Destination of Uttarey

SINGALILA RANGE TOWARDS KHANGCHENDZONGA” AND “GATE WAY OF INDO- NEPAL BORDER TRADE ROUTE”.

Uttarey Valley (7,600 ft.):

Five hours from Gangtok, Bagdogra Airport, New Jalpaiguri (N.J.P.) Railway Station and Siliguri, three hours from Darjeeling and Kalimpong and one and a half hours from Pelling – Uttarey in extreme West Sikkim is the “Virgin and Hidden Paradise on Earth”, and also is popularly known as the “Base Camp of Adventure Tourism for the Singalila Range Eco-Tourism Trekking Trail Towards Khangchendzenga” and also an important “Gate Way of International-Indo-Nepal Border Trade Route” through  Chewabhanjyangla pass.

The word “Uttarey” is derived from many nomenclatures like “Utey-Tarey” which means “Call and Bring Together” in Limboo language, i.e. Uttarey was generally named from the habitations made by different communities who were called and brought a century year ago from different places by the Limboo Chiefs giving them shelter as neighbors in that area then was the pasture land.  It is the factual telling of the octagenerarian people.

In the next, “Uttarey is derived from the Nepali word “UTTAR” which means the North.  Just in the midst of South Part of valley, there is a holy perennial source of water stream floating out towards the North, so that is called as “Uttarey”.  But it is wonder that its twisting outlet source  West.  There is a famous and believing “Durga Mandir” blessing the valley with peace and prosperity.  In the extreme North-East corner of the lake, in a jungle, there lies a “Jalpa Devithan,” which is believed to be the guard of the lake.

It is believed with the facts that there was a big lake with full of water in this valley about 100 years ago.  But, later, it was drained out because of endangering loss of many domestic animals and even for the human beings hebitated around and has becoming dried slowly since last 80 years.  However, there lies still a big mercy land with full of herbal plants called as Bhojo in the local language.

Further, there is a wonderful  and a quite interesting story based on the facts that Uttarey Lake was once a famous for “Water Judgment” so we called as “Water Judgment Lake”.  Just in the North-West part of the valley we find an old long Buddhist stupa and is called as “ Maney” in the Local Language.  Just below that “Maney” there was “Water Judgment Pond” with the area of 15x15ft. in all its width, length and depth prepared by the village chiefs since the time immemorial and was the supreme place of COURT to judge and decide all difficult and doubtful cases quite impartially which could not have had decided through the discussions and some or the other means of compromising normally. 

The judgment according to the telling of the live octagenerarian people is quite interesting, surprising, amazing and wonderful. The story tells -“the parties for the judgment had to be submerged down to the bottom of the pond one after another through a long bamboo pole and one had to keep oneself inside the water to the maximum limit of time in once own favor.  This was the system of judgment based on spiritual super natural power and godly believing on Reality and Guilty.  The village chiefs as the judges and all the concerned in relation to the cases had to witness this judgment so seriously as well as with a deep curiosity.  The judgment could led natural and automatic.

The person who was in reality could happen nothing inside the water and stayed as much as possible time with a normal breathing having no feeling even of being oneself in the water.  But, now just on the other hand who was guilty in the case happened to be scared of water and even with a vehement try to be submerged inside the water oneself happened to be felt like one wild boar was vigorously pushing the guilt out of the water coming up from the bottom of the pond.  Some had different experiences as some times some other evil spiritual body happened to push the guilt up and so could stay not at all any longer time inside the water pond.  Ultimately the judgment for reality and guilty had to be decided and action could have been initiated accordingly by the village chiefs.  The concerned persons excepts some few witnesses are no more now in this universe as the practice of such judgment was happening of before 1920 and slowly the pond also was vanished and has now become a barren land only.

Located on the lap of the SINGALILA RANGE, PHOKTEY DARA in the West and Neydham (Dichenphu) in the north, Uttarey is a small but beautiful and a virgin paradise on earth set amidst the pristine valley.  It is surrounded by hill tops, waterfalls, frothing rivers, evergreen forest, medicinal herbs and mountains hamlets.

On the panoramic view of Singalila Range, the morning starts with the soft and lovely golden sun rays on its top so warmly welcoming the day and just in the reverse the evening starts with setting up of the sun passing through the same peak welcoming breezing and freezing night is really a unique and a quite memorable experience one can enjoy in the life.

The climatic condition of Uttarey Valley is so suitable for every tourist visitors visiting from different climatic habitants of the world as is neither so cold nor so hot, but remains so moderate with calm, silent, peace and clean environment and so goes open in all the seasons.  Despite the global warming, Uttarey sometimes enjoys with heavy snow fall during winter seasons.

Every visitor shall become so compelling to make oneself a poet expressing the heavenly imaginary core language wave of the heart on Cheery Blossom in the months of October – November and on Rhododendron Blossom in the months of March-April-May in fact dancing with the fluttering butterflies, singing with the chirping birds and enjoying with the breezing bees all around.

Uttarey Valley, so far its itineraries around are concerned, is an ideal place for  eco-tourism, adventure tourism, educational tourism on  botany, zoology, ornithology , ethnology and also an ideal place for the quite holiday home-seekers, village-tourism, nature lover, bird watchers with rewarding walks and trekking trails with the nature’s panoramic view.

So far the ACCOMODATION is concern; Uttarey has now become a rich with ample choice of hotels, lodges, restaurants, resorts etc.  Apart from the above, there are many beautiful Home Stay Villages  around, like-Banduckey Limboo Tribal Home Stay Village, Sherpagawn Tribal Heritage Home Stay Village and Ferek Lepcha Tribal Heritage Home Stay Village adorned with their respective different language, custom, tradition, culture, wellness and different food habits especially for the nature and village environment lovers, cultural and heritage seekers etc.