Continuation of the previous post: Darjeeling and Kalimpong - Day 3
The condensed water droplets veiling our windowpane added an
element of mystery to the morning view of mountains. I lazed on the sofa and patiently
watched it sliding down drop by drop, as if clearing the mountain-view for this
curious traveller. Breakfast came and we got ready. I called the taxi driver I had
talked last night but he informed me of his car problem, assuring me at the
same time to send us another reliable option. We left Darjeeling Circuit House,
one hour late than our plan. It was Maha-ashtami (2 days before Dussehra)… the
celebration on the streets was on, causing our 50 kilometres journey to Kalimpong
halt here and there on every turn. The customs of Darjeeling is varied due to the
coexistence of diverse ethnic groups. They were celebrating by making
processions on the streets with new clothes, trumpets/drums and decorations… I
wish I could remember the local name for the same. All I could get through my
car window was hundred happy faces and Nepali folklores. I wondered whether
those relatively simpler festivals on hills are much more enjoyable than the
Durgapuja we celebrate on plains, spending half a crore rupees on each gorgeous
setup!
There were plenty orange trees on our way, mostly invisible
to our inexperienced eyes due to absence of orange coloured fruits hanging from
their branches. After crossing Teesta market we got stuck with a full one hour
jam over the Teesta Bridge! It would have been a fairly enjoyable time-pass to
watch the green-wild Teesta River if the overhead sun didn’t show his
brutality, and offcourse if the wind over the bridge was gentler. By one o’clock
we reached Kalimpong, the fascinating hill station at an altitude of about 1250
metres, located in the foothills of the Mahabharat Range above the scenic
Teesta Valley. We had booking in the Kalimpong Guest House which is in the
outskirt of the town, in the close proximity to the Indian Army’s 27 Mountain
Division area. Initially I was unhappy to find the accommodation far away from
the centre of Kalimpong but as our cab climbed the pristine Durpin Hill road to
reach the Circuit House crossing the picturesque Army Golf Course at our left I
knew it was the best place we could get for our relaxing Dussehra trip! The
Circuit house lay just behind the golf club, adjacent to the residence of
top-ranked military officials. Apart from the flower-rich garden around the
rooms we could see the golf course right from our green courtyard… simply
perfect soothing ambience!
I found it unworthy to spend the afternoon in napping, so
stepped out with my backpack and took the up-going road. I stepped into the
military area crossroad from where photography was strictly a ‘No No’. There
were clear boards to indicate where all four roads were heading… I chose the
one towards the monastery on the Durpin Hill. The air in the area will keep on
reminding you every minute that you’re walking inside a military zone, so
better remain disciplined. On passing a squash court I spotted a small shopping
complex named Camellia Complex. It had roughly a dozen of shops, including
cobbler, tailor and barber services made available mainly for army
professionals. There was a modest food court on the first floor where I took a
plate of Momo. There was a movie theatre, Bewoor Hall that made me curious… I came
to know that the ongoing movie was a Bollywood current release “Student of the
year” and the evening show was about to be screened in an hour. The title
trapped me and I decided to visit the monastery in the remaining time slot. I upgraded
my walking speed and started hiking the Durpin Hill like a soldier in mission.
Some tourist taxis passed by me reminding me of my poor walking effort. But I made
it soon to the top, before the gate of the Zong Dhog Palri Fo Brang Monastery,
an old Buddhist structure sanctified by Dalai Lama which got damaged in the
earthquake of 2004, as evident from the ongoing reconstruction works. A number
of rare scriptures which were brought into India after the invasion of Tibet
have been preserved in the monastery, including 108 volumes of the Kangyur. The
monastery has a number of tiers and once you climb the top ones you can have
the pleasure of breathtaking views of the Himalayan ranges and the Kalimpong
town. There is an army helipad just behind this monastery. In the monastery you’ll
find the typical Gompa which encloses the main prayer hall where you would love
to be a part of the daily prayer ceremony. There I met a young Korean monk who
was actually residing in some other monastery of Kalimpong. He invited me to
his monastery. I thanked him and left the Durpin Hilltop. I didn’t have much
time before the movie would start… it
wasn not a matter of missing the first 15 minutes but it was the urge of
securing a movie ticket for which I almost ran down the hill taking all
possible shortcuts which in normal sense I would never risk… It gives immense pleasure
to discover how the sleeping children in us wake up at times to make us do
crazy stuffs!
The ticket was only 20 bucks and that gave me a seat among
hundred military staffs/officers! The ticket seller asked for my ID before
giving me a ticket and it was quite justified. The screen in Bewoor Hall was
quite wide but the contrast was low and sound system was very mediocre… I didn’t
have any issue with them as I was experiencing the ‘feel good’ heat of
tolerating one of the silliest movies I’ve ever seen amidst so many happy men
in their uniforms. If I had the habit of writing movie eviews, I would have
surely written a strong negative review for “Student of the year” (Superb
headless movie!). After the show was over I gave a call to Circuit House to ask
if they could make some evening snacks but they assured me only of dinner. I
finished another round of Momo and coffee in the food court and walked my way
back from the Camellia complex. Watched TV for a while and then kept myself
busy in capturing garden flowers with flash till the dinner was served. The dining
place was large but common to all the guests residing there. When we were
called another family was already having there dinner, so we waited for a while
and finished the tasty meal in a jiffy. There was some sparking issue with the
room heater… we didn’t need that either. Sleep was almost patting my pillow.
Next day I explored Kalimpong mostly on feet which I’ll narrate in my next
post.
To be continued...
