HANUMAN TOK
AN ELGIN EXCLUSIVE FEATURE By Aishwarya Bhatt
What truly sets Kalimpong apart from any other place in the vicinity is its vibrant mix of cultures. Among the many different monasteries and missionaries that stand tall to marvel, lies the Hanuman Tok temple.
Image by Ranita Bhowmick, Facebook
The Hanuman Tok stands as a homage to the Hindu God Hanuman, symbolised as the God of Strength, Celibacy, Knowledge and Bhakti in Hinduism.
Dedicated to Lord Hanuman, the Hanuman Temple was inaugurated in 2004 by Karma Wangchuk, member of the National Assembly of Bhutan. What stands as truly special and unique about the temple is the huge statue of Lord Hanuman elevated to a height of approximately 30ft. The temple has several steps that one needs to climb in order to reach the top.
Image by Ankita Dey, Facebook
Hanuman in later literature has stood as a symbol most worshipped by martial arts such as wrestling, acrobatics and even in the cases of practicing meditation.
It is said that the emergence of devotional worship to Lord Ram’s vanara companion Hanuman, truly emerged 1,000 years after the speculated composition of the Hindu Mythology that they belong to – Ramayana.
Hanuman is expressed even today as a symbol of nationalism and resistance to persecution since the inception of such by the Bhakti movement during the Islamic rule in India. Today, he stands as a symbol for strength, heroic enterprise, assertive excellence and loving, emotional devotion.
Image by Puja Chakraborty, Facebook
The Hanuman Tok stands tall at the perfect altitude to enjoy the most breath-taking views of the snow-capped majestic Himalayas.
As is customary to every tourist location in Kalimpong, the temple offers a majestic view of the Kanchenjunga peak. On a bright sunny day, if one is lucky they might get to witness Lava, Sikkim and the Kafer hills from here. This gem of a destination is a short 20 minutes drive from The Elgin Silver Oaks, Kalimpong.
