When dreams find wings                                                                          

After a week of chilly cloudy weather, bright and sunny days are back here in Gangtok with Kanchanjungha visible throughout. When Dr. Keshav Lall Maharjan of the Hiroshima University was here the previous week, he e-mailed me one fine morning from his Sikkim University Guest House-room nearby seeking help to identify the peak. I replied - the one extreme right with peak flat, a feature making it different from the one seen from Darjeeling and wrote also not to miss the sunrise over these peaks that get touched gold, crimson, pink to silver - the highest here getting it first then only the rest. Pleasant weather made me walk down to the town to be welcomed near the Sikkim Tourism by a large poster announcing the joy of paragliding being offered at nearby Ranka, When dreams finds wings– it said. Really, it is a pleasure my dreams of paragliding taking off in Sikkim in a such an excellent manner as also Raju Rai sent me the link Sikkim Paragliding Adventure Sports on the Facebook.

Newly formed Sikkim Paragliding Adventure Sports Cooperative Society Ltd. had some information there while the large hoarding what the paragliders here had to say in all colours about their website www.sikkimskysport.com contact [email protected] - phone 03592649052-53 mobile 09832390556 with office located opposite SABCO Bank at Kazi Road Gangtok. The thrill of flying in tandem on paragliding joy-ride is available at Ranka taking off from Baliman Danra 1600 metres down to the landing point at Rishithang 1100 meters away. Their website says, “The high terrain of Sikkim and its unflinching view of mountains offer some of the best flying in India as you soar with the eagles off of a ridge site only minutes from Gangtok. The Sikkim Paragliding Cooperative Society is an organization that manages and organizes flights to hone your skills in cross-country flying, or aerobatics or just to amuse pleasure seekers.”

                                                        You can often measure a person by the size of his dream.
                                                                                                     Robert Schuller

As per the horoscope my birthday falls on Baikunth Chaturdashi (9 Nov 2011). Next day is the Kartik Purnima, when the Banaras Ghats are illuminated with thousands of diya on the occasion of Dev Deepawali. I asked my Facebook friend Dr. Diwaker Pradhan, reader in Banaras Hindu University to enlighten me on the significance of the day. Earlier he had shared Benares, Ganga Aarti Ceremony  from the youtube.com. I had attended the evening Aarti along with my wife Ranjana, son Raman and nephew Nilabh accompanied by Bijaydai. We were there in Chaukhambha with the family of the Uday editor Durga Prasad Shrestha (his elder brother) in December 2006 for performing the Gaya Shraddha.

Next morning after a holy dip, I had witnessed the Aarti - with the day break the Sun rising - from the temple at Panch Ganga Ghat also seen in the video clippings of BHU Kulgeet on youtube.com with lyrics by Dr. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar sung by Dr. Revati Sakalkar in Raag Darbari for their Kashi Darshan. Diwaker writes that all the banks of the Ganga are illuminated. Though not celebrated officially but has become a public function for over ten years when the Kashi Naresh, King of Banaras first lighted diya in memory of the martyrs. Boatmen earn handsomely this evening as even a small boat fetches Rs.5,000/- for an hour that attract the tourists. A stage is constructed on the Ganga for the Kashi Naresh and the King’s and Gorkha soldiers salute the martyrs. People gather at the ghat with diya lighted right from their home. Earlier fire crackers were burst but no longer since it was banned last year.

Children’s Day, 14th November, is my official birthday, i.e., date of birth recorded while being admitted in class VI in Tashi Namgyal High School (now Tashi Namgyal Academy) with late B. N. Singh more popularly known as M.A. Sir as the Head Master in 1956. My Buba and Thulo Mama Bhishma Pratap Pradhan had difficulty getting the exact date in English calendar. So, why not give the Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru’s date of birth celebrated as the Children’s Day as well for Chacha Nehru loved them very much!

It is heartening to read news report of Paragliding taking off in Sikkim with the newly floated Sikkim Paragliders Association that comprises of a group of enterprising youth with paragliding skills registered with the State Government and Travel Agents Association of Sikkim emerging as the major stakeholder by endorsing their efforts. I share this great moment in the paragliding history of Sikkim with all - right from the minister-in-charge to the lowest rung in the Sports and Youth Affairs Department five years ago including the trainers in Manali to see our dream come true this day!

It was five years ago that a group of 29 young brave hearts escorted by the District Sports Officer Munna Pradhan, was sent to Manali as a part of the newly launched Skill Development Programme for Unemployed Educated Youth of the Government but not before myself as the Principal Secretary in the Sports and Youth Affairs Department visiting the place along with the then Joint Director to familiarise me with this adventure sport and be satisfied with the arrangements there for their stay and the training in paragliding. Earlier, it used to be once-a-year-affair of joyride to watch at the Maghey Mela at Jorethang with paragliders invited from Manali displaying their skill. A firm believer in giving a rod rather than the fish, a proposal was moved and the Minister-in-Charge found it very good and readily agreed. More than the fund, inspiring the youth was necessary to make such a programme successful in the long run. Giving a fair chance to all, we wrote the Members of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly for nominating two candidates from each of the constituencies but finally only 29 came forward to jump into the fray.

Sharing his experience for the group, Mahesh Davadi from Khamdong in South Sikkim starts the article that appeared in the Nepali news-daily Hamro Prajashakti dated November 28, 2006, “ It was Saturday the 4th November that we were busy preparing since the morning for our Manali tour. By seven we were all dressed up with our bags and baggage ready. We had to board the train at 10.30 in the night. So, we kept ourselves busy watching football till 11 in the morning. Heavy hearted we informed our home and proceeded to New Jalpaiguri. We had been motivated enough the previous evening by our Secretary and his family shown paragliding in video clippings. It was but natural for us to be a bit hesitant to this sport never seen and thought of before.” Thanks to the media Sikkim Now!, Sikkim Express, Hamro Prajashakti including the cable-network Nayuma Television that carried next day the reports of the send-off programme held in the lounge of the Paljor Stadium along with video clippings of myself, my wife Ranjana, daughter Rachna and Joint Director Karma Yougyal paragliding that left indelible impression in the minds of the youth to be inspired and prepared to accept paragliding as a challenging profession suitable for the hilly terrains of Sikkim with prospects of tourism abundant to flourish and support this adventure sport – Vir Bhogya Vasundhara or the Brave conquers the World - I had told them. Rachna having enjoyed sky-diving and parasailing as well in the US felt fortunate enough to join us for the Manali experience.