided to sleep.

Tsongmo Lake–Nathula Pass

Next day morning, I went for Tsongmo Lake–Nathula Pass tour. This tour generally costs 800/- per head (With Nathulla), and 500/- per head (Without Nathula). The first stop was Tsongmo Lake. I don’t know, but may be after all the scenic beauty of Gurudongmar and Zero Point, I didn’t find this much interesting. So I didn’t wasted much time here. Words can’t describe the feeling when you are standing in your country’s border watching the bunkers of India and China and the LoC. Just a step forward and you’ll be in China. Nathula (14200 FT) is 52 Km from Gangtok. The earlier roads were narrow. Roads barely existed on the JN Marg that connected Nathula to Gangtok. I was on a pathway interrupted by landslides at nature’s whims and fancies. Ravines on the right were so deep that looking into it was enough for your heart to skip not one but a dozen beats. On the left, the mountain walls displayed many textures, patterns and shapes-all signs of human intervention. Clouds had decided to shed their beauty and be shapeless. The confused clouds cozily placed themselves next to each other. These are the times when you realize that white and blue are siblings. The sky was painted with not just one, but many hues of blue. A few km up and I was at about 12600 feet above the sea level. I took a detour from what seemed like a base camp and headed to Baba Harbhajan Sigh’s bunker. The base camp had a Baba Mandir which apparently was built for the convenience of the visitors (“duplicate” as per the driver). The original one and the bunker were about 6km away from here. After visiting Baba’s bunker, I headed back to 12600 feet base camp. This place had an ATM (yes!) and a few shops. From here, I started our journey to a place that mattered much in history, a point on the Old Silk Route ‘Nathula’. Through the gate that said Nathula, I walked up the stairs. On the right side was a photography prohibited area, a few meters from there was the Indian Army post. We were at a place that looked more like the portico of one of the two buildings. Behind me was a building with the tricolor proudly fluttering, bringing out the Indian in each one of us.

I was standing in front of a building with excess of red-golden pillars and a star on its forehead. I walked close to it and hey! What am I seeing? There is a fence, so that is C-H-I-N-A. That was China! Within minutes, three nattily dressed young Chinese soldiers came close to the fence, one of them smoking and clicking his camera nonstop. He had decided to get pictures of every single young lady on the Indian side. None of our rules apply to him; he is on the other side. Different rules, different time zone, different language, all together a different world. How much can a small fence do? Soon, the Chinese soldiers shed their initial indifference and started posing for photos with the Indian tourists. The soldiers on another side of the fence were ready to pose for photos, but refused to shake hands. A trip to Nathula was never complete without breaking a piece of rock from the memorabilia stone.

In the midst of photography, I managed to sneak my hand to the other side of the fence. Yes, I did that. That was touching Chinese soil. What else can give you a high when you are on the border? I and other guys like me left the BRO slogans, the Army’s Hum Hi Jitenge | Mera Bharat Mahaan lines and started our drive down hill to Gangtok. Passing many snow capped buildings behind us, I was coming down from a high point in my life.