|
After completing my two days of white water rafting
on the Teesta river, I got off the raft at the put out point a little
ahead of Teesta Bazar. I took a share taxi (jeep) and drove up to
Ranipul, 10 kms before Gangtok. En route to Ranipul on NH 31A, there
is a village of `Martham', but it is not to be confused with the
Martam village near Rumtek. It was around 2 pm when I reached Ranipul,
a small town at an altitude of around 2,000ft. From there, I took a
taxi to Martam.
From NH 31A, we took the left fork and gently drove up the narrow
meandering road. It is a lovely drive to Rumtek and Martam as the road
snakes through typical Sikkimese villages and a great many paddy
fields. The sight of so many paddy fields, some of them with saplings
just planted ahead of the rains was breathtaking.
The sky having cleared after a sudden rainfall an hour back, the
afternoon sun peeped from behind the clouds and sunlight draped the
flooded fields. The farmers were knee deep in water and the greenery
all around was breathtaking. The surrounding hills wore the look of a
dainty maiden still wet from a refreshing shower. The sweet smell of
wet mud and vegetation was all pervading. The streams were full, and
the muddy torrent gushed down the hillside; rainwater dripped from the
trees and the hillside. Villagers were emerging from their homes after
an afternoon siesta and school children smiled and waved at me as our
car drove by them. I halted at many places for photographs.
The driver said that the entire area resembles a
green carpet from July to Sep. Later, during Oct-Nov, which is the
harvest season, the entire place is a sight to behold with golden
paddy swaying in the breeze. From Dec onwards, the paddy is harvested
and the hill takes on a brown hue.
The first halt was Rumtek Monastery, 12 kms from Ranipul. From the car
parking area it's a 10min uphill walk along a paved road. A long row
of wooden prayer wheels on the wall greets you as you approach the
stupendous monastery.
The present Monastery was founded by His Holiness the XVI th Gyalwa
Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorjee, holder of the sacred treasure of
Vajradhara. As the Supreme Head of the Kagyu Order of Tibetan
Buddhism, he embodies, represents and guides its accummulated
spiritual energy. He was born in Eastern Tibet in 1923 to a noble
family and was recognised at the age of eight, as the new Gyalwa
Karmapa in accordance with a letter from his predecessor predicting
this event. In 1959, he had to leave Tibet with his followers after
the Chinese invasion. To preserve the wealth of his lineage and
portable spiritual treasures & relics, Gyalwa Karmapa came to India
through Bhutan. The surrounding hills wore the look of a dainty maiden
still wet from a refreshing shower.
From
there he was invited by His Majesty Chogyal Tashi Namgyal of Sikkim to
come to Sikkim and build monasteries there. There are many ancient
Kagyu monasteries in Sikkim. It was in the old Kagyu Rumtek Monastery
(down the main road) where Gyalwa Karmapa stayed before establishing
his own Rumtek Monastery.
The objective of the monastery complex is to spread the teachings of
Buddha for the liberation of all sentient beings from the suffering of
Samsara.
The four storey monastery, displaying the ancient techniques of
Tibetan architecture, is surrounded by monks' quarters and a spacious
courtyard where the famous sacred ritual lama dance takes place.
Robust red pillars support the spacious interior of the main shrine
hall. There is a main statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, flanked by Shari
Putra and Mangal Putra on both sides.
The objective of the monastery complex is to spread the teachings of
Buddha for the liberation of all sentient beings from the suffering of
Samsara.
The Karmae Shri Nalanda Institute for higher Buddhist studies is
located in the temple complex. The 9-year programme resulting in a
Master's degree `Acharya' includes Buddhist philosophy, Buddhist logic
and Buddhist religious history. Debate, Tibetan literature and
language. Sanskrit, Hindi and English are also part of the curriculum
After an hour at Rumtek, we drove on to Martam, 5 kms ahead. On
reaching Martam Village Resort, one of the `five heritage houses of
the Himalayas', the charming simplicity and beauty of the place struck
me. From far, you will not be able to make out that there is a resort
there as the 11 cottages in the resort, from a distance, mingle with
the huts in the village, amidst the green. I was given a very nice
cottage to stay in. In fact I was the only person staying there and
had the resort all to myself. The tourist `season' was at an end, the
manager explained.
The weather was very pleasant. The altitude is the same as Rumtek and
a little lower than Gangtok. I did not have to use any warm clothes
during my stay. However, a couple of days before, even Gangtok was
quite pleasant and no warm clothes were required there either. The
rooms are big and airy but very simple and the overall stress is on
creating a village ambience. The floor is of red mosaic. Thankfully,
no marble is used anywhere. There is electricity and running hot and
cold water.
I had a quick bath (as I was dirty from the rafting) and went for a
walk in the village. The weather was good inspite of it being the
month of June. The sun was going down. The valley was soaking in the
last rays of the sun. I walked to a small monastery called Mani
Lhakhang, a 10min hike up the hill just above the resort. The view
from here is beautiful and you can see the Tinjure Hills looming right
behind you and in front is sprawled the charming paddy fields that
make up Martam.
There was no one around the place except for the lone monk who took
care of the Monastery. I spoke to him as he cooked in his quarters and
later he opened the door of the tiny monastery and showed me the
place. It belongs to the Karma Kagyupa sect, the same as Rumtek
Monastery. On the way up one has to pass by a small monument
constructed for the remembrance of the defeat of the Bhutan Army. The
mantra "Om Mane Padme Hum" is inscribed by the wall. This means `Hail
Jewel in the Lotus.' The place was so quiet and serene that I sat
there and admired the dusk for quite sometime and for the first time
during my entire trip I felt totally peaceful. The place was so quiet
and serene that I sat there and admired the dusk for quite sometime
and for the first time during my entire trip I felt totally peaceful.
There are Lepcha manuscripts along with palm-leaf ones from Bengal and
Orissa, coins and stamps, relics of Ashokan monks and a treasure trove
of Tibetan books. The curator puts aside one of the 19 volumes of
Prajnaparamita, or transcendental wisdom in 8000 verses that he is
reading, to have an involved discussion with us. Tibetans in exile
share a quiet dignified determination to reclaim their land.
Later,
I walked down to the village. There are paddy fields all over in
terraced gardens. And small houses in between them. There is a narrow
road meandering through the village in a gentle slope. Since I didn't
have time, I decided to go for a morning walk the next day when the
light would be better for photography.
Returning to the resort, I went to the resort's decently stocked
library, with some books on Sikkim as well. In the evening, the
atmosphere at the resort was very quiet and peaceful (more than during
the day), with lots of birds chirping in the garden. As dusk settled,
I sat in the garden outside the dining room and could clearly see
Rumtek Monastery across the paddy fields on the other side of the
small valley.
The next day, I woke up early and went for a walk through the village.
There's a small cluster of cottages near the resort. I went there and
chatted with the villagers and learnt more about their lifestyle. An
old lady had just cooked `momos' for the family for breakfast and I
tasted a few. They were just great.
I walked to the St.Joseph's Convent. This school is quite a decent one
and a lot of families have turned their homes into small hostels where
the students stay. It's a major source of income for the families in
Martam. A walk to the school takes around 15 min and is recommended as
a good morning walk.
After breakfast, I bid adieu to the resort staff for their wonderful
hospitality and hired a taxi to take me back to Gangtok. The day was
clear with the clouds beginning to form in the horizon. I guessed it
would take them a couple of hours to cover the mountains. By then I
would reach Gangtok. I decided to lean back on the seat and gaze at
the landscape and the farmers sowing their paddy. It would be a while
before I would get to see such natural splendor again. |
