Darjeeling Walks

18/05/2025

Will we remember what we experienced?

"Literature and butterflies are the two sweetest passions known to man." ~ Vladimir Nabokov

18/05/2025

Our "Baithak in the Hills" initiative emerges as a soulful sanctuary for the fading echoes of the travelling musicians from Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Sikkim—reviving the lost cadences of a cultural legacy slowly slipping into silence.

Through intimate gatherings, live storytelling, and immersive performances, this initiative becomes both stage and archive, preserving the oral histories, folk tunes, and improvisational styles of these forgotten artists.

By documenting their journeys, instruments, and repertoire with care and creativity, "Baithak in the Hills" doesn’t just protect a heritage—it reanimates it, ensuring that the melodies once carried by wandering souls through misty trails and tea gardens find new life in the hearts of future generations.

17/05/2025

Born on October 9, 1874 in St Petersburg, Russia, Nicholas Roerich’s long cherished dream was to be in the Himalayas. While growing up at the family estate of Isvara near Petersburg, Roerich had fallen in love with a painted image of Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world in Sikkim, India.

Roerich had fled to Finland in 1918 in the wake of the Russian Revolution and later spent a few years in London where he established Agni Yoga and became a friend of writers and poets including HG Wells and Rabindranath Tagore. An established artist by this time, Nicholas Roerich with his wife Helena and two sons — George and Svetoslav — moved to the USA in 1920.

Drawn by the Himalayas and the Indian mysticism, Roerichs sailed off for India on November 17, 1923 and by late December had reached Darjeeling. In Darjeeling, Roerichs started living in Talai-Pho-Brang, the house where 13th Dalai Lama had once stayed.

It was during his days in Darjeeling that Roerich was ordained as a Buddhist lama and received the spiritual name Reta Rigden.

16/05/2025

Why Sikkim's History is significant in shaping Modern Indian Traditions and Diplomacy?

Celebrating 50 years of statehood, Sikkim stands at a golden crossroads of history and heritage—a testament to its remarkable journey from a serene Himalayan kingdom to a vibrant part of the Indian Union. On May 16, 1975, Sikkim’s peaceful transition from monarchy to democracy marked a defining moment, reshaping its political destiny as India’s 22nd state. In the decades since, the state has gracefully upheld the cultural richness of its Lepcha, Bhutia, and Nepali roots while forging ahead with visionary progress in governance, education, and environmental stewardship. This jubilee year not only honors Sikkim’s integration into the Indian fabric but also celebrates its inspiring legacy of unity, sustainability, and cultural harmony that continues to shine as a beacon in the national landscape.

The Lost Chogyal Trail in Sikkim unfolds like a living heritage of the Himalayan kingdom’s royal past, guiding explorers through hidden Monasteries, quiet mountain trails, and the lingering whispers of an era once ruled by the Chogyals. More than a trip, it is an evocative pilgrimage into the heart of Sikkim’s spiritual and political soul, where fluttering prayer flags carry the forgotten stories of monarchy, cultural convergence, and Buddhist tradition. Each step along this trail resonates with the mystique of a kingdom steeped in grace and wisdom, inviting travelers to rediscover a legacy that shaped Sikkim’s identity—one that continues to echo softly through its forests, villages, and sacred spaces in the embrace of modern India.

Join us on The Lost Chogyal Trail | Sikkim Walks

15/05/2025

This hidden valley symbolises more than a physical landscape; it stands as a spiritual and cultural refuge for the Lepchas, encapsulating their traditions, language, and deep-rooted harmony with the natural world.

12/05/2025

12/05/2025

On this sacred Buddha Purnima, may your journey inward bring you peace, clarity, and purpose.

Wishing you a luminous and serene day.
Let us walk gently on this earth, uplift each other, and live consciously, just as the Enlightened One showed us.

11/05/2025

"In search of my mother's garden, I found my own."
~ Alice Walker

Happy Mother's Day 💐❤️

09/05/2025

Confluence of the two Great Souls

Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore was born on this day of 1861 | Tiger of the Snows Tenzing Norgay Sherpa left the heavenly abode of Darjeeling on this day on 1986

08/05/2025

https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/darjeeling-guided-tours-one-step-at-a-time-youths-trained-to-offer-tourists-curated-walking-trails-prnt/cid/2098099

Each guide has been trained to offer not just scenic views, but also deep insights into the history, heritage and the living culture of the hills

06/05/2025

High above the windswept gorges of Nepal’s Upper Mustang clings a thousand-year-old mystery waiting to be uncovered. Carved into sheer rock faces, the Sky Caves of Mustang are an astonishing relic of the past, an archaeo...