Just Another Day in Paradise (Sikkim) Asis Mukherjee

A smooth drive of three hours and a half through Mahananda Sanctuary took us from New Jalpaiguri Station to Jorethung a pivotal town of West Sikkim. A small lunch break at a moderate restaurant; meanwhile we managed to book our seats in the commander service jeep bound for Utterey, a small hamlet in the West Sikkim. After having our lunch we, a four member team from Kolkata, occupied our seats and the jeep started at about 1-30 p.m. for Utterey. Though in bengali the name signifies a point in the north but actually the small village situates at the farthest point of West Sikkim bordering Nepal.

In the tourist map of Sikkim this place has not yet gained any status of so-called tourist spot like Gangtok, Yumthang or Pelling. In fact, Pelling has now become overthronged by hotels and you may come across familiar face while staying there during peak season. Moreover the crowd of tourists sometimes seems to break the tranquility of the mountain. And that is main reason which drove us to s new place in the familiar hill for peace and solace of mind for a couple of days.

So for the next four hours we drove through the hills and dales along the course of “Little Rangeet” towards it’s upper valley. We left behind the confluence of “Rangeet” and “Rammam” St Jorethung. After more than a couple of hours non-stop drive we arrived at “Sinshore Bridge”, a long spectacular suspension bridge on “Sinshore Khola” and named after it. It is one of the highest suspension bridge in Asia and famous tourist spot as well. Tourists from Pelling thronged around on local sight seeing. We crossed the bridge and drove further five kilometers. Our jeep stopped at the doorstep of “Green Valley Resort”. As we checked in the hotel, evening set in the valley.

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The morning wore a bright sunny face and we woke up at starting sound of the service-jeeps. This is the only throb of life we faced here. After the three service jeeps left for their different destinations, the valley again slipped into silence. Opposite to our hotel a lonely young shopkeeper went on playing his guitar and singing all by himself in front of his shop kept open. Only a few passersby stopped for a while perhaps attracted by his music. A beautiful scene that would remind you “The Solitary Reaper” of William Wordsworth. The only motorable road proceeds further towards the West. The river is not visible from this point, however if you walk a few yards up or down hill you will hear it’s rumbling sound from below the gorge. The valley is stretched towards south and there , at the far end if the cultivable field, where the wall of the hill rises erect , stands a beautiful temple of Goddess Durga. On the hill top there is a small Gompha. An easy concrete foot track would take you at the hill top. We passed the day leasurely just strolling around. Though everybody around was engaged in brisk businesses of life, silence reigned supreme in the whole valley.

During the dead hours of the next day we set out for Chitre along the upstream of the “Little Rangeet”. It was around four to five hours trek uphill towards Chiwabhanjan depending upon your stamina and load on your back. Towards the end of the village approximately half a mile from the hotel we came across a “Trout Breading Centre” of the Fisheries Department. Our foot track came to the river-bed and we could see the stretch of green cultivated field and beautiful houses on the other bank of the river. Gradually we entered through cardamom bush into the deep of the woods and as we marched forward the forest became more and more dense. The river was flowing down by the side of our trail. Sometimes we caught a glimpse of it; sometimes we we could hear its music. Huge trees of a wide varieties engulfed us. Everywhere it was moistened and faint sunbeams filtered through the leafy canopy overhead. We walked together because of the fear of wild bear. After four hours of continuous trek we came to an open space amidst the dense forest. The forest bunglow of “Chitre” stood like a picture postcard at the far end. Deep green ridges encircled the area giving it a shape of bowl. The rest house, completely made of wood, was a piece of unique craftsmanship. The whole area was disolate and quiet. A few yaks we’re grazing nearby. Apart from that there was no sign of movement. The gurgling sound of the stream that formed the “Little Rangeet” was heard but the stream was not visible. We stepped in the balcony and found the doors of the bunglow locked. The entire melieu would create an uncanny feeling in you as depicted in “The Listeners” by Walter De La Mare. Yet you would be bound to fall in love of this place and could hardly resist the desire to spend a moonlit night in this forest rest house.

But alas! We were bound to retreat. After an hour’s rest and having consumed our packed lunch and coffee we resumed our return journey for Utterey. Chiwabhanjan is an hour’s trek uphill from this point. But our’s route had now become familiar. We began to descend down and down along the course of the “Little Rangeet”. We observed that two streams from Chiwabhanjan range formed the beautiful river. The sign of the village appeared when the clock struck 4-30 p.m. The last leg of our trek seemed to be endless but at length we came back to our lodge with leaden feet. It is advisable to spend a night at Chitre. Next day morning we bade good bye to this paradise and left for Pelling. That is a familiar place; a familiar story. But our longing for staying just another day in Paradise remained for ever vibrant in our hearts.

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