Sojourn at land of happiness
Since childhood I had this dream of spending few days at the mysterious land of Bhutan. However, monotony of the city life, coupled with the pressures of monthly pay cheque delayed my plan. There was another uncertainty which caused a severe impediment to this long sought after journey: the problems associated with documents/ passport/ visa etc. It was only when I was informed that Visa is not required and getting travel papers and other sanctions is not so difficult if you are planning a Bhutan journey that I garnered sufficient courage to take this leap of faith and convinced my family to plan the trip.
It was one fine day in the month of April that we (a total of five) found ourselves in the beautiful city of Siliguri, nestled amongst the mystical Himalayas and the ever bustling greenery of tea estates. Road journey from Siliguri to border town of Phuentsholing, the gateway to Bhutan and the second largest town of the country, was mesmerizing to say the least.
Crossing the ornate gate of border was in itself an experience. It felt as if clocks had stopped and suddenly the levels of cleanliness increased leaps and bounds. Air became wind and noises became music. It was a curtain raiser to what lay in store for us over the next few days and our happiness quotient already jumped a quantum leap.
After going through the arduous procedure of formalities and loosing almost a day in arranging travel permits (getting permits is easy and procedure is systematic, is a myth), we finally started the beautiful drive from border to Paro, which is approximately 200 km but what a journey it was!!! Inexplicable, to put in words.
The first thing that hits you as you push the accelerator is the cold air that pierces your lungs. Cold, yet tranquil, not the least bit trenchant, though. It was a visual delight because of the presence of Himalayan panorama and unending gorges. Greenery and more greenery, beckoned us. Sometime one or two shepherds or local people emerged from somewhere to remind us that it was not a dream. No crowd or traffic as such, however tourist vehicles greeted us at some corners of the road, mostly Indian tourists. We reached Paro at night and decided to call it a day after happily checking in the cozy bed of the wonderful resort that we had already booked.
Day started at around 4 am with a trek to Paro Taktsang also known as the Taktsang Palphug Monastery (or more commonly the Tiger’s Nest), which is a prominent Himalayan Buddhist sacred site located in the cliff-side of the upper Paro valley. The picture of the monastery is adorned on almost all the guide books or popular tourist destinations of the world. Mythical stories around the monastery add to the charm of the place. It was raining when we started our climb.
The terrain was tough and the rain added to our worries. Slippery soil and the long trek sapped our energy and in between there were a lot of times when we thought of abandoning our pursuit. It was only because of the combined strength of the group and the glimpses of the monastery that after 4-5 hours of the perilous, circuitous trek, we somehow succeeded in the ascent. Holy water of the nearby brook and the joy experienced by the magic of the mural painted on the monastery helped us in relieving the fatigue of the climb. After spending some magical moments amidst the stories of Guru Padmasambhava, we regained our composure and started the descent. We reached our resort around lunchtime with an experience of lifetime.
Our next destination was Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan.
It is the biggest town of the country and seat of the administration. Bhutan has ensured that tourism is properly regulated in the country maintaining a fine balance between the economy and its traditional values. People generally are very helpful but in the absence of proper internet services, almost non-functional google maps and absence of sufficient placards and signage, it became difficult to locate our hotel at Thimphu. However, we realized later on that the USP of the country lies in that slight reluctance to open up. It’s not that the country does not realize the importance of speed, but like they say in Buddhism, destiny shapes its own time and interference of the mortals should be minimized. Whatever is happening let it happen and let time shape its own path. Let the interference be minimal, and that’s what we realized when we explored the city on foot.
While exploring Thimphu Chorten, Buddha Dordenma, Tashichho Dzong (Thimpu Dzong), Norzim Lam, (the main thoroughfare of the city), Bhutan Post Office Headquarters, Changangkha Lhakhang, Bhutan Textile Museum, National Library, various cafes and bakeries of the town, the Tashi supermarket, the key dominant and persistent theme was peace and tranquility and nothing else. After spending two carefree days at the capital, we returned to Siliguri and then back to home.
To summarize our overall experience, one word describes it all: bliss. There is a reason why this country has devised a novel parameter of a country’s development i.e. happiness quotient. In today’s fast paced mechanical life, we often forget the importance of tranquility. Happiness has been commercialized and has been objectified to gadgets and technology. Only when we give ourselves sufficient time to have proper conversations with our near and dear ones in the absence of our mobile phones, TVs and pressures of our workplace, we realize what we are missing in life. My sojourn in Bhutan gave me the opportunity to have this realization. It helped me to discover those moments which were precious and life transforming. In the fond hope that I keep on discovering these moments, I rest my fingers on the keypad. So long !!!
