A day with the Kanchanjungha

It was around 4.30am and I was feeling sleepy and at the same time feeling an unstoppable hunger to witness the degree of beauty outside the room. Kicked my blanket,and dragged my body at the terrace.Oh! it was just standing in front of me,just like facing the God at the doorstep at the dawn.I bent down to pay my respect.I was in front of Mt.Kanchanjungha.
             “................When thy golden chariot appeared in the distance
                                Like a gorgeous dream and I wonder
                                Who was the king of all kings!”
                            from the lines of poem-the miser ( Rabindranath Tagore)
 I remained open mouthed. The marvelous view of the mountain peak I had from that place. Kanchanjungha was so clear and close from Pelling- it seems, if any expedition team were on their way trying to scale the peak it would be visible from there.

Kanchanjungha from Pelling

Then on,throughout the day,I could not resist myself to sit in a chair at the terrace and watch the mountain peak-playing hide and seek with the floating clouds. I was watching a bright day and its consequences on the dwellers of that tiny hill station.It was after a long spell of cloudy and rainy days, the Sun dazzled in the sky of Pelling. A bright day means a lot to the dwellers of the hills,they start washing their clothes and then spread them before the Sun for drying.I could see the roof of the houses down on the slopes of hills were also over crowded with clothes,cushion cover,soft toys,and lots more,looking up from the terrace I could see an old man,so delighted with the bright day,that he kept listening his Radio for long time under a coloured umbrella sitting on his roof top.Tourists were found extremely enthralled by the bright day -taking their photographs in the backdrop of Kanchanjungha, engaged in light discussions, leaving for a day`s trip, basking lazily or enjoying the beauty of the surrounding with cup of tea.

the Rose,that was smiling with the nature

The beauty of the surrounding was discriminating and the stainless sky with dustless weather made it perfect to wander the eyes boundlessly in any direction and explore the beauty even down under the hills with lush greens of the forest.The simple flower plants at the terrace were also very exuberant. Kanchanjungha opened up its beauty generously before us and it was a real opportunity to capture the snowy mountain peak in all its mood with the progress of the day. I felt-a long awaited peace of mind,after staying in Pelling or staying in front of the monumentous Kanchanjungha,it was rejuvenation of the soul and a recharge of mind.I was so engrossed by the beauty and could not notice how the day was getting older,it was too early that Kanchanjungha decided to sleep again under the thick cover of cloud.
The day then started becoming cold and windy and more layers of clouds started running from all directions and covered the Kanchanjungha. The old man I saw listening his Radio sitting on the roof top was already disappeared and it was night slowly took the tiny hill station under its cover.The exquisitely beautiful nature made an indelible mark in my mind for ever.

Apart from viewing the peak of Kanchanjungha,there are several other attractive destinations of Pelling which can also be witnessed by hired Jeep on a day`s trip.Which includes beautiful monastries,waterfall,and ruins of ancient capital of Sikkim,beautiful lake.Nevertheless,I feel a wanderlust for Pelling for its greatest attraction - the Kanchanjungha. Pelling is a small picturesque town of West Sikkim and is around 150 Kms from Siliguri. Nearest Airport-Bagdogra and nearest Railway station-New Jalpaiguri. Pelling can be reached by hired vehicles from Siliguri in roughly 5-hours drive.