It was during our first trip to Darjeeling in West Bengal that I came across the word Tiger Hills. Sunrise at Tiger Hills was listed as must-watch in all prominent websites about Darjeeling. We didn't want to miss it either.
The time four friends from South India chose to visit Darjeeling wasn't, however, the best. It was peak winter in January 2015 when we landed there. The minimum temperature was around 3 degrees Celsius. Jackets and woollens from the South weren't sufficient for such harsh winter. Still we enjoyed the stay in the Hills, at an army guest house.
The previous night of Tiger Hills visit, one among four of us withdrew. She declared that she wasn't coming with us for the early morning trip. We tried to coax her into it but she didn't budge. We had to leave the guest house at 4.30am.
I was the one upbeat about it and had decided to go even if alone. Anyway, three of us started on time in the morning. Even with thick coats and boots, we were shivering. The moment we stepped out of the vehicle at the viewpoint, we realised that it wasn't going to be easy.
Accompanied by two armymen, we positioned in a place that was already crowded. We had couple of cups of tea to warm ourselves, but to no avail. There was still 30-45 minutes before the sun to come out. And our bones were freezing. We tried to keep ourselves warm by rubbing our palms and staying close to each other.
Cold pierced through my body. I felt my fingers and toes were falling off. The pain was increasing by the minute. We put up a real struggle to stay there.
After a short wait that felt like ages, we heard the crowd exult. And we saw the tip of the snow peak turn into a sparkling golden spot. The first rays of sun had fallen on the top of the peak. The devout started chanting mantras praising the Sun God.
It appeared so surreal. We were in awe. The size of the golden cap of the peak started increasing with increasing glow. We didn't bat an eyelid as the sparkle turned brighter.
Another expression of joy from the crowd signalled the sun rising from the other side. And the glow on the peak opposite grew. It was just breathtaking. We were speechless. Nature was at its best. None of our cameras captured the moment as our hearts did.
When we descended the hill, still shivering, we were thrilled that we did it. Till date the same thrill remains.
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