If you are planning for a small vacation far from the hustle and bustle of city life, amid the lush green picturesque mountains and calm lakes, where chirping birds symphony would take you beyond your existence, then Aritar is the best destination for you.
Aritar is a small hamlet at the edge of the Himalayas, in the Eastern part of Sikkim, India. This place is well known for its splendid scenic beauty, serene lakes, rivers, and Tibetan monasteries.
Aritar Lake (Ghati-Tso) is the main attraction of this remote Himalayan village. You would also like the traditional villages around the place and also various Buddhist monasteries there. Lingsay monastery is one of those nice peaceful places.
There is an age-old bungalow of the colonial era in this village at a distance of half a kilometer below the lake. This is a British-built bungalow established in 1895. You can also stay in this bungalow if you are a vintage lover.
Geography of Aritar
Aritar is situated in the East Sikkim district of the Indian state of Sikkim under Rongli Sub-Division. It is known for its natural and landscaped beauty on the edge of the Himalayas.
It is around 1498Meters high from the sea level and located on the far eastern border of Sikkim and bounded by Mt. Kanchendzonga. This place is almost Isolated from the rest of the state.
Weather and Best Time to Visit Aritar
Aritar is a splendid, mesmerizing beauty of the eastern Himalayas composed of picturesque views of hills, lush green forests, and placid lakes. It attracts swarms of tourists from places throughout the world.
Summer remains extremely pleasing and enjoyable. The clear and sunny sky with a comparatively cold temperature helps the visitors enjoy the beauty of Aritar at its fullest.
Summer
You will love to travel to this place in the Summer season because of its pleasing and comfortable environment. It is the most preferred season for travel to Aritar. March marks the beginning of summer and retains its amazing climate till June.
During this time the temperature ranges from 10°C to 20°C. So the weather remains best enough for roaming around the place.
The serenity of Aritar will make you feel like staying in heaven during this season.
Monsoon
July to September is marked as Monsoon in Aritar. Though the lush green forest and lakes look different and astonishing in the rainy season, it’s not really a nice time to visit this place. At this time Aritar faces heavy and frequent rainfall, which is hazardous for tourists.
You may find the poor road conditions which can keep you locked in the hotel room disrupting the outdoor activities.
Winter
Aritar faces a tremendous chilling and biting cold in Winter. From October to February Winter reigns here having a temperature falling below the freezing point. It may be ranging from -2°C to 10°C.
Ad the temperature in this season drops drastically, accompanied by heavy snowfall, sometimes they are get disconnected from other parts of the state. So it is advisable, not to visit this place during this season.
How to reach Aritar
Being a small valley amid the lush green Himalayan forest of East Sikkim, Aritra is well connected to the other parts of India. You can reach there in just 4 hours from Gangtok via either Pakyong or Rangpo.
Let’s have a piece of detailed information on how to reach Aritar in all possible ways.
By Air
Bagdogra is the nearest airport to Aritra. The distance from this airport is around 110 km. You can avail of any of the regular flights operating from Kolkata, Delhi, and Mumbai.
From the outside of the airport, you can hire a car or a taxi or jeep to get to Aritar. Also, the government has arranged helicopter services from Siliguri to Gangtok. If You want to avail this facility, you have to make a prior booking for this ride. It will take around 35 mins to reach Gangtok.
By road
If you are traveling along the road, then you would come to know that there are very few buses that go from New Jalpaiguri to Aritar.
Also, some buses run from Siliguri to Gangtok. From Gangtok, you can hire a car or jeep to reach Aritar.
By train
The nearest railway station is New Mal Junction. It is a small station and not very well connected. From here it takes around just 3 hours to reach Aritar.
New Jalpaiguri is the biggest station near Aritar. It takes around 3.5 to 4 hours to reach Aritar from New Jalpaiguri.
Nearby Places of interest
Aritra is a picturesque place with the thrill of the enchanting green forest around the hills and the calmness of the lakes and rivers. Monasteries add an extra divinity to its serene beauty. Let’s have a brief look at the nearby attractions of Aritra.
Lampokhari lake
This lake is one of the oldest natural lakes in Sikkim. Apart from its tranquility, nowadays this lake offers a boating facility to its tourists.
You will get such a great adventure lake, where you can do boating at an altitude of 4600 ft (1,400 m). it is the only lake with a boating facility in Sikkim.
Dak Bungalow
in the year 1895, Sir James Claude White (the first political officer of Sikkim during British rule in India) built this Bangalow. Another popular name for this Bangalow is Ari-Bangla.
According to the record, this is the place where on the same premises British raj has built Sikkim’s first treasury. Sikkim Police was also raised here and the first outpost started functioning in the year 1897.
Aritar Gumpa
This monastery is a very nice ancient monastery in this part of Sikkim. According to the record, Aritar Gumpa is considered to be of the Kagyuapa order. People love and worship this place as it is the holiest and oldest monastery in Sikkim.
If you visit this place, you can imbibe the positivity and tranquil air of this holy place. You will fill amazing viewing the splendor of Tibetan monastic arts here including traditional carvings of Murals in its age-old architecture. If you are an explorer the treasure of manuscripts and icons of this monastery will make you feel proud and content with your visit.
Parbateyswar Shivalaya Mandir
There is a picturesque, holy Hindu pilgrimage site also in Aritar. This holy temple of Shiva is a place for the devotion of thousands of devotees. They throng for the blessing here and participate in the offering of water during the month of “SAWAN”. There is also an age-old ritual of sipping the sacred water from a sacred vessel during this time of the year.
Mankhim
Mankhim or “Mangkhim” has a holy Temple of Rai. This is a Nepali-origin temple. The locals, as well as People from various parts of Sikkim, worship Rai temple with great devotion.
At a height of 6500 ft at “Maity Village” (Kheselakha) Rai temple is one of the holy places of Sikkim. There is another virgin village which can also attract you if you are a true wanderer. Hattipailay is the village where you can see elephant footprints on the rock.
Nirmal Dham
This is the place where a yogi stays. People know him as “Nirmal Guruji” or ” Kopchey Baba”. This place is situated about 5 km (approx) from Rhenock Bazar.
Kopchey Baba is well known for his miraculous healing power. Hundreds of devotees come to visit him from all over India and neighboring countries.
Evergreen Nursery & Ram Gauri Sangrhalaya
You can visit this place at Rhenock Bazar. If you are a flower lover then it would be your preferred place to have the nursery and museum. Though it’s private property you can enjoy the beauty of this place. It has driftwood collections, botanical & other varieties of flowers.
Kali Khola falls (Lonely falls) :
It is a beautiful fall near the Rorathang-Rongli road. It’s amazing falls having a height of around 100meters.
Changey waterfall
This is a nice rippling waterfall in Aritar. The height of the fall is around 50 meters and offers an awesome sight to its visitors. It’s located near Lampokhari lake.
Lungchok valley
If you are a wanderer and love to trek then Lungvhok valley is a good destination for you. This place is locally known as Lokdara, Chujachen.
Love Dara
It is a Low hill picnic spot in Aritar. You can enjoy the scenic beauty of the hills from this place.
Hotel and Accommodation in Aritar
Being remote Himlyn hamlet, Aritar has very few hotels and resorts. The following are some of the best places to stay with your family or alone, to enjoy the beauty of this magnificent place to its fullest. Let’s have a brief look at the properties and accommodations in Aritar.
The Aritar Retreat
This resort is another awesome place to live. You will feel it like your other home away from home because of the warm welcome of this hotel. It has only 5 cottages in a row with standard fitments, having a wonderful atmosphere and amazing view.
This is a very intelligently decorated wayside inn. You will have ample parking place for your car to park here.
You will be amazed to find the open terrace in this resort. The restaurant cum bar unfolds a lovely ambiance with green close treetops and the buzzing sounds of insects.
Lampokhari Village Resort
It is one of the best places in Aritar to stay with your family. This resort has 3 cottages, surrounded by green all over the place. It should be one of the best places in Aritar to crash down and relax amid the serenity of mother nature. The location of this resort is excellent.`
Being a remote location you would have hardly any network coverage here. Also, you will be out of the Internet facility too here. Therefore without mobile towers, you can fully concentrate on nature.
The rooms are clean enough with all basic amenities like a room heater, tea maker, and TV. Food is very very tasty with a fantastic dining & breakfast space, which will make you feel at home. Staffs are really very helpful and co-operative.
This resort does not allow online booking. So you have to book over the telephone only. Click Here to see about the place in more detail.
Now, how are you feeling? Excited !!! Above is Just a piece of information about the paradise of Aritar. The actual happiness is when you reach there and live in that heaven. If you are also a true wanderer then this is one of the best travel destinations for you. If you are stressed from your work then Aritar is the best place for crashing down amid the lap of mother nature.
So what are you waiting for!! Just pack your bag and start for Aritar on your next vacation. You will be able to quench your thirst for knowing, beyond your own created work-life boundary, simply by unwinding yourself amid the lap of mother nature and enjoying the breathtaking beauty of Himalayan hamlet away from the stressful and maddening city life.
To explore other places in Sikkim please visit our posts on Sikkim.