Sleepless in Gangtok

Only one road connects Sikkim to the rest of the country. And it’s not in very good shape. The National Highway 31 connecting Gangtok to Siliguri (in West Bengal) has been cleared of all the debris which numerous landslides triggered by the September 2011 earthquake dumped on it, but deep craters remain. If this road is blocked, say by a sudden landslide, or, by a road blockade related to political turmoil in neighbouring Darjeeling, then there’s no way in. No such trouble on a brilliant winter night as we make our way to Gangtok after a two-hour flight from New Delhi to Bagdogra.

Gangtok makes the urban visitor feel right at home—I’ve checked into Hotel Rendezvous, a plush business hotel in the city centre. The lobby is adorned with mural size prints of photographs from around the state but surprisingly there are hardly any of the mighty Khanchendzonga peak. “There’s no need for that, “says Thendup Wangdi, hotelier and and photographer, opening the blinds in my room. And there it is, resplendent in the moonlight, looming over the town; Mt. Khanchendzonga is much more than a mountain to the Sikkimese. It’s a deity which the locals believe watches over them. Literally.

Later that night, we head to Café Live and Loud, a swishy club on the M.G. Road where the well known blues band from Shillong – Soulmates is playing. Tipriti, the vocalist and Rudy accompanying her on the guitar launch into the blues and the assembled motley groupies match them note for note. “I love this place,” gushes Tipriti after the performance which includes a couple of originals in her native Khasi. “When we’re playing in a place like Delhi, we stick to English but here, everyone speaks the blues!”


Unlike north-Indian hill towns, Gangtok is spick: the streets gleam and the fountains actually work.


No trip to Gangtok would be complete without visiting the famous Enchey and Rumtek Monasteries. Established in 1909, the Enchey Monastery is important because according to local belief the protecting deities of Khangchendzonga and Yabdean reside in this monastery.

The 16th century Rumtek Monastery is one of the most important gompas for Tibetan Buddhism and is located 24 km from Gangtok.


Travel Information Gangtok is a six-eight hour drive from the junction town of Siliguri which is connected to the rest of the country by air and rail. There are regular flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Bagdogra (the airport on the suburbs of Siliguri) and trains to New Jalpaiguri which is a short distance from Siliguri. Don’t bother with the touts and head instead to the Siliguri S.N.T. bus stand from where you can take a bus or a prepaid cab to Gangtok
Where to Stay Hotel Rendezvous is amongst the oldest hotel in Gangtok and located a stone’s throw away from the bustling M.G. Road and market area of Gangtok. The hotel has a selection of rooms and suites.