The Mythical Horizon-Kanchenjunga

“The white zenith attracts me, it has a story to tell,

All the feet that conquered it and all who failed.

Standing with its head held high, it beckons my wandering soul,

Again and again I stare spellbound, I feel like losing control.

Each time I discover a bit more of you but not through Wikipedia,

I know how true it is, when we say INCREDIBLE INDIA!”

Aritra Chakrabarty Sengupta

Kanchenjunga from Hanuman Tok, Gangtok

Travelling is my passion. But I don’t believe in trying to visit all tourist attractions of a destination, I rather prefer living and feeling few but with all my heart. Every traveler off-course has a distinct flavor of perception, which should be respected. Each time I plan a vacation, relentlessly fighting with the time and leave factors, I think, "this time I should definitely set foot outside India". But unfortunately end up discovering a bit more of my very own Incredible India. The culprit, responsible for my decision is sometimes my pocket but most times my conscience. “How much do you know of the land you belong to?” asks my conscience and the decision on my travel destination is taken!

Kanchenjunga from Hanuman Tok, Gangtok

Going to Gangtok was a dream I had preserved for long, when my sisters told me stories of mystic Sikkim, I longed to witness it. And truly it’s illustrious. However a trip to Gangtok, in the month of January and that too with my mom and mom-in law, the fear of facing acute chill made me tremble before reaching. But someone has correctly said, preconceived notions are not always correct. And that’s what happened.

Kanchenjunga from Hanuman Tok, Gangtok

The weather God was truly with us, it was bright and sunny and pleasantly cold in the day time. The nights were chilled, but thanks to the awesome infrastructure of The Royal Demazong, we could combat the night weather with flying colors. There are many things I loved of Gangtok, but my current narrative is only about the glory of the Kanchenjunga.

Kanchenjunga from Tashi veiw point, Gangtok

We visited many view points, but the most spectacular view of the regal horizon was available from Hanuman tok and Tashi view point. The sky was breathtakingly royal blue, clouds were floating haywire and there stood strong my majesty, the royal, snow-capped, third highest peak in the world “Kanchenjunga”. The crimson rays of the sun as if descended from heaven specially to embrace its beauty. The icy mountain sparkled like diamonds as the rays fell and got trapped in the enigma. I stood spellbound, speechless. It’s not the first time I saw Kanchenjunga Himal, but each time I see it, I get struck with awestruck syndrome, and why not. Each rendezvous is superior to the past.

Aritra Chakrabarty Sengupta
Pics courtesy Avishek Sengupta (my husband)