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Road to Doklam: Landmarks near Doka La Pass where India and China engaged in an eyeball war

A look at the people, places and culture at one of the most tense borders in recent times, when the Indian and Chinese armies were involved in a two-and-a-half month standoff over China's attempt to build a border road in Doklam, a territory it claims for itself but is seen as a part of India's tiny friendly neighbour Bhutan.
Silk route: The motorable road of the Silk route that leads from Kalimpong through Dzuluk to Nathu La pass up to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, where it goes further to Central Asia. | Aishik Chanda
Silk route: The motorable road of the Silk route that leads from Kalimpong through Dzuluk to Nathu La pass up to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, where it goes further to Central Asia. | Aishik Chanda
Express News Service
Updated on: 
2 min read
Baba Mandir: An Indian flag flies high at a temple dedicated to Major Harbhajan Singh, an Indian soldier who went missing in action during the 1962 war. The local believe that his spirit guides them through the treacherous mountain passes and alerts them of impending landslides--the biggest enemy of the people in the mountains. | Aishik Chanda
Baba Mandir: An Indian flag flies high at a temple dedicated to Major Harbhajan Singh, an Indian soldier who went missing in action during the 1962 war. The local believe that his spirit guides them through the treacherous mountain passes and alerts them of impending landslides--the biggest enemy of the people in the mountains. | Aishik Chanda
Gnathang memorial: A memorial dedicated to British soldiers who died and were buried during occupation of Gnathang village in East Sikkim from January 1889 to October 1890. The British forces were fighting against Tibetans who had invaded Sikkim in 1885. | Aishik Chanda
Gnathang memorial: A memorial dedicated to British soldiers who died and were buried during occupation of Gnathang village in East Sikkim from January 1889 to October 1890. The British forces were fighting against Tibetans who had invaded Sikkim in 1885. | Aishik Chanda
A Chinese jacket stall: Chinese jackets and caps imported through Nathu La pass being sold at a stall at 15th Mile on the way from Gangtok to Kupup in East Sikkim. The trade through Nathu La had completely stopped due to the border standoff at Doka La which has hit the traders who used to make huge profits by selling the cheap Chinese woolen products at higher rates to tourists from the plains. | Aishik Chanda
A Chinese jacket stall: Chinese jackets and caps imported through Nathu La pass being sold at a stall at 15th Mile on the way from Gangtok to Kupup in East Sikkim. The trade through Nathu La had completely stopped due to the border standoff at Doka La which has hit the traders who used to make huge profits by selling the cheap Chinese woolen products at higher rates to tourists from the plains. | Aishik Chanda
Gnathang village: Situated at 13,500 feet above sea level, the 360-strong Gnathang village directly overlooks the Doka La pass which was witness to a stand-off between India and China over the past two-and-a-half months. The residents, who had to bear the brunt of the standoff and were scared to speak loudly about the issue, say they would need some more time to return to normalcy. | Aishik Chanda
Gnathang village: Situated at 13,500 feet above sea level, the 360-strong Gnathang village directly overlooks the Doka La pass which was witness to a stand-off between India and China over the past two-and-a-half months. The residents, who had to bear the brunt of the standoff and were scared to speak loudly about the issue, say they would need some more time to return to normalcy. | Aishik Chanda
World's highest golf course: With a length of 6,026 yards and located at 13,025 feet (3,970 m), Yak Golf Course in Kupup in East Sikkim, is the highest golf course in the world. Maintained by the Indian Army, the golf course is just 7 km from Doka La, where India and China were locked in a bitter standoff for the past two-and-half months. Earlier, civilians were allowed to play golf at the Yak golf course but were barred from entering the facility after tensions erupted between the two Asian giants on June 18. | Aishik Chanda
World's highest golf course: With a length of 6,026 yards and located at 13,025 feet (3,970 m), Yak Golf Course in Kupup in East Sikkim, is the highest golf course in the world. Maintained by the Indian Army, the golf course is just 7 km from Doka La, where India and China were locked in a bitter standoff for the past two-and-half months. Earlier, civilians were allowed to play golf at the Yak golf course but were barred from entering the facility after tensions erupted between the two Asian giants on June 18. | Aishik Chanda
Kupup hamlet: A few houses line the road to Doka La, in Kupup in East Sikkim. The hamlet of 250 people lying just 5 km from the India-Tibet-Bhutan tri-junction has been living on the edge in the past two-and-a-half months due to the standoff between India and China. Any outsiders asking questions to the locals of Kupup were tailed by the Sikkim State Intelligence Bureau sleuths for fear of a leak of sensitive information. | Aishik Chanda
Kupup hamlet: A few houses line the road to Doka La, in Kupup in East Sikkim. The hamlet of 250 people lying just 5 km from the India-Tibet-Bhutan tri-junction has been living on the edge in the past two-and-a-half months due to the standoff between India and China. Any outsiders asking questions to the locals of Kupup were tailed by the Sikkim State Intelligence Bureau sleuths for fear of a leak of sensitive information. | Aishik Chanda
Lungthu: Lungthu hamlet in East Sikkim near Kupup from where food supplies were sent in military trucks to soldiers posted at Doka La. The diet of soldiers in the high-altitude areas involves a lot of Yak meat and alcohol, which are needed to keep the body warm. | Aishik Chanda
Lungthu: Lungthu hamlet in East Sikkim near Kupup from where food supplies were sent in military trucks to soldiers posted at Doka La. The diet of soldiers in the high-altitude areas involves a lot of Yak meat and alcohol, which are needed to keep the body warm. | Aishik Chanda
Nar Bahadur Mukhia: 74-year-old Nar Bahadur Mukhia sits in front of a Chinese porcelain tea cup at his home in Dzuluk village in East Sikkim. Mukhia, who was a victim of Chinese bombardment during the India-China skirmish of 1967, warns against believing our northern neighbour. He was a supervisor of over 200 labourers who built the motorable silk route after the 1962 war. | Aishik Chanda
Nar Bahadur Mukhia: 74-year-old Nar Bahadur Mukhia sits in front of a Chinese porcelain tea cup at his home in Dzuluk village in East Sikkim. Mukhia, who was a victim of Chinese bombardment during the India-China skirmish of 1967, warns against believing our northern neighbour. He was a supervisor of over 200 labourers who built the motorable silk route after the 1962 war. | Aishik Chanda
Road repair: Residents of border villages engage in repair of border roads for the Border Roads Organisation in East Sikkim. For many of the East Sikkim villages, construction of border roads provides better income opportunities than MGNREGA. While they get Rs 11,600 every month for work in BRO, they are paid Rs 267 every day for 100 days work under MGNREGA. The work provided by BRO for up to four members of a family has changed the lives of many border villages. | Aishik Chanda
Road repair: Residents of border villages engage in repair of border roads for the Border Roads Organisation in East Sikkim. For many of the East Sikkim villages, construction of border roads provides better income opportunities than MGNREGA. While they get Rs 11,600 every month for work in BRO, they are paid Rs 267 every day for 100 days work under MGNREGA. The work provided by BRO for up to four members of a family has changed the lives of many border villages. | Aishik Chanda
Yak meat: Yak meat being dried above a home-made room heater in a house in Gnathang village of East Sikkim. Gnathang residents scrambled to stock up dried Yak meat after the Indian Army asked them to be prepared for any emergency, including evacuation if need be, due to the tensions at Doka La where the armies of the two Asian giants were staring eyeball-to eyeball for more than two months. | Aishik Chanda
Yak meat: Yak meat being dried above a home-made room heater in a house in Gnathang village of East Sikkim. Gnathang residents scrambled to stock up dried Yak meat after the Indian Army asked them to be prepared for any emergency, including evacuation if need be, due to the tensions at Doka La where the armies of the two Asian giants were staring eyeball-to eyeball for more than two months. | Aishik Chanda
Border road: A border road leading to the upper reaches of the Army installations at the Gnathang ridge that overlooks Doka La in East Sikkim. The India-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction can be seen on a sunny day from the Gnathang ridge. | Aishik Chanda
Border road: A border road leading to the upper reaches of the Army installations at the Gnathang ridge that overlooks Doka La in East Sikkim. The India-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction can be seen on a sunny day from the Gnathang ridge. | Aishik Chanda
Elephant Lake: Named because of its resemblance to the shape of a pachyderm, Elephant Lake is the last point of tourist significance, just 5 km from Doka La, in Kupup in East Sikkim. Soldiers of the Gorkha Rifles guarded the lake from all sides. The road to Doka La goes through the western end of the lake and is off limits for civilians. | Aishik Chanda
Elephant Lake: Named because of its resemblance to the shape of a pachyderm, Elephant Lake is the last point of tourist significance, just 5 km from Doka La, in Kupup in East Sikkim. Soldiers of the Gorkha Rifles guarded the lake from all sides. The road to Doka La goes through the western end of the lake and is off limits for civilians. | Aishik Chanda
Indian Army
Bhutan
India-China standoff
Afghanistan-India talks
Doklam
SIkkim border
Doka La

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