In the month of January, the beginning of 2016, I got a chance to visit Rishyap a beautiful small hamlet amidst the hidden hills of Neora valley. From Rishyap we had gone for trekking to Tiffin Dara, the sun rise spot which is 9500 fts up. The sun rise on Kanchenjunga ranges was a awesome experience. We returned back and heard from hotel boy who was our guide that a small Monastery and a Shiva Temple is there which is 10 mins down the path from our hotel (Holy Hocks). We were excited as we learnt that it was a combination of temple and monastery where the both god Buddha & Shiva residing side by side and more over we had to trek again down to reach there.
We started but the 10 mins goes on increasing to 30 mins and we still could not find any sign of the monastery. There was no one to ask also. We saw a tea stall and there we asked again the fellow say its just 10 mins away from there. I was little irritated and ask "10 mins sun sunke mera kan pak gaya, kya hum log ja nahi payenge, oh god kaha ho tum!".
As you can understand we already walked so long and came a long way, from there its not right also to go back without visiting the place. So we again started walking and just viewing the scenic beauty kept on our way but suddenly a dog came from where we don't know and started to follow us. I first noticed it and felt little uneasy and it kept on coming closer to me. I am not afraid of dogs rather I love them, but in such a lonely and calm place where there is no one noticeable and if you find a dog which may turn dangerous any moment, there is definitely a point of being little scared.
Thinking like this in my mind suddenly I saw it cross me and moves on in the front on its own way and after same pace the road turned down, the dog at our mere surprised stopped and looked straight to some thing at a distance. As we reached nearer to it and came just beside it we saw a white building a combination of Monastery an Temple, we were happy that at last we found. We started to walk fast, I looked behind and saw the dog standing at the same place not coming with us.
I saw several times turning back but it kept standing there only not moving any where. As we reached the gate of the temple/monastery we saw there a big lock and the place is so desolate to find anyone there whom we could ask. It seemed like a dead place where only nature is awaken. I looked back and saw the dog has turn back to return. We were very confused what to do and very sad also as after walking so far and taking so much trouble we could not get inside the place. We kept standing there for some time, we saw that two ways are there on both the side of the building. One going left which is a good road moving below like a slope and another on the right which is rather not a good one ending to a field and few houses are there on the side of the road.
While we are busy in this discussion what to do suddenly the dog started running towards the right path and looked towards us giving some signals. I at once catch hold of one of my friends hand who was near to me and started running behind the dog. After running a little we found the actual main entrance of the temple/monastery but the main gate was locked and a small gate at the side was open. Beside the temple there a house but no people could be seen, but listening to our voices a lady peeped from the window, we asked her that whether we can enter inside, she nodded and we entered inside leaving the dog standing outside.
I knew inside temple/monastery animals are not allowed so I closed the gate so that it cannot enter (my mistake, as in god's place all should have equal right). As we climb up the stairs and reached the main temple to take blessing of the god, to our utter surprise we found the dog already standing there to welcome us. Everyone started making fun of me and laughed that after locking the gate and not allowing the humble animal who showed us the place to enter and get blessing of god.There was no priest or any one so we just saw the place and took some snaps and started to climb down the steps. The dog was with us. Everyone rang the bells and start climbing down and after wearing the shoes kept standing outside the temple for me. I was the last person to leave the temple. The dog started to climb down with them but waited for something and then sat down on the mattress lying on the stair. I just came down and started wearing my shoes. I look for the dog and saw it is still sitting on the mattress.
I was thinking what to do whether to leave the dog there and lock the gate and go on my way or do something to make it come down but what to do I could not find out as it might bite me. Suddenly remember that I hadn't rang the bells of the temple. So again I ran up to the temple to rang the bells now I saw the dog climb down and waited beside my friends outside the temple for me. We now started to climb up the road to reach our hotel and it was really to tough so we waited sat and walked, the dog all the way wont leave me, it kept on standing or sitting beside me. As we reached the place where we first met the dog, the tea stall, I gone to buy some biscuits for the dog but found the dog no where. We kept on searching for it but there was no sign of the dog, so we started to walk towards our hotel and kept on thinking about the incident.
