Changu Lake was one of the places that I was eager to see during my recent trip to Sikkim. But when I got there, somehow I wasn’t charmed by it as I hoped for. It could be all the touristy construction and army bunkers around it or it could just be me. Indian Army has a considerable presence near Changu Lake, thanks to our friendly neighbours across the border who love our land so much that they get possessive about it.
My attempt to get good pictures of the lake failed miserably, but I did not give up completely on it. It did not help that I spent very little time next to the lake. What did help a bit is a magic formula that the mountain people in the Himalayas use for making anything and everything pretty. The fluttering prayer flags along the shore brought alive the lake that otherwise lacked luster.
A few pictures here, they definitely could’ve been better.
About Changu Lake
Changu Lake is located on the Gangtok-Nathula road at an altitude of 12,400 feet. Although it is only 40km from Gangtok, the mountain roads ensure that it is a whole day’s trip to visit the lake and get back to the town. Visit to the lake requires an inner line permit, which has to be obtained at Gangtok at least a day earlier. Most people normally combine the visit to Changu with Nathula, about 10km ahead on the same road.
There are basic tourist facilities next to the lake, where you can savour some momos and shop for souvenirs from Sikkim.
The tiny state of Sikkim is known for its orchids. Gangtok boasts of an excellent Orchid Sanctuary, while many hotels and resorts in the state have their own orchid collections. My visit to Gangtok did not coincide with the time of the year when Orchids bloom. Yet, I got to see many flowers as I walked along the lush slopes of the town. A few pictures here. I would be grateful for any help in identifying them.
Prints of all the images available. Request for prints. Some images can be seen at a higher resolution on paintedstork facebook page.
Although I spend a lot of time taking photographs, rare are the times when I become trigger happy and get into a shooting spree. But in my recent two-day visit to Sikkim on an invitation from Club Mahindra, that’s just what I did. Some views along the way and the play of mist in the valleys was so beautiful that I could just not stop shooting.
Here is a picture Teesta River, taken on the way from Gangtok to Bagdogra. We were running short of time to catch our flight from Bagdogra, but could not help stopping on the way as often as possible. We stopped briefly to get one of the best views of the river as were crossing a bridge. I was looking at the river for a while, thinking how beautiful can the Himalayas get, and was lost in thoughts for a moment. After a while, I suddenly realized that I should be taking a photograph. In a few seconds, I had pulled out the camera from the bag, went click-click for another few seconds and returned to admiring my view. Here is one of those images.
Prints of all the images available. Request for prints.