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Next weekend you can
be at ... Yuksum In the middle of the 17th century, Lama Lutsum Chembo travelled
southwards from Tibet with the mission of establishing a Buddhist
monarchy in the hidden country of Denjong (modern-day Sikkim),
meaning the valley of rice.
After a long journey, he reached a place called Norbugang in 1642.
There, he met Sempa Chembo and Rinzing Chembo. The three holy men
started searching for a monarch to rule the land. They found the
right candidate, named Phunstok, near Gangtok. He was the great
grandson of Guru Tashi.
Phunstok was rushed to Yuksum. There, on a stone throne, the three
Lamas crowned him the King of Sikkim. He was given the title of
Chogyal, meaning the king who rules with righteousness, and was
conferred the surname Namgyal.
The place was renamed Yuksum, meaning the meeting place of the three
superior ones. The stone throne on which the coronation took place
can still be seen.
Yuksum is an important tourist destination today. It is the last
motorable point for the popular trek to Goechala (via Dzongri) and
the base camp of Himalayan Mountaineering Institute.
The town has more to offer than a lunch point for trekkers and
mountaineers.
The best way to get to Yuksum is by taking a night bus or train to
Siliguri. From there a three-hour jeep journey will take you to
Jorethan, which is another jeep journey away from Yuksum.
If you reach by evening, you will have plenty of time to explore the
town. The town monastery is particularly interesting. Next morning,
follow the trail to Dubdi monastery. Built in 1701, it is the oldest
monastery in Sikkim (though some would differ) and is located on a
hilltop overlooking the town.
The
road is well marked and it would take you only around half-an-hour
to reach the monastery complex.
The small and elegant monastery houses some rare and beautiful
paintings. The complex also provides a bird?s-eye view of the town.

After returning to Yuksum, visit the coronation site of the first
monarch of Sikkim. It is known as The Throne of Norbugang. The trail
passes the holy lake of Kothok Pokhri. The coronation site is
maintained by Archeological Society of India and has been declared a
monument of national importance.
The stone throne consists of four seats: the top one was meant for
Lama Lutsum Chembo, the slightly lower one on the right was for
Punstok, the newly-crowned Chogyal of Sikkim, and the two lower
seats on the left were for the other two Lamas. The coronation took
place under a pine tree, which exists to this day. Just opposite the
throne is a chorten (stupa), which is said to contain water and soil
from all over Sikkim.
Yuksum has plenty of walking trails and a trek down any of them in
the afternoon will give you the perfect opportunity to enjoy nature
in its purest form.
After a night halt in town, it?s time to head back home with
memories that would last a long time.
Getting there:
Calcutta-Siliguri rocket bus (Rs 215) or Calcutta-NJP train (Rs 250
approximately). Jeeps are available from Siliguri to Jorethang (Rs
80) and Jorethang to Yuksum (Rs 80)
Places to stay:
Yuksum has a number of hotels for various budgets. Tashi Gang (Rs
500-1,200), Pemathang (Rs 550-650), Demazong (Rs 150-350), Wild
Orchid (Rs 100) and Dzongrila (Rs 100) are some of the well-known
hotels. Paying-guest accommodation is available in Yuksum. There are
also some good restaurants
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