In the Land of Thunder Dragon

I got my first chance to witness the Great ranges of Himalayas as I went to our tiny neighbouring country Bhutan, the land of thunder dragon. Having spent all my life amidst the endlessly monotonous Ganga plains, I wondered how majestic the ranges could be.
Crossing the familiar plain topography by train, I reached Jalpaigudi, our last destination by train. This was the town that would lead us to an onward journey to a world where slopes defined the limits. As our bus moved on, I saw Emerald green forests drenched in September rain, crystal clear streams vanishing under stone beds and a chill in the air told us we were close to our destination.
By night we arrived at Jaigaon, a small town I West Bengal sharing its border with Phuntsholing in Bhutan. The landscape was submerged in the darkness of night and half of our belongings were wet as it had been raining continuously. I went to my Hotel room to have a peaceful slumber, without knowing what morning would unfold.
Next day as I opened my eyes, not expecting too much as for me my destination Bhutan was beyond the artistically painted gate of Phuntsholing. As I looked out of my window, the scene took my breath away. Bright greenhills, bathing in the morning sun, welcomed us as tourists from a distant land.
Entering the territory of our neighbour, I realized how similar it was to the landscape on the other side of the gate and totally different from the land I came from. In a few hours, we were literally walking above the clouds.
Thin string like streams came down the slopes and disappeared in foggy clouds. Bare rocks looked as if nature’s chisels had worked on them, to create a masterpiece.
I was taken aback by nature’s beauty, but what surprised me even more was the serenity such rough landscape held within. Monestries and Dzongs made in traditional Bhutanese style showed the Bhutanese sense of harmony and culture. Prayer wheels and prayer flags dominated the scene all over the country. Religion was everywhere yet there was no politics involved with it.
The peaceful attitude reflected everywhere specially on the clean pitch roads on which people drove without blowing horns, and in the same context it’s quote worthy that Thimpu is world’s only capital without traffic lights.
I witnessed a change in myself as I realized how calm were the people in such tough terrain and how rough and dry our lives were in the smooth plains that provided everything. The calmness I experienced made me see the spiritual side of the Himalayas and the people residing there.