What saves a soldier in this cold? Is it the Old Monk, photos, magazines or GOD? Its the faith that they have in super power. Baba mandir is one such place where both civilians and service personnel arrive for faith. Baba Mandir is at 13000 ft on the way to Nathula pass. The road constructed by border roads organization is very good. In fact I would like to drive on that road one day.

All of a sudden in between the white and brownish mountains you will see colours like green, yellow and saffron.Thats Baba Mandir driver informs us and warns us not to far from Mandir ” there is a chance to get lost or caught”. Its biting cold but everybody gets into the samadhi bare footed. The crowd becomes silent. Not sure if they are praying or they are just shoked to see this wonder amidst the barren land. I just think its a place where you go to respect your soldiers who laid their life for us.

History:Late Baba Harbhajan Singh
No 2456687 Late sep Harbahajan Singh (23 Punjab) beloned to village browndal. Distict Kapurthala. He was enrolled into the punjab Regiment on 09 feb 66. On 04 Oct 68 while escorting a mule column from his batallion headquarters at Tukla to Deng Dhukla, he slipped and fell into a fast flowing stream and got drowned.

There is a belief that he appeared in the dream of one of his colleagues from 23 punjab and expressed desire for a samadhi to be constructed in his memory the samadhi was accordingly constructed by by 23 punjab in area near chhokhya chho, which was reconstructed at the present site as part of watershed memorial complex. over the year, this samadhi has aquired the status of a place of pilgrimage and is frequented by service personnel as well as civilians. Every year in the month of oct, on the ocassion of of INF Day, 1 wreath lating cermony is held at this site in honour of all those gallant soldierd who laid their lives defending the country.

Entrance of Baba Mandir.See the moountain ranges behind.Its a wondeful feeling to walk around in barefoot at around
4-5C.

Army Jawan giving prasad to all the visitors.

Water Site War Memorial: In everlasting memory of the valiant personnel who laid down their in the service of watershed.In the background you can see the planks in the memory of many other soldiers.

Babaji Bless us: There are hundreds of such planks by every regiment asking for Babaji’s blessing. Its me in front of one such.

Road towards Indo Chain border.
;

“Babaji bless all our soldiers”

This story is a part of my travel stories from North East India called storiesfromnortheastindia. The places covered are Kolkatta, Darjeeling, Gangtok and many other in Sikkim.