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Riding high
Get on a yak and take to the mountain trails
by Bijaya Lal Shrestha

Tsomgo, on the once fabled caravan trail to Tibet, enchants visitors with its vast primordial lake that stretches a kilometer long and is set amidst stunning alpine scenery. And winter brings untrammeled beauty to the serene lake situated at an altitude of 3,780 m with the whole area covered in a blanket of snow. It does not melt well until early June when the entire Indian plains are reeling under unbearable heat.

While one goes to Tsomgo (pronounced Changu) to revel in its breathtaking scenery, the excitement of being here is now capped by the thrill of going on a yak safari on the periphery of this holy lake. Even as we parked our van on the left bank of the lake, yak herders by the dozen surrounded us, inviting us to take a ride on their colorfully decorated animals. The yaks wore woolen knitwear over the horns and forehead, and strings of bells around the necks.

Yak riding has turned out to be big business at Tsomgo where you can take a ride around the lake or go up the mountain. The prices are fixed, so there is no bargaining. Business is brisk with hundreds of visitors making it to Tsomgo each day during the tourist season. And no one seems to miss a photo session atop the grunting ox, a memento to take back home of your visit to Tsomgo.

Bengali tourists were especially making the most of the presence of these hairy beasts. The women, in particular, dressed up in traditional Tibetan dresses and hat

Yaks (Bos grunniens) abound in Sikkim at altitudes above 6,000 m, but Tsomgo is, perhaps, the closest place where you will come face to face with one. Most of Sikkim's 5,000 or so yaks are concentrated in north and west Sikkim. In north Sikkim, yaks grazing in the meadows covered with flowers add color to the mesmerizing scenery that is Yumthang.

In west Sikkim, yaks are widely used to carry trekker's loads to Dzongri and beyond to Goechala and Khangchendzonga Base Camp. The constant jingle of the bells around the neck warns you of their coming. Not that they are fierce, but it would be rational to allow ample space for the animals to pass by. It baffles one to see these bulky animals carrying such heavy loads negotiating their way through the narrow tracks covered with sludge and muck. At night, you feel almost sorry for the animal that is left in the open in the rains or snow while you are snug in bed after a hot meal.

The dzo, a cross between the shaggy-haired yak and a domestic cow, is more commonly used as a beast of burden. Unlike the temperamental wild yak, which has become extremely rare, the dzo is robust and can withstand any type of weather - rain or snow. It can carry loads of up to 100 kilos and survive on very little food in very adverse weather conditions. The female hybrid is called a dzum.

Apart from carrying heavy loads in parts of Sikkim still unconnected by roads, the yaks serve a host of purposes. Their dung is burned as fuel, the hair is woven into blankets and tents, and its tail, used as religious paraphernalia, formed a traditional export. Yaks also provide meat, which is widely eaten in Sikkim, while the dzum gives highly nourishing milk, which is processed into hard cheese, called churpi.

Despite their usefulness, the yak population is, however, dwindling, largely because the younger generation is showing less inclination to take up traditional yak herding as an occupation. And the government has made it a policy to pull down yak sheds built in the protected forests of Sikkim, especially in the Khangchendzonga National Park in west Sikkim, making the yak a vulnerable animal.

While the yak herders and the state mull over the future of the animal, engaging yaks for safaris in a thriving tourism industry should give them a new lease on life.

FAST FACTS

• Location: Tsomgo Lake is 38 km to the east of Gangtok on the way to Nathula Pass
• Altitude: 3,780 m
• Things to see: Tsomgo Lake that is 1 km long and 15 m deep
• Things to do: Yak riding around the lake or up the mountains, hiking, shopping for souvenirs
• Getting there: One and a half hours' drive from Gangtok

Lingdum Monastery
A spectacular show of art and culture

by Kamal Tuladhar

Located an hour's scenic drive from Gangtok, Lingdum Monastery is a destination for Buddhist pilgrims and devotees of fine art alike.

The sprawling complex, set amid serene forested hills, is a specimen of sacred architecture. Its exquisite murals, statues and adornments, besides the impressive scale of the edifice, bring a look of wonderment to every visitor's face.

Completed 10 years ago, Lingdum Monastery is a Buddhist center in the tradition of the Zurmang Kagyud lineage. It is under the spiritual direction of Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche, who is the 12th unbroken successor of the lineage. Up on a hill behind the monastery is a retreat center where monks retire to meditate.

As you pull into the parking lot, a long wall fixed with prayer wheels leads you to the front gate. Stepping inside the monastery grounds, you throw your head back to admire the main building. Embellished with the symbols of Tibetan Buddhist architecture and topped with carved parasols and finials, it rises in receding terraces and pagoda roofs over a vast courtyard.

Lingdum Monastery contains a number of chapels. We took off our shoes and entered the main prayer hall where monks wrapped in maroon robes sat in rows chanting the scriptures. Every once in a while, they clashed their cymbals and beat on a large drum, filling the hall with sonorous music.

The large Buddha enshrined at the end of the hall was an awe-inspiring piece of art. The image was massive in size, five meters tall, and its gilt finishing shone in the light. The Buddha's perfectly sculpted face and hands exuded a life-like effect, and its tranquil expression inspired one into contemplation.

They told us that the statue had been made in Kathmandu by Shakya craftsmen, with final assembly being done at Lingdum. These artisans, experts in the lost-wax method of statue casting, are continuing their ancestral role of lending their artistic expertise throughout the Himalayan region.

We went upstairs to look at the other chapels and their beautifully carved and painted decorations. Out on the terrace, the ceremonial parasols atop the parapet caught our attention. They were ornamented with fancy repousse designs and Sanskrit mantras in Newar script. Indeed, "Om Mani Padme Hum", "Om Bajrasatwa Hum" and such other prayers seemed to be inscribed everywhere, on the walls, over the doorways, along the beams.
Looking out into the wide quadrangle enclosed by a cloister, which contained the living quarters, we saw a group of young lamas seated cross-legged on cushions and reciting their lessons. Their energetic voices floated up to us like a loud drone. A master walked through the class, making sure they were concentrating on their texts.

"Lingdum Monastery shelters almost 300 monks," said Karma Palzor Lama, the in-charge in the absence of the Rinpoche and who guided us around the center. "They come from Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and other places," he said. As part of their daily routine, which includes studying and performing various chores, he explained that their wakeup call came at 4 AM.

We had to be up and out early too, if we were to catch our transport back to Kathmandu the next day. And so we decided to make a hasty retreat to Gangtok as it was already getting dark, even though we would have liked to see more, which, hopefully, will happen during another visit soon.

FACTFILE

• Lingdum Monastery is the seat of Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche
• Highlights: The main Buddha image is 5 m high, murals, statues, artifacts
• Number of resident monks: Almost 300 monks
• Area of monastery complex: About 21 acres
• Getting there: One hour's drive (about 20 km) from Gangtok
• Views: The drive passes through dense forest and offers a stunning panorama of Gangtok from the road

Himalayan Zoological Park
Wild Sikkim up close

Sikkim is known for her rich flora and fauna with as many as 4,000 varieties of flowering plants and herbs, 450 species of orchids, 300 species of fern and its allies, including tree ferns, and more than nine species of conifers. Sikkim is also home to 81 species of mammals, 550 species of birds, including the flamboyant pheasants of the upper temperate zones, and over 600 species of butterflies.

Many species of animals and birds recorded earlier are now either extinct or are on the verge of becoming so. Some of the missing species of Sikkim are the Sikkim Stag, Pigmy Hog, Binturong and Takin.

Keeping in view the behavior of each animal and the scope of zoo ethics and exercises, optimum efforts have been made to provide the best possible natural habitat to wildlife exhibits at the Himalayan Zoological Park (HZP).

LOCATION AND AREA

Offering unparalleled views of the Khangchendzonga massif and its host of surrounding peaks, the HZP is situated at Bulbulay (elevation 1,780 m) in east Sikkim. The park lies about 3 km from Gangtok, the capital.

The HZP is spread over an area of 205 ha of mountainous land encompassing steep terrain suitable for Musk Deer and Blue Sheep; gentle slopes for Himalayan Black Bear, Barking Deer; a vision valley for Red Panda, Danphay-Monal (birds) and many other endangered Himalayan fauna. The best time to visit the park is mid-February to May end and mid-September to December end.

STAR ATTRACTIONS

Himalayan Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens fulgens). This very beautiful animal is also the state animal of Sikkim. Though widely distributed earlier in the temperate parts of Sikkim, their population has dwindled now. It is also known as cat-bear. Chestnut brown body color, a long bushy vertically striped tail and white margined conical ears are characteristic features of this animal. Bamboo and Maling shoots make up its staple diet. Apart from these roots, succulent grass, leaves and fruits, eggs and shrubs also form part of its diet.

Himalayan Monal Pheasant (Lophophorus impejanus). The male Monal Pheasant is a beautiful bird with dazzling green plumage, a swinging crest, a rufous tail and a neck covered by shining bluish-maroon feathers. The female of the species is spotted brown with bare blue skin around the eyes. In Sikkim it can be sighted in the upper temperate region (2,500-5,000 m), its numbers, however, have dwindled.

Himalayan Palm Civet (Paguma Larvata). An animal from the temperate zone of Sikkim, it is fairly common and dwells quite close to human settlements. Fruits and foliage constitute its major diet. Equipped with a long prehensile tail, a fully grown Palm Civet measures about 80 cm in length. They are arborescent and normally live singly or in groups.

Goral (Nemorhraedus goral hodgsonii). Found on rocky terrain throughout Sikkim at elevations between 1,850-3,700 m, its ground color is golden or rufous brown speckled with black. It grows to a shoulder height of 70 cm. The horns are 12-13 cm long, curved backward and are ringed. Poaching did reduce the number considerably, but now it has come to a respectable strength due to conservation.

Crimson-Horned Pheasant (Tragopan satyar). A beautiful bird of the temperate zone found between 2,100-2,500 m, it has now become rarer than the Monal Pheasant. The male of the species (Danphay) has a cobalt-blue face. Triangular grey spots of varied sizes are found on a crimson ground. The female has a whitish throat. It is brown with a crimson shoulder patch.

Leopard Cat (Felis bengalensis). Appearing similar in size and looks to the domestic cat, the Leopard Cat has a spotted coat like a leopard's. It is a predator and very much adapted to living in the jungle as well as on bare rockeries. It feeds on small mammals and birds.

Himalayan Black Bear (Selenarctos thibetanus laniger). A small bear (150 cm tall and 100-120 kg in weight) found normally in the temperate forests (1,200-3,500 m), it is a common bear of the Sikkim hills. Two varieties have been noted - Sunauli (with golden-yellow teeth) and Rupauli (with less yellow teeth). It is easily recognized by the characteristic V-shaped markings on its chest. Its coat is jet-black with a flush of white on the chin area.
(Department of Forests, Environment and Wildlife)

LIST OF ANIMAL ENCLOSURES

• Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens fulgens)
• Himalayan Black Bear (Selenarctos thibetanus laniger)
• Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia)
• Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa)
• Leopard Cat (Felis bengalensis horsfieldi)
• Himalayan Palm Civet (Paguma larvata)
• Large Indian Civet (Viverra zibetha)
• Marbled Cat (Felis marmorata charltonii)
• Musk Deer (Moschus moschiferus)
• Barking Deer (Muntiacus muntjak vaginalis)
• Blue Sheep (Pseudois nayaur nayaur)
• Serow (Capricornis sumatraensis thar)
• Himalayan Thar (Hemitragus jemlahicus schaeferi)
• Himalayan Yellow-Throated Marten (Martes flavigula f1avigula)
• Himalayan Weasel (Mustela sibirica subhemachalana & M.s. canigula)
• Tibetan Wolf (Canis lupus chanko)
• Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes montana)
• Common Otter (Lutra lutra monticola & L.I. aurobrunnea)
• Common Langur (Presbytes entellus entellus)
• Wild Boar (Sus scrofa)
• Porcupine (Hystrix hodgsonii)
• Spotted Deer (Axis axis axis)
• Yak (Bos grunniens grunniens)
• Goral (Nemorhaedus goral hodgsonii)
• Pheasants (eight species)
• Reptiles (Pythons, Snakes, Lizards)
• Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla aurita)
• Aquatic habitat dwellers