Today marks the festival of Makar Sankranti, the much loved kite-flying festival celebrated across India. Last year we enjoyed watching the preparations leading up to the festivities. You can read more about the festival and see some colorful photos by checking out this post.
Om Mane Padme Huum. Spinning these prayer wheels accumulates the same merit as chanting the mantra.
Buddhist mural paintings adorn the exterior walls of monasteries in the northern region.
On Holy Ground. Monks and visitors to the monastery remove their shoes as a sign of respect.
Candles and other offerings are laid in front of images of the Buddha.
Young monks enjoy a simple breakfast of sweet potatoes, rice, and milk.
A statue of the Buddha is central inside the monastery meditation hall.
Diyas burn brightly in front of sacred images.
Buddhist tablet outside Pemayangtse Monastery in Pelling, Sikkim.
These are a few of my favorite photos- and favorite experiences- from our trip to Sikkim and Darjeeling. Our driver from Pelling, Sikkim, was a local boy who stopped along the side of the road to show us fresh cardamom growing in a field. The leaves of the plants extend above the earth, while the cardamom seeds are close to the ground. The driver, Lobsang, dug in the dirt and pulled out this cluster in which cardamom pods are nestled. He then rinsed the cluster in a nearby mountain stream, revealing the individual pods. Lobsang opened a pod to show us the seeds inside.
We arrived in Darjeeling at dusk, creeping along narrow roads winding through a tea plantation. The road was so narrow that we had to back up into a turnout whenever we encountered another vehicle. Darjeeling district is famous for its tea, and tea gardens are visible along every mountainside. Sam and I toured one nearby garden, where we plucked some tea leaves, flowers and berries.
We woke at 3:30 one morning to watch the sunrise at Tiger Hill near Darjeeling. The sun came up around 4:30am, dramatically illuminating the mountain peaks.
Gangtok, the capital of the state of Sikkim, is nestled in the Himalayas in northeast India.
The walkway approaching Buddhist monasteries is often lined with prayer wheels inscribed with the mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum”. Through the practices of meditation and chanting this mantra Buddhists identify with the Buddha of Compassion, gradually expanding their compassion to include all sentient beings. Spinning the prayer wheels accumulates the same merit as chanting the mantra, sharing the intention that all beings become free from suffering.
Prayer wheels at monastery.
the mall at Gangtok
Gangtok at night.
Every morning I awoke to see this woman performing her morning prayers on the terrace.
We bounced along mountain roads, sometimes just inches from a 5000-foot drop.
Tsomgo (Changu) Lake, altitude 12,400 feet.
Yes, we rode on yaks.
Burnt Offerings 