A Tale of an Eastern Himalayan Hamlet, photo essay by Saikat Chakraborty
Tumling, the quietest place I’ve ever been. One can see the beautiful Kangchenjunga Range from here and going forward for about 5-10 minutes one can notice the Mount Everest. This tiny villange is actually a part of Nepal although there is no restriction to visit the place for Indians or even foreigners with Indian visa. In fact the border between the two neighboring countries in this part is quite blurred and it’s kind of a free way for all. You won’t know when you are crossing the border.
Tumling is a small hamlet in Jogmai VDC, Ilam district of Nepal. It’s a tourist attraction in Eastern Himalayas at an altitude of 2970m(10,000 ft), its population is composed mostly of Gurung families, with the total population being a mere 15-20 in number. The famous Singalila National park is situated just 1 k.m away from this hamlet.
The place is so mesmerizingly quite that it takes you to a spiritual journey of discovering your true self. The clouds emerging from the sloops of the mountains create a dreamlike atmosphere which brings the wonders of nature close to you. A ferocious host of wind blows amid the valley and keeps you grounded from flying away to a dreamland. Through the eyes of lens, it is a reliving of that strong realization where I found a bit of myself.
(by Saikat Chakraborty)
