“The Pass of the Listening Ear”

Set off from Gangtok (5400 feet) at 8 AM, armed with the permit to visit Nathu La Pass. Was told that limited number of permits are issued and there was a thriving black market. Visitors are not allowed on Mondays & Tuesdays and on other days, one has to cross the Tourist Facilitation Centre before 10 AM.

It was a cool morning and we were dressed in T- shirts only as the snow season was behind us. The driver manoeuvred the vehicle expertly on the steep, winding roads with no walls or parapets. One wrong move and we would have been history. Visibility was not too good as mist kept swirling in and out. The weather was getting colder now. Soon we reached the 15th Mile, a small hamlet called Kyongnosla at a height of 10,400 feet. Now it was extremely cold and out came the pullovers,wind-cheaters, caps and gloves. Envied the driver who still stuck to his Tees.

13,100 feet: Reached the Harbhajan Baba mandir or simply called Baba mandir. Set in a small valley surrounded by towering mountains, this shrine is dedicated to Harbhajan Singh, an armyman who died when he slipped and fell into a deep gorge. Baba is revered by armymen as their protector and stated to have miraculous healing powers. The shrine is maintained by the Army and we have patriotic songs played all through even as soldiers in trucks and jeeps come to pay tribute to Baba. The Prasad too is handed out by a uniformed soldier who also issues you a certificate signed by the garrison commander stating you were a visitor, for a small donation of Rs.150 to the Army Fund.

Time to move further up and now our driver had pulled on a wind-cheater too, so one can imagine the biting cold. Now we were at 14,100 feet at Nathu La. The board said 500 feet to the China border but this was the most difficult part, as we had to walk this distance in pouring rain, steep, slippery paths breathing heavily in the rarefied atmosphere. Finally we reached the top and the feeling cannot simply be explained in words. Only a thick rope separated us from China. In fact, one Jawan held his hand out sideways and said “ Main India me hoon aur mera haath hai China ke ooper”. We waved at a Chinese soldier who shouted out ‘ Hi’ in return. It is that close. Moved a little further to the viewing balcony and what lay below us was a piece of history – Nathu La Pass at the start of the ancient Silk Road. Nathu, in Tibetan means ‘Listening ear” while La means ‘Pass”. Hence, ‘The Pass of the Listening Ear!’ The gates on either sides of the border with the Tricolor and the Chinese flag fluttering are a sight to behold. We also saw a convoy of 24 Chinese trucks escorted by an Indian pilot vehicle head for the trading centre in India, Sherathang. Photography at this point is strictly prohibited and we adhered to the rules, though some people were trying to click pictures on the sly. It was a disgrace to our brave soldiers, we felt, who were requesting people not to do so.

A MUST visit place for every Indian is Nathu La. Plan to visit again when there is snow all round. The true meaning of the Army slogan “for your tomorrow, we gave our today” hit me like a thunderbolt. These valiant young men in the Army and the Border Roads Organisation brave the elements in protecting us and our motherland, even as we lead comfortable lives in cities. My hand went up in an involuntary salute. JAI JAWAN!

Time to move down to Tsongmo Lake or colloquially Changu Lake at 12,100 feet. Perhaps our expectation was very high or perhaps the lake looks good when frozen, but Changu was a disappointment. It was raining and the lakes-shore was muddy and appeared dirty. People with yaks were persuading tourists to take a ride on them or pose for pictures with them.( holding umbrellas in the rain). No offence meant to these hard-working beasts but I found the yaks quite dirty. Was told each yak costs around 100,000 Indian Rupees.

Drove back to Kyongnosla for hot momos, Maggi and chai at Sherpa’s Cafe. Numb fingers and heavy breathing notwithstanding, it was an awesome experience, I repeat ‘ an experience’and not merely one place off my bucket list. Discovered that my mobile had switched to Chinese Time which is two and a half hours ahead of IST. Had to switch off and restart to come back to IST. Possibly the mobile towers on the Chinese side are more powerful and pick up the signals from mobiles on the Indian side of the border too.