17 Amazing Locales of Pelling Which are a Must Visit
Pelling is one well-known destination of Sikkim, especially in the monsoons. Situated in the western district of Sikkim, the
view of Kanchendzonga from here is enough to entice the tourist lot. An
unblemished weather is a cherry on the cake. Having said so, the perfect timing would be the
winters. Then the sky is a clear blue one with no clouds to block the mighty manifest of Mother Nature. However, the monsoons here have a different
charisma. Why? Because Pelling also happens to host a number of cascading
waterfalls, gushing streams and untainted lakes. The drenched and tranquil
greenery adjoining the mountain spots also offers solace to our eyes and
cameras as well.
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Imagine getting up in the morning only to see the clouds flowing through the
bemused carved green stepped hamlets - an unearthly
ecstasy dives in to savor the perpetuity of the moment.
***
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| On the way to Pelling from Ravangla, the pious mantra engraved on a rock wall |
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Mountains
always hold a special place in my heart; although I was in Ravangla, another
mountain village, engaged in academics, still a weekend getaway to Pelling was
stimulating. The allure was, to see the waterfalls in the full-fledged form.
However, the weather was cloudy. And we missed Kanchendzonga in its more
diversified beauty.
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How to Get There
Avail direct
car from Bagdogra Airport (IXB/domestic) or New Jalpaiguri Station (NJP) to Pelling,
in which case it would be through Jorethang.
A bus is also available from the
SNT to Geyzing bus stand of Siliguri but in this case sightseeing won’t be
possible.
Getting to Bagdogra Airport can be done from KOLKATA international
airport (CCU). Train routes include cab rides from CCU to Howrah
station and then a train to NJP station. This is followed by a car ride to Pelling.
The car fare would be INR
3000 to Pelling and the local sightseeing would cost around INR 4500 on
a reserved basis. (Note: I started from Ravangla if one has to cover from
Siliguri, the following places will be covered but on a last-to-first
basis)
Places To See In Pelling
Tashiding Bridge
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| First, stop at Tashiding Bridge; standing there and overlooking the valley of Legship. Far away, the Legship Rangeet dam could be spotted. This is one of the suspension bridges of Sikkim. The spouting stream underneath was indeed a view. On the way towards Pelling, we came across some lakes and waterfalls |
***
Pelling is rather known for the journeying
road than the destination itself. The notable waterfalls are Phamrong and
Kanchendzonga falls.
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Unnamed Waterfall 1
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| Unnamed Waterfall 1: On the way towards Geyzing, the first waterfall to have stopped our journey was an unnamed one. Being unspecified presumably meant that in other seasons it is just a “jhoraa” which means a small scale falls. Nevertheless, in the monsoon and post-monsoon it flowed with enough water to draw the attention of the onlookers. |
Unnamed Waterfall 2
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| Unnamed Waterfall 2: This is more of a sloped stream flowing under gravity through the boulders protruding out from the mountain slope. Great spot for photographs though. |
Phamrong Waterfall
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| Phamrong Waterfall: Situated on the way to Geyzing, it is a known tourist spot and the falls can be viewed from the front bridge. For a closer look and a rocky adventuring walkthrough, one can take the grassy staircases. However, beware of the leeches in the monsoons. The view from the top is breathtaking although it is a long way through the stairs to the top. |
Kathog Lake
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| Kathog Lake: Located at Yuksom-Geyzing a pious lake whose water was associated with the coronation ceremony of Phuntsog Namgyal, the first Chogyal king of Sikkim at Norbugang. It also relates to the ruins of Kathog Lhakhang monastery by Kathog lama. The water is said to bring luck to the people looking at it. The sanctity of the place is maintained and enhanced by the colorful prayer flags and flushing fishes in the lake. |
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| Opposite to the Kathog Lake and passing this stupa in the center of the road lies the bricked road to the Coronation throne. |
Coronation Throne of Norbugang
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| Coronation Throne of Norbugang: This place of Yuksom holds a special place in the history of Sikkim; it is the place where the coronation of Phuntsog Namgyal, the first Chogyal King of Sikkim. This is an uphill walk from the Kathog lake and one need an uphill stroll through a brick road. It is a heritage site by Archaeological Survey of India. |
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| A spiritual old pine tree signifies the coronation which stands firm behind the rubble throne. The stupas signifies the remains of the then lamas. |
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| An “Om Mani Padme Hum” carved rock welcomes you to the Coronation territory. A not-so-high wall-like structure marks the end of the green territory. |
Kanchendzonga Falls
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| Kanchendzonga Falls: On the way to Pelling from Yuksom-Geyzing, these waterfalls (plural, as it consists of two, falls now) which represent Pelling by its sheer manifestation. It is an active one throughout the year, but in the monsoons, it is in a full-fledged form and thus a must-visit. Lately, adventure sports like tree-walking is being built up herein and it would act as an extra point here. |
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| The first (however secondary) waterfall is viewable from the road. But behold onlookers! The wooden arched gate and the stairs lead you to another (this one’s the main) falls, the pure milky white falling waters would leave you speechless here. The name by itself reflects the magnificence of the same and hence the similarity in the forenames (with that of the mountain). |
Khecheopalri Lake
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Khecheopalri Lake: Another
holy lake of the Buddhist pilgrimage circle. Surrounded by greeneries all
around, the lake is clear and the same is ensured by the birds there if a leaf
is found floating the birds pick them up from the lake surface. The entrance to
the lake is having a small monastery and a new residential monastery is built
lately. The pathway to the lake has to be traversed through the colorful
fluttering prayer flags. The local folklore denotes the lake as a wish
fulfilling lake.
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Rimbi Rock Garden
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| Rimbi Rock Garden: The entrance has a stair that takes you down to the rocky river-shore and hence the name. Before reaching Pelling (by the evening), a half hour leisure here is soothing. With the gushing river alongside, a seat on the rocks with the legs half dipped into the cold waters would make all the tiring thoughts of the day go away. |
Upper Pelling
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| Upper Pelling: The evening gleamed with the dim-lit houses on the slopes; as the night shadowed in one could not differentiate out the starry sky and the lit carpet underneath. It is as if the continuation of the sky to the grounds itself. The view of Mt, Kanchendzonga from here is marvelous. However, we were not that lucky to have the golden-hued view of the mountain queen. Well, that's the drawback of Pelling in the Monsoons. Although as the day ensued Kanchendzonga appeared amidst the puffy cottony clouds. Local sightseeing would be to the Helipad which offers the view of the majestic ranges |
Changey Waterfall
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| Changey Waterfall: The source of which was completely shrouded by the fog created by the same. It jetted with water all and through. It was quite high and we happened to see it through the midway. Hopefully, someday I would see it on a sunny day. |
Singhshore Bridge
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| Singhshore Bridge: The highest bridge of Sikkim and the second highest suspension bridge in Asia offers a magnificent panoramic view of the surroundings. On the other side of the bridge, there is a canteen sort of facility. The stream underneath flows gushingly with the waters from the falls visible from the bridge itself. Stand in the middle and you are bound to feel the thrill of the same. The Bridge connects the Pelling town with Uttarey and Varsey (the offbeat of west Sikkim). |
Uttarey
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| Uttarey: A serene village near to the Nepal border. There are many sites to see here, including a trout farm at Maneybong which we went see. The equanimity of the place is frayed only by the flowing sound of the alongside stream. |
Peymangste Monastery
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| Peymangste Monastery: One of the oldest shrines of Sikkim dedicated to Lord Padmasambhava or Guru Rinpoche is also a residential monastery. The Rabdentse ruins are also visible from here. The first floor of the monastery has a good collection of the Buddhist antique idols. The famous seven-tiered wooden structure is found herein depicting Guru Rinpoche’s heavenly abode. |
Rabdentse Ruins
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| Rabdentse Ruins: It was the second capital of the Kingdom of Sikkim shifted from Yuksom and now the remains of the capital city is here maintained by Archaeological Survey of India. Superb view of the Kanchendzonga range is visible from here giver the right weather. It is quite an amount of walk through dense damp woods before the actual spot is reached. |
Sidkeong Tulku Bird Park
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| Sidkeong Tulku Bird Park: Travelling to places sometimes parks you in a world that exists only in movies. This is one such example set on the wood-shaded way towards Rabdentse ruins. A newly made bird sanctuary is established here with various species of the birdies. The walkway is through a netted area which gives you a feeling of land into the screened Jurassic Park. However, the birds are caged so one might not see the flying ones as in the movie. |
Sanga Choeling Monastery
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| Sanga Choeling Monastery: Opposite of Pemayangtse Monastery is situated atop a mountain. The path is uphill through dense forest to reach the Monastery. The location provides the bird’s eye view of Pelling below merging with the mountainous landscape horizoned by Kanchendzonga. A large statue of Lord AvalokiteÅ›vara mostly is being built here. |
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11 comments
Wow! Pelling looks absolutely incredible! I absolutely love going on hikes where I can see a waterfall so I definitely think I would enjoy it here. The monastery looks incredible as well! I've always been so fascinated with the various temples across Asia. They're always so intricately built and so beautiful.
ReplyDeletenature place and relax place are the best choose ever for travelling .
DeleteSuch a beautiful place! I had never heard of Pelling before. All your photos are stunning.
ReplyDeleteThanks :)
DeleteLooks like an amazing place to explore the outdoors. Will have to add this to our hiking wishlist! We are hoping to visit this part of India in the next couple of years :)
ReplyDeleteYes Sikkim is a wonderful place to visit. Do visit when you come to India :)
DeleteI am seriously in awe of how beautiful it is there. I love waterfalls, I just think they are always incredible and you have captured them well in these photographs
DeleteI travel a lot in Scotland and besides the beautiful monasteries I actually feel like a lot of the landscape is similar in your pictures to the places I come across in Scotland.
ReplyDeleteThat's a place of beautiful contrasts from the still lakes with the mirrored prayer flags to the thunder of the falls. It's a spectacular place I would like to explore. I get what your previous commented said about the similarities with Scotland too.
ReplyDeleteThis place look absolutely gorgeous! The photos are perfectly capture the beauty of the nature and Peiling
ReplyDeleteBeing a adventurous tourist do not forget to visit Zuluk(The Curving Paradise of East Sikkim).
ReplyDeleteZuluk is the main Point of Interest in Old Silk Route Tour (East-Sikkim). Taste the charm of mountain climate on 10,000 feet . Enjoy the adventurous ride on most curving roads(95 Turnings point) in India. Now days it is fast arising as a new tourist destination. Zuluk creates its tourism undisputed value due to the excellent view of the eastern Himalayan mountain range including the Kanchenjunga from here. For this trip to the area requires special restricted area permit(RN/GN Permit). The permit shall be issued by us with necessary documents.During the summer months, the area and its surrounding hills are covered by thousands of blooming rhododendron.
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