After a longer than expected time in Gangtok, I was leaving. Today’s ultimate destination was Namchi. But before that, there was a lot of sightseeing to do.
Most of the places I went to had giant statues. It reminded me of going to Australia about 35 years ago. There were lots of statues of giant fruits! Here are two photos I dug up from the trip:
The above photos were not in digital form. I had to scan them. They were taken in the days when you had to send the film (negatives) to a company. They sent you back the developed photos. You had to wait one or two weeks to see how the photos turned out. With mobile phones, we now have instant gratification!
In contrast to Australia, Sikkim doesn’t celebrate giant fruits. It celebrates religious icons.
Subham, the taxi driver, first took me to Ravangla in South Sikkim. We went to the main attraction there, Buddha Park (also known as Tathagata Tsal).
It features a 40m (130ft) metal statue of Buddha. The statue is so big that you can see it long before you reach the park. It was created to mark the 2550th anniversary of the birth of Gautama Buddha. The huge statue is on a large site. For those that need it, there’s a cart that transports people around the park.
Scattered around the park, museum, and library were quotes from the Buddha. Here are some inspirational ones:
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