Baba Mandir in Sikkim
A notable tourist destination in Sikkim is Baba Mandir. This "mandir" or shrine is devoted to the Indian Army soldier "Baba" Harbhajan Singh. In eastern Sikkim, India, close to the Nathula Pass, he passed away. To honour Baba Harbhajan Singh, two shrines have been established. At the location of the bunker where Baba Harbhajan was stationed while serving in the Indian Army, the old one has been constructed. The new one was constructed not far from Changu Lake.
Old Baba Mandir
There is a route that leads to the Kupup valley and up to Tukla at a distance of 60 km from the magnificent city of Gangtok towards the fabled Nathula. The Old Baba Mandir will be reached through a split route from Tukla (Bunker). The samadhi of Baba Harbhajan, sometimes referred to as Old Baba Mandir, was constructed here.
On August 30, 1946, a Sikh family welcomed Harbhajan Singh into the world in the Sadhrana village of the Gujranwala district (now in Pakistan). He enlisted as a sepoy on February 9th, 1966, in the Indian Army's Punjab Regiment. Sikkim and North Bengal experienced terrible hardship in 1968 as a result of the ferocity of a natural disaster.Thousands of people died in the two states as a result of floods, landslides, and intense rain. During this time, Sepoy Harbhajan Singh significantly contributed to the sufferers' ability to survive. On October 4, 1968, Harbhajan Singh tragically drowned after slipping and falling into a swiftly flowing nullah while leading a mule column from Tuku La, his battalion headquarters, to Donguchui La. His body was taken by a powerful water current about two kilometres from the scene of the tragedy. Despite all efforts, nobody could find his body.
In a dream he had on the sixth day after he went missing, His friend Pritam Singh dreamed on the fifth day that he had been missing that Harbhajan Singh had tragically died and that his body was buried behind a mound of snow. Also, Harbhajan Singh expressed his fervent wish to have a samadhi named in his honour. Pritam Singh, however, did not give much weight to his dream. But, everyone was shocked when Harbhajan Singh's body was later found at the exact location that he had mentioned in his dream. The Old Baba Mandir, a samadhi that was established close to Chhokya Chho at an elevation of about 4,000 metres, was constructed to fulfil his wish. Tourists don't frequently visit this samadhi. To get to the bunker, where the samadhi is located, visitors must ascend 50 stairs. During his time serving in the Indian Army, Baba was stationed at this location.
New Baba Mandir
On November 11, 1982, the Baba Harbhajan Singh samadhi was rebuilt for the convenience of visitors at the intersection of the Menmecho Lake trail and the Kupup Gnathang road. And tourists commonly refer to this shrine as New Baba Mandir. Every year, throngs of pilgrims flock to the shrine of Harbhajan Singh. Three chamber structures can be found at the shrine. The main area contains a big image of Baba that is shown among other Sikh Gurus and a Hindu deity. The personal space of Baba is to the right of the main area. From clothing, slippers, and shoes to a tidy camp bed, the room contains all necessary domestic items for daily living. Also kept are shiny boots and neatly ironed uniform. Each morning, the bedsheets are reportedly found torn, and by sunset, the boots are dirty. Another little space is used as a storeroom and office.Unused slippers, water bottles, toothbrushes, and other objects are scattered over the room as they are handed to Baba. Major Harbhajan Singh's pay has not been suspended, and he is still given his annual leave.
