About Sikkim
Sikkim, the small but beautiful kingdom is situated in the eastern Himalayas.
Sikkim is termed as the Switzerland of the east, a heavenly paradise on earth.
It covers an area of 2818 square miles 7325 square kilometers. It is rectangular
in shape with seventy miles in the north to south and forty east to west.
Geographically it is 28 Degree 07' 48'' degree and 27 degree 04' 46'' north
latitude, and 88 degree 00' 58' and 88 degree 55' 25'' east longitude. In
the north it is bounded by Tibetan plateau to its east is Bhutan and Chumbi
valley of Tibet and in the southern side is bounded by West Bengal India.
There are two passes in the eastern boundary with Tibet Nathula pass (4700
metres) and Jelepla(4016 metres ).
To the west lies Singalila range which forms the most important boundaries
between Nepal and Sikkim with a pass named Chiwabhangjang (3400 metres). There
are two important rivers In Sikkim Teesta which starts from Tashidrag Glacier
in the north and Rangit which is a tributaries of Teesta river.
History
The documented history of Sikkim begins with 1642 A.D. Prior to this, the
Lepchas – original inhabitants of Sikkim primarly lived a village life with
local chieftains and did not keep any written history. The year 1642 witnessed
the consecration of Phuntsog Namgyal as the Chogyal (King) - a temporal and
religious head. He relocated his capital to Yuksam, in West Sikkim, and established
a centralized government. Buddhism flourished in Sikkim during his reign.
Phuntsog Namgyal was succeeded by his son Tensung Namgyal in 1670 A.D. who
moved his capital to Rabdentse. During the rule of 12th King Chogyal Thondup
Namgyal, the people of Sikkim witnessed a revolution resulting in the overthrow
of Chogyal and democratic merger with India.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Place : Sikkim
Capital : Gangtok
Area : 7300 Sq. Kms.
Population : 4,06457
Climate : Summer - Max. 20.7 C/Min. 13.1 C
Winter : Max. 14.9 C/Min. 7.7 C
Best Season : Mid February - late May / October - December
Minerals : Copper, Zinc, Lead, Pyrites, Limestone, and coal.
Agriculture : Maize and Rice Millet, Buckwheat, Pulses, are
subsidiary crops.
Cash Crop: Cardamom, ginger, Apples, Oranges, Pine-apples
People : three ethnic group, Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalese.
Religion : Mahayana Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and
other religion are also practised.
Gangkok
is a perfect symbol of the confluence of the past and present - the capital
of Sikkim. Built on the flank of the ridge, Gangtok is 1600 meters above sea
level. The town's unique ambience derives from the happy blend of tradition
and modernity. Alongside the deeply felt presence of Stupas and monasteries,
Gangtok also bustles like any other town. But with many of these oasis of
quite, those unexpected pockets of peace exist
Darjeeling
Straddling a ridge at 2123 metres and surrounded by tea plantations on all
sides,
Darjeeling has been a very popular hill station since the British established
it as a rest and recreation centre for its troops in the mid-1800s. These
days foreign travellers and Indian nationals come here to escape from the
heat, humidity and hassle of the North Indian plain and some indication of
its popularity can be gleaned from the fact that there are almost 60 hotels
alone recognised by the West Bengal Tourist Development Corporation apart
from scores of others which don't come up to its requirements.
Enchey Monastery : An important seat of the Nyingma order,
the Enchey Monastery is built on the site blessed by lama Druptob Karpo, a
tantric master known for his power of flying. This 200-year-old Monastery
has in its premise images of gods, goddess and other religious objects.
Yumthang (North Sikkim)
Yumthang in North Sikkim situated at an alt. of 12,000 feet is about 140 km
from Gangtok, the state’s capital. This paradise for nature lovers has a fascinating
blend of breathtaking scenic view with hot springs and alpine environment.
In May-June, the whole hillside erupts into a riot of colours with rhododendron-ablaze
in fiery red, hues of pink, yellow, purple and white. On the way to this beautiful
natural paradise, one can see the magnificent Khang-Chen-Dzonga range in all
its splendour from Singhik village and pass through lush green Lachung. The
steep rugged mountain terrains, the cascading water falls particularly the
ones at Beema and Lachung makes the Yumthang trip interesting and enchanting.
