Baba Mandir
A shrine on the old Silk Route road to a soldier who died near the Nathu La in 1968, and whom the army has never quite treated as gone.
The soldier who never left his post
Harbhajan Singh was a Punjab Regiment sepoy who enlisted at Amritsar in 1965 and died in 1968 near the Nathu La, aged twenty-two; a board beside the shrine records that he fell into a nullah while escorting a mule column from Tuku La to Dongchui La. What happened afterwards is why the shrine exists. Soldiers of the sector hold that he goes on serving — appearing in dreams, warning of what is coming across the frontier — and that belief has been maintained by regulars for more than half a century. The shrine is a working place of veneration among serving soldiers, not a curiosity laid on for visitors.
Explore Baba Mandir on the map
City locations, drawn from our published destination data. Attractions, hotels and restaurants are not mapped yet.
What there is to see
A small shrine at altitude, and the road that gets you to it.
🪖 The shrine
- Maintained by the army, with the board recounting how Harbhajan Singh died
- Personal effects and offerings left by soldiers and by visitors
🛣️ The Silk Route road
- The route east from Gangtok toward the Tibetan frontier, climbing hard the whole way
🏔️ The setting
- High, bare and cold — the sector the shrine belongs to rather than a scenic stop
🙏 The practice
- Soldiers posted in the sector come here. That is the thing to notice, and it is what makes the place worth the drive
Getting there
It is beyond Tsomgo on the same permit and the same road, and it cannot be done independently.
📋 Permit
- A protected-area permit is required and is arranged in Gangtok in advance, using the identity documents you bring with you
🚗 By road
- East from Gangtok on the old Silk Route road, beyond Tsomgo Lake. The two are always one excursion
🚫 Nathu La is separate
- The pass beyond needs a further permit, is not included on these itineraries, and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
When to go
With Tsomgo, in the morning, and with the altitude in mind.
🕰️ Time of day
- Morning. The excursion returns to Gangtok for the afternoon by design
📅 Season
- The road is subject to snow and to closure in winter and after heavy weather
🫁 Altitude
- Tsomgo is about 3,780 m and the shrine is beyond it. The gain from 1,650 m in a single morning is considerable
Before you go
The altitude is the real subject of this excursion.
🫁 Go slowly
- The itineraries return to Gangtok to sleep for a reason. Do not plan anything demanding for the afternoon
🧥 Cold
- Well below what the town prepares you for, in any season
🪪 Documents
- Carry the identity documents the permit was issued against; they are checked on the road
🙏 Etiquette
- An active shrine used by serving soldiers. Photograph the setting rather than the people using it
Nearby
The rest of the Silk Route excursion, and the town below.
Frequently asked
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