The old bunker shrine on the road to Nathang

The older shrine, often called Old Baba Mandir, stands where his bunker was, a few kilometres from the present temple on the high road towards Nathang. It was the first place where soldiers honoured him. When the new temple was built in 1982, closer to the main road and easier for visitors, the old one stayed in use. Today it is a regular stop for cars on the Silk Route between Kupup and Zuluk.

It is reached as part of a Silk Route trip, which is for Indian nationals only, on a permit usually arranged through a Gangtok agent or at Rongli. Expect a short climb from the road, steps in places, and a small shrine with his photograph and offerings. Because fewer people come here than to the main temple, it is a good place for a quiet moment, especially early in the morning.

The same courtesies apply: shoes off where asked, head covered, no photographs of Army posts. The road here runs at close to 4,000 m and is often snowbound from December to March, when some stretches close. If your driver says the old shrine is not accessible that day, accept it; he knows the road and the soldiers who man it. There is plenty more to see on the way to Zuluk. Check current status before you travel.