Tales from the top: My Experience at Dochu La

Angela Chakraborty

My jaw dropped as I stood awestruck, admiring the breath-taking beauty of the majestic Himalayas. But to fully immerse you in this moment, let me start from the beginning.

It was 25^th December, 2014 as far as I remember. You must be wondering why I am writing a story which is almost a decade old. So, let me confess, this place holds a special place in my heart and I feel a deep spiritual connection to it even though it’s been a decade.

Tales from the top: My Experience at Dochu La — Bhutan; Image: Powershift

I remember rubbing my hands against each other and exhaling mist in the chilly winter morning as I descended the stairs to have my breakfast. The beam of sunlight streaming through the landing windows helped me warm myself up from the chill that had settled over me after my bath.

We somehow inhaled our pancakes and fruits, and set off for Dochu La. It was our 5^th day in Bhutan, and we had already immersed ourselves in the beauty of Phuentsholing and explored most of the places of Thimphu.

From the lush green path to the white tip of the mountains, I remained mesmerised, unable to look away from these sceneries. As we continued our journey, I observed locals selling some white cubes suspended from long strings, which resembled our ‘paneer cubes’.

I was keen to try this local treat and upon interacting with the vendors, I came to know these were cheese solids made from yak milk. Our driver ‘uncle’ plucked a few from the string and handed us these cubes, each one costing 10 Ngultrum. I must admit that the taste was quite subtle, not as strong as I had anticipated.

We devoured our sel rotis, which we purchased on the way and our journey continued for about an hour from Thimphu until we finally reached the Dochula Chorten. Upon reaching, all I could see was the beauty and charm I cannot express in my words.

I stood still for a few minutes, mesmerised by the panoramic view that surrounded me. I could feel the fresh, clean breeze as I took a deep breath, its purity a stark contrast to my hometown’s haze.

The place consisted of 108 memorial chortens or shrines, and my driver uncle’s expertise and interaction with the locals helped me widen my horizon of knowledge about the place.

I came to know that these shrines were built in honour of the Bhutanese soldiers who lost their lives during a military operation in 2003.

After exploring the area, I walked towards the railing that marked the edge of the precipice, drawn to the marvellous view beyond. My jaw dropped as I stood awestruck, admiring the breath-taking beauty of the majestic Himalayas. I hope you understood now where my story began from.

I could see the mighty Himalayas draped with a milky white veil of snow. I could immediately feel a strong connection to this place, like my heart was at the home where I belong.

After strolling around the place, we found a café within the boundaries of the place. We sat on the wooden benches, designed to be integrated into the table itself and sipped our rich and thick latte gazing at the dazzling Himalayan landscape. I was in awe, lost in the beauty of it all.

Just a few steps from the cosy café, we found a charming souvenir shop, where we selected a few choice items to bring back to Guwahati, eager to share a piece of our journey with our friends and family.

“Time to go!” our driver ‘uncle’ exclaimed. We were astonished how quickly the hours had slipped away. We boarded our car to start off our journey for the next destination- Paro.

I settled into my seat by the window and as the car pulled away, I looked back at the enchanting Dochula Chorten and whispered a promise to return to this sacred place when I’m older. And to this day, my heart still yearns to tightly grasp the railing at the edge and take a deep breath, lost in the majesty of the Himalayas.

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