Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir
The memorial most visitors see is the newer Baba Mandir, built on the road below the pass for easier access. It has a shrine with Harbhajan Singh's portrait, a room said to hold his belongings and a stream beside it where visitors fill bottles of water to take home as blessed water.
The original shrine, often called Old Baba Mandir, is higher and further away on the road towards Kupup and is visited mainly on Silk Route trips. Both are run by the army, which also serves tea and snacks at a nearby café. Shoes come off before entering the shrine.
Questions travellers ask
Good to know
Can foreigners visit Baba Mandir?
Baba Mandir lies beyond Tsomgo Lake on the road towards Nathu La, and foreign nationals are generally not permitted that far. Indian nationals visit it on the Tsomgo permit with Baba Mandir or on the Nathu La permit. Rules are indicative. Check current status before you travel.
What is the difference between old and new Baba Mandir?
The old shrine marks the place linked to Harbhajan Singh's posting and stands higher on the road towards Kupup and the Silk Route. The newer Baba Mandir was built lower down, on the Nathu La road, so more visitors could reach it. Most Gangtok day trips visit the newer one.
Why do visitors leave water bottles at Baba Mandir?
Many visitors fill bottles from the stream near the shrine or leave them there for a while, believing the water becomes blessed and can cure illness. It is a widely followed custom among Indian visitors and soldiers. Take back what you bring; do not leave plastic behind.
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