Ayan Beyond Ravangla, Namchi is another location loaded with attractions, with the duo housing one colossal statue after another. If Tathagatha towers at the Buddha Park in Ravangla, not far away, Guru Rimpoche, Sikkim’s patron saint sits atop the Samdruptse Hill and showers his benevolence. Legend has it that the Guru passed through Sikkim in the 8th Century introducing Buddhism and foretelling of the era of peace and monarchy that would soon follow. Not farther away, on Solophok hill, Hinduism joins the party as well, with a gigantic statue of Shiva capping the very popular Char Dham. The latter is a mini-replica of a mega- pilgrimage around the country – replicas of Dwarka from the west, Rameshwar from the south, Jagannath from the east and Badrinath from the north complete the ‘Char Dham’ (These are the four shrines institutionalized by Adi Shankaracharya in the four directions of India). There are also replicas of the 12 jyotirlingas dedicated to Lord Shiva, besides many other temples and statues to help you attain your mini- moksha. Above all is seated Mahadev, Ganga distinctly flowing down from his locks, with the white Himalayas glistening in the backdrop as if justifying the location of this pilgrim centre. Once imbibed with all this spirituality, you can head over to the nearby Rose garden, the Helipad, the Namchi Monastery or the Rock Gardens to tick the other touristy boxes of Namchi. My stay at Temi was very eventful with multiple trips as above but I would always ensure to come back to the Cherry Resort in the evenings to wind up in the tea estate with a cup of hot piping tea and crispy crunchy pakodas, to enjoy once again the greatest show on the hills – sunset on the Himalaya, the ruddy colours casting their final magical spell of alpenglow on the peaceful peaks of the Kanchenjunga and Kabru. The stunning sunset would be followed with lights sparking up on the hills, that of human habitations making a feeble effort to irradiate the hills. These firefly-lights are also a wonder to behold, as if reflecting the twinkling skies and revealing the far stretches of the mountains that have been settled by man. The Cherry resort is a fabulous place to enjoy the tea gardens of Temi, but I must highlight a bit more of the nomenclature here. The resort is named after the cherry trees that are peppered all over the tea gardens and are the subject of the eponymous Cherry Festival here every November aimed at promoting tourism for the state’s only tea garden. Unlike the more common cherry that blooms in Spring, the cherry trees here bloom in late autumn or early winter thus helping attract travellers in the cold months when otherwise, tourism sees a drop. The festival also attracts the Chief Minister and his delegates to this tea estate, ensuring a lot of focus on this otherwise soporific village. While cherry blossom festivals are pretty popular in Japan that tend to celebrate the transience of life, I got pretty excited to find our own version right here in Sikkim. So the next time you feel like indulging in a bit of Tea (or Cherry) tourism, don’t just stop at Darjeeling - Go a bit further into South Sikkim, travel to the Teesta, revel in the shadows of the Kanchenjunga and traipse away in the tea-trails of Temi. Not only will you find a peaceful holiday, but you will most likely return a tea-connoisseur who knows all about camellia sinensis, educated at one of the prettiest tea gardens in the Himalaya. Fact file: Nearest airport – Bagdogra (85km); nearest railway station – New Jalpaiguri (110km). Taxis are available in Tea time @ Temi South Sikkim, India: A TO Z INDIA ● MARCH 2023 ● PAGE 13 By Ayan Adak e-mail: [email protected]