Porni Banerjee | ০২ নভেম্বর ২০২৩ ০৮ : ০২Porni Banerjee

Porni Banerjee
Hundreds of miles away from the hustle and bustle of the busy city, Kolkata, sits a tranquil hamlet, Dhotrey in the laps of The Himalayas in North Bengal. While exploring Dhotrey, I realised that the slice of paradise is wrapped in the innocent charm of its people, fresh cool breeze, quiet ambience, chirping birds, lush greenery, starry nights and untouched beauty of nature.

And who can forget the majestic view of Mt Kanchenjunga? I stayed at Sherpa Homestay as it gives a perfect view of the mountain range. As I stood at the balcony of the homestay, I kept gazing at the splendor of the chiseled mountain peaks clearly visible from the village. It was the ‘Sleeping Buddha’. If I had to believe my eyes, it appeared to be myriad vibrant hues splashed on the peaks at the time of dawn and dusk. One can certainly imagine Kanchenjunga wrapped in gold during sunrise and sunset and adorned with white pearls on a full moon night. 

Post lunch and after a quick nap, I decided to go out for an evening stroll for some succulent momos. As I walked through the narrow lane, the roadside locals nodded me charmingly. I noticed the small wooden huts beautifully decorated with colourful flowers. With cheerful kids playing on the streets, women chatting, cute dogs wagging tails and beating of the Buddhist prayer drum at the local monastery, the entire ambience looked nothing less than a wonderland.

In addition, the hospitality of the locals at Dhotrey deserves a mention too. During my stay there, I interestingly got an invitation of a Nepali Buddhist wedding, which I could never say ‘no’ to. Never in my dreams could I imagine of attending a wedding up in the Himalayas.

Much to my delight, I wondered about which dress would be apt for the occasion. “I will give you my Bakhu to wear for the wedding,” said one of the workers of Sherpa Homestay. Bakhu is a traditional dress worn by people from Sikkim, Bhutan and Nepal.

After getting decked up for the event, one of a local took me to a room where I saw a few monks chanting Buddhist mantras. “Aiye Ji”, a monk welcomed me at the prayer room as they offered prayers to lord Buddha. During my interaction with the monks, I learnt that prayers, prior to any wedding, form a significant part of its rituals in Nepali Buddhist community for the welfare of the married couple.

The couple was at the wedding venue, busy attending guests. I was told to greet the couple with a solid white colour scarf and a ‘Namaskar’, followed by a gift. As I went there to congratulate them, they nodded me charmingly and made me feel comfortable with their polite gesture. I also did not shy away to take a photo with them.

And yes! Not only a warm welcome, I could also manage to make some heads turn because of my unique attire. My feel-good memories are adorned with the praises I was showered upon by the locals.

“You are looking so different, so unique,” said a few Buddhist monks during my interaction with them. On the other hand, some relatives of the owners of our homestay were also delighted to see me in their traditional look. “You look just like a Sherpa woman today, said a group of women. With a smile, I conveyed my thanks to all.

Munu Sherpa, daughter of the homestay’s owner took me to the eating hall. As I entered, I found the hall loaded with locals offering Nepali delicacies. As the fresh aromatic flavour of hot-cooked dishes diffused in the entire room, I could wait no more to fool my taste bud.
The menu was simple, yet appetizing. It included hot steamed rice, gravy chicken crisps, buff meat, fish fry, chili mushroom, noodles and a sweet dish, named ‘cham cham.’

In a candid conversation with a young Nepali man during our eating session, he said, “All the dishes that you see here are jointly prepared by the families at our village. Even the wedding venue was decorated by us. We did not hire any caterer or decorator from outside.” Awestruck by his response, I wondered how strong the unity of Dhotrey villagers is who, with joint efforts, made their valuable contributions in every possible way to make the event big. Such a spirit of togetherness is never to be found in metro cities. The wedding was loaded with dance, music and oodles of laughter.

Next day was a fresh beginning with new hopes and positive vibes. The sky was clear blue and the sun was shining bright. Lustrous snow-capped Kanchenjunga looked mesmerizing. As I kept gazing at her beauty, I sat in silence and introspected, “Never in my life, I felt so rejuvenated, calm!” The entire ambience was fresh enough to soak in its contentment that blew away the dust of routine drudgeries of life.

The same day, Sherpa uncle suggested me to make a quick whole-day trip to Nepal. This came to me much as a surprise and I did not give even a second thought in exploring a foreign country. On my request, the uncle accompanied me for better guidance.

After doing the cross-border formalities at check post, the first village that I visited in Nepal was Boudha Dham. Situated in the eastern part of the country, Boudha Dham is a small hamlet where locals love to live in unity and solace. Atop a hill was a gigantic statue of Lord Buddha, which is a popular tourist attraction.

And I cannot afford to not mention about Kanyam. Another tourist destination, Kanyam is known as the queen of eastern, Nepal surrounded by lush greenery and beautiful tea gardens. Although the weather was a damper on the spirit, the traditional Nepali Thali was a pleasant delight. The platter had plain steamed rice, fried spinach, mixed daal and chicken curry.

Nestled amidst the breathtaking Himalayas and picturesque landscape, Dhotrey is a feast for the eyes. Part of the Darjeeling district, this beautiful village comes under the buffer zone of Singalila Forest range at an altitude of approximately 8,500 feet. Here, rhododendron, pine and bamboo trees are found in abundance and is a natural habitat for many birds and threatened animal Red Panda.

While my heart wanted to stay back, my mind knew I would have to return to my city. With a heavy heart, I kept gazing at the hamlet and bid goodbye that looked so tiny miles away across a green mountain peak.
(Image courtesy: Subhajit Basu)