In 1968 Harbhajan Singh, a young sepoy of the Punjab Regiment, died near Nathu La. The most common account is that he slipped into a fast stream while leading mules to a remote post, and his body was found some days later.
Soon after, soldiers posted in the area began to tell stories that he was still on duty. He was said to appear in dreams to warn of danger, and some told of him visiting colleagues to point out lapses at their posts. A small shrine was built in his memory, and he became known as Baba Harbhajan Singh, the saint of the soldiers.
The shrine grew into a memorial visited by thousands, and a newer Baba Mandir was built lower down the road for easier access. Soldiers still keep his room in order, and for many years a seat was booked for him on a train home on his annual leave.
Whether you take the stories as faith or as regimental tradition, they show how much the pass means to the men who guard it. Visitors leave bottles of water at the shrine to take home as blessed water, and many drivers stop to pray before the drive down.
Sources
- Baba Harbhajan Singh (Wikipedia)
- Nathu La (Wikipedia)
- Told locally by soldiers and drivers on the Nathu La road
Legends are retold differently from village to village. Where a story is told locally rather than written down, we say so.
