Baba Harbhajan Singh Memorial Temple

Baba Harbhajan Singh Memorial Temple

Baba Harbhajan Singh Memorial Temple
4.5
Points of Interest & Landmarks
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
The area
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Attractions
4 within 10 kms

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,324 reviews
Excellent
670
Very good
440
Average
175
Poor
25
Terrible
14

Lalz
India31 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
We happened to visit this temple before covering the Nathu La Pass and were present around the same time a few army officers were. One of them came forward and delivered this exceptional Sikh sermon, venerating Baba Harbhajan Singh ji, whom this shrine is dedicated to.

Despite my feeble understanding of the language, from what I could comprehend, it was one of the most moving and powerful things I'd heard. The place's got a very strong spirit and aura, so do pay your heartfelt respects.

There's a magnificent tricolour standing tall, right beside the temple. Opposite to that, is the highest ever Bholenath idol. (in terms of altitude ASL)

The statue is breathtaking, and so is the picture perfect scene before your eyes. Don't miss out on this place.
Written November 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Vishal Mehta
30 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021
We visited Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir in April 2021. It was an amazing sight. And with the history behind it, we were more than looking forward to visit it. Also, the Prasad they give at the end is so delicious and pure. We even had a second helping and the Army officer was more than pleased to give it to us. It was an awesome experience.
Written April 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bhavin Kapasi
9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Couples
Very unreal but what a pleasant experience it was. All the things fo Baba Harbhajan Singh was kept like that but Baba was on leave and was at his native place. Great location, on the backdrop of a Shiv Temple, the road to the temple was being repaired so it took sometime but it was worth it. It was very cold
Written October 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ashish
Bengaluru, India289 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Family
This is the third popular spot on the trip to Nathu La pass. While the area is in the middle of picturesque mountains, and you can cover it in about an hour, the stop is entirely skippable.

Neither scenery nor the attraction itself commands a wow you have come to expect from this trip. There is a majestic Shiv Murti nearby you can walk to.

There are no tickets.
Written January 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

maddy
West Bengal, India19 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Solo
I am a believer of nature and this temple ties nature with the god. Serene and beautiful . Would prefer less crowd. The army canteen superb catering and discipline. Best location for landscape artists.
Written June 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

kcdebnath
Kolkata (Calcutta), India798 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2016 • Couples
Baba Mandir, a popular destination of tourists visiting Sikkim from all over India. There are two shrines dedicated to Sepoy Harbhajan Singh, a dedicated soldier of Indian Army, popular as Old Baba Mandir on Old Silk Route and the other, New Baba Mandir, at a place, 8 km from Nathula Pass. The access to OBM is little bit difficult to the general tourists whereas NBM is easy to visit as it is included in a package from Gangtok, in a day trip covering, Tsomgo Lake/ Nathula Pass & Baba Mandir (New). OBM was constructed on the highway of Old Silk Route at a distance of 60km from Gangtok in a row as- Gangtok—Tsomgo (38km)—Serathang (14km)- Nathula Pass in left diversion-(4km)—again to Baba Mandir (New ) via Serathang on right diversion (4+4)km towards Kupup Valley on the historic Silk Route.
You believe it or not, the fact is that Harbhajan Singh is respectfully called BABA by the army men & the locals. It is their belief that BABA always protects our motherland and the sepoy on duty here.
On 29th September,2016, we visited this holy shrine via Nathula, the day was very foul, not at all tourist friendly. Still came here to pay our homage to Baba .Govt. of India promoted him to Captain after his death. People believe his supernatural power. Every Tuesday people come here to collect incarnated water with a belief that it has curing power to their ailments.
Old Baba Mandir-The OBM has been built at the site of his posting, in a bunker & the NBM is built near the Nathula Pass on the road to Kupup Valley to show great reverence to this martyr who sacrificed his life on duty. The bunker is situated on the mountain terrain at a height of 13123 ft. There are 50 stairs to reach the bunker with shed overhead. The gate is beside the shrine. The package from Gangtok does not cover this spot. The silk route tourists can visit this sacred shrine. One can reach here subject to permission from the Tourists Centre at Gangtok on the other hand silk route tourists cannot go to Nathula as the permit is not issued from Rongli Office for Nathula that is issued from Gangtok only. The army men from nearby regiment are taking care all the needful to maintain the shrine. Every tourist is offered Prasad of dry fruit & sweets.
New Baba Mandir- The old silk route is less visited by the ordinary tourists. With a view to make it tourists’ convenience, another shrine is built in a spacious location on the road to Kupup Gnathang Valley on way to Menmecho Lake in 1982. As Changu lake is a very popular tourists spot & the package is included NBM , there is heavy rush here. There are three rooms, the centre room is adorned with the large portrait of Baba along with Sikh Gurus & Hindu deity. All the basic needs of Baba, his dress, shoes, clothes etc are kept in his personal room in right & the office & store room is in the left. Tourists visit here, pay their homage & take coffee & buy souvenirs from a shop on the opposite site, selling Indian / Chinese goods as a mamentoes. It is their belief that Baba is always looking over them & performs his duty at night & takes rest in his bed, the bed sheet gets crumbled in the morning & the shoes are muddy. People believe that water kept in the Mandir is blessed with healing properties and this sacred water has the power to heal any ailments.
Let us have a look at his biography- Harbhajan Singh was born in a Sikh family on 30th Augus,1946 at a village Kuke in the district of Kappurthala of Punjab. At 20 he joined Indian army as a sepoy in Punjab Regiment in 1966 & died in 1968, only at 22. What happened to him ? The year witnessed a natural disaster in Sikkim; he was posted near the border. On a rainy day while he was escorting a mule column he slipped in a nulla which was in spate & drowned.He was carried away by the powerful current & his body remained untraceable for 3 days. Later his fellow sepoy was informed in dream his exact location where his body was buried under snow that he himself showed the way .Later he had a dream that Harbhajan expressed his desire to be cremated there. Everybody was surprised at this & believed the very existence of his soul. Accordingly a memorial was built there near his bunker and that is , today’s old baba mandir. Now he is called , “ Baba”.
Now on, he was promoted to ranks & ultimately he was promoted to the post of a captain. His salary was drawn on regular basis with all the benefits as available to his cadre & remitted to his mother . He was sanctioned leave for 2 months from 15 th September& he resumed duty on 15th Nov. As per rule he was to retire in 2005, however he was given an extension of one year &he retired from duty in 2006. Before his retirement when he avail his leave, a berth is reserved in a train for his village accompanied by two soldiers with his portrait & a suitcase in NJP Rlyway station A car was used from the station to carry them to the village and it was placed in his room followed by regular pujas. There was arranged a festival in the village and the entire village took part in the ceremony of home coming of Baba. His mother, now blind, boasts her son’s immortal career & getting her son’s pension every month. After retirement a shrine has been built in his village like the bunker & regular pujas etc are performed. But it is believed that the soul of immortal Baba still guards the border to protect his mother land. Today when a meeting is held between the two the army personnel on border, a chair is kept for Baba to participate.
Still today, it is believed, after 48 years of his death, captain Harbhajan Singh is on his duty and guards the border with China on horseback at night, also observed by the Chinese soldiers.
Written November 13, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Adventure815789
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2018 • Family
baba harbajan singh ji i'm so inspire after see your bio thanku sir i salute your are a hero indian army
Written September 15, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mithun C
8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2016 • Family
Baba Mandir is a distinguished sightseeing place of Sikkim. This “mandir” or shrine is dedicated to “Baba” Harbhajan Singh, who was a soldier of the Indian Army. He died near the Nathula Pass in eastern Sikkim, India. Two shrines have been built to show reverence to Baba Harbhajan Singh. The old one has been built at the site of the bunker, where Baba Harbhajan was posted during his tenure in the Indian Army. The new one has been built at close proximity from Changu Lake.

t a distance of 60 km from the majestic Gangtok city towards the legendary Nathula, you will find a road leading towards the Kupup valley up to Tukla. A bifurcated road from Tukla would connect to the Old Baba Mandir (Bunker). At this place; the samadhi of Baba Harbhajan, famously known, as Old Baba Mandir has been built.
Harbhajan Singh was born in the Sadrana village of Gujranwala district (Presently in Pakistan) into a Sikh family on August 30, 1946. On 9th February 1966 he got enrolled into the Punjab Regiment of Indian army as a sepoy. The year 1968 brought havoc misfortune for the states of Sikkim and North Bengal, as they were under the fury of natural disaster. Floods, landslides and heavy rainfall claimed thousands of lives in the two states. Sepoy Harbhajan Singh made an immense contribution during this time in helping the sufferers to sustain. On October 4, 1968, while he was escorting a mule column from Tuku La, his battalion headquarters to Donguchui La, Harbhajan Singh suddenly slipped and fell into a fast flowing nullah and unfortunately drowned. Strong water current carried his body for about 2 kms from the site of the accident. He was searched with all efforts, but his body went missing. On the fifth day of his missing, his fellow Pritam Singh had a dream, where Harbhajan Singh himself informed him of his tragic death and he also mentioned that his body is lying underneath the heap of snows. Harbhajan Singh also expressed the strong desire to have a samadhi made after him. However, Pritam Singh did not pay much importance to his dream. But later, when Harbhajan Singh’s body was discovered at the very place, which he had mentioned in the dream, all were taken aback. And, to honor his wish, a samadhi was built near Chhokya Chho at an elevation of around 4,000 meters, which gained popularity as the Old Baba Mandir. This samadhi is less visited by tourists. Visitors need to climb 50 stairs to reach the bunker, the site where the samadhi has been built. This was the place where Baba was posted during his service period in Indian army.

There is a large portrait of Baba in the central room, which has been placed with other Sikh Gurus and Hindu deity. At the right of the central room, there is the personal room of Baba. The room houses all essential household belongings, needed for daily livelihood, starting from clothes, slippers, shoes to a clean sleeping camp bed. Neatly ironed uniform and polished boots are also kept. The bedsheets are reportedly found crumbled each morning and the boots become muddy by evening. There is another small room, which is used as office cum storeroom. The room is filled with unused slippers, water bottles, toothbrushes and other items that are offered to Baba. The salary of Major Harbhajan Singh has not been stopped and he is also granted his annual leave.
There is a strong belief that water kept in the shrine of Baba gains healing property and turns into sacred water that can cure all possible ailments. This blessed water is needed to be consumed within 21 day and in this period, no family members of the ailing person is supposed to have non-vegetarian food. It is also believed that the slippers kept in the temple, help to cure gout and other foot problems. Followers, who cannot reach to Baba’s temple, are allowed to send letters to Baba, which are opened by Baba’s associates.
It is believed that Baba Harbhajan Singh guards the international boundary between India and China, over the last three decades and he is accomplishing this task alone. Even the Chinese army also confirms that they have noticed a human figure, guarding the border at night, riding on a horse. It is also said that Baba Harbhajan Singh foretells any dangerous activity on the border through the dreams of the fellow army men and safeguards the force.

We had a wonderful experience.

No accomodation in Baba Mandir

Small vehicles not allowed. Only-Sumo /Max etc.

Heavy woolens recommended

Can be approaced from gangtok or Gnathang valley. The second one is more beautiful in terms of natural beauty and valleys covered in snow,
Written November 13, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tenzing_step
Sikkim, India125 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2015 • Friends
This temple lies on the road between the Nathula and Jelepla Pass approximately 64 km from Gangtok. A shrine was built at his samādhi, at an elevation of around 4,000 metres (13,123 ft). The legend of Baba goes back 35 years when Sepoy Harbhajan Singh of the 23rd Punjab Regiment went missing while leading a pack of mules from his battalion stationed at Tukla to Deng Dhukla, both remote areas located in East Sikkim. A manhunt was launched and it took the army three days to find his body. It is believed that he himself led the soldiers to the site. Soon after, soldiers in the regiment started reporting that Baba had been appearing in their dreams and directing that a shrine be built in his memory. A Samadhi was raised in his memory and believers say that even today Baba visits every night, puts on his uniform and does his rounds. He is worshipped as a saint who grants boons and guards the lives of soldiers posted along the border.

The Army treats Baba as a soldier who never died. Over the years Sepoy Harbhajan Singh has been duly getting his rank until he retired recently. However, before his retirement it was believed that each year in September Baba would take his annual holiday and travel back to Kapurthala, his hometown. People gathered in large numbers and lined the route that Baba is believed to have taken to offer flowers and prayers. A berth on a train was reserved in his name and two orderlies would accompany him on the journey. The legend of this Sepoy-Saint grows stronger with each passing day.
Written February 23, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Travellapanti
Mumbai, India404 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2014 • Family
every time I go there.. I feel inspired..a great place indeed but since its situated at a hieght of 14000 ft.. taking any aged person is not recommended.
Written April 13, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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