Sikkim Stories: From Monasteries to Mountains, a Journey of Discovery

On November 9, 2023, my friend and I planned to create a documentary about the life of Buddhist monks. We chose Sikkim as our destination. To make this documentary, my friend contacted an NGO in Sikkim, and they accepted our proposal. They invited us to visit in December and assured us that they would host us. We were very excited, but for some reason, they postponed the date and told us to come in January instead.

In January, I boarded a train from Delhi and met my friend at Kanpur. Interestingly, my friend didn’t have a confirmed ticket and boarded the train with a waitlisted ticket. When the ticket checker came, he had to pay an extra fine, but the checker allowed him to continue the journey and use any vacant seat.

After this, we traveled to Siliguri, West Bengal, where we stayed for one night. The next day, we took a taxi to reach Ravongla in Sikkim. Upon arrival, a person came to receive us. They informed us that they were not an NGO but a monastery. We had contacted them through a website managed by an individual who oversees the sites of monasteries independently. Despite this, the person, who was associated with the monastery and owned a luxurious homestay in Ravongla, offered us a place to stay.

We were shocked by their generosity, as they provided us with such a beautiful and well-maintained homestay. It was a little away from Ravongla’s main market, surrounded by well-planned gardens and designed beautifully both inside and out. By the time we arrived, it was almost night. Our host briefly discussed their plans and then invited us to visit Buddha Park, a famous place in the town.

That evening, we visited Buddha Park with our host in his car. The night view was mesmerizing, with the large Buddha statue glowing brilliantly and the park overlooking a vast valley. After exploring the park, our host shared more details about their plan. They had written a beautiful story for us to develop into a documentary-cum-travel film. Unfortunately, due to personal issues in our host’s life, we had to drop that plan and leave Sikkim temporarily. Before our departure, our host informed the Ravongla Tourism Development Committee about the situation.

Later, we learned that we were now being hosted by the Ravongla Tourism Development Committee, who requested us to shift to another accommodation. This unexpected turn of events led us to a new host, who owned a luxurious hotel in Ravongla’s main market. They provided us with a room and morning meals, while for other meals, we were directed to another hotel, also part of the committee. They covered all our expenses.

Later, we decided to follow the ideas from our old host's script, even though we no longer had the original script. We tried to create a documentary based on the concept we remembered. In this project, we explored some beautiful places in Sikkim, we visited natural hot springs and trekked to shoot Buddhist religious caves.

later We ended up spending a significant amount of time there because the requirements for our documentary shots couldn't initially be fulfilled. As a result, we had to extend our stay. During this time, the weather turned colder, and our host mentioned the possibility of snowfall. My friend was excited about the prospect, but unfortunately, the snow never came. Instead, the weather became foggy, creating a mystical atmosphere, which allowed us to capture some stunning street shots in those conditions.

Eventually, our host was able to meet some of the requirements, and we began filming the documentary. However, despite our efforts to follow the script, several unforeseen challenges arose, causing our plans to deviate. While it wasn't what we initially envisioned, the experience taught us to adapt and embrace the unpredictable nature of the process.

Besides this, we also attempted to film a personal documentary about the Sikkim floods that happened a few months earlier, which displaced many people and destroyed homes. For this, we traveled to Singtam. However, we faced many obstacles there, and the project couldn’t be completed.

Singtam felt like a less developed part of Sikkim, with unfriendly people, which made the experience less enjoyable. We later went to Gangtok to try and resolve the issues, but we were unsuccessful. Despite this, we got a chance to explore Gangtok. We visited Mall Road, a vibrant and beautiful place, which uplifted our spirits.

Afterward, we returned to Ravongla for a trek. My friend wasn’t happy about this news because he doesn’t enjoy trekking. However, our host assured us that the trek would pass through some breathtaking locations. Being from Uttarakhand and familiar with mountain landscapes, I was excited. The people from Sikkim were equally enthusiastic, and seeing all of us excited, my friend eventually got on board.

On the trek day, about an hour into the journey, my friend got exhausted and said he couldn’t continue. Our trek guide helped him by carrying his bag to lighten his load, and we continued the journey. At one stop, we found untouched snow, which made my friend very happy as it was the first snowfall he had ever seen. We all enjoyed playing in the snow before resuming our trek.

Finally, we reached our destination, took the necessary shots, and returned. From then on, everything went smoothly. We had a wonderful time in Sikkim, trying local foods, enjoying the best momos, and experiencing various cuisines.

If you ever want to explore monasteries, untouched hill stations, and unique cultures, I highly recommend visiting Sikkim. It is one of India’s most unexplored and serene places, with some of the best monasteries in the country.