He is revered as the Hero of Nathula by soldiers of the Indian army, who built a shrine in his honor. He was accorded the state of the saint by believers who refer to him as the Baba (saintly father). Many of his faithful - chiefly Indian army personnel posted in and around the Nathu La and the Sino-Indian border between the state of Sikkim and Tibet Autonomous Region - have come to believe his spirit protects every soldier in the inhospitable high-altitude terrain of the Eastern Himalayas. As with most saints, Baba is believed to grant favors to those who revere and worship him. He is said to be protecting the country even after death.