Sikkim, the
beauty spot of East Himalaya, to her people, is the Denzong or the valley on
the slope. She shines like a crown, geographically on the top of the map of
West Bengal. The jewel in the crown is the world’s third highest mountain Kanchenjunga,
literally meaning the Five Treasures of Great Snow. The four districts on all
her four sides are dazzled with the sunlight reflected by its white snow. An
independent Buddhist state, Sikkim thrives on tourism. The Tibetan influence is
manifested with in her historical, cultural and spiritual lineage. Gangtok is
the capital of this second smallest state of India. At her south is Darjeeling is Gorkha Hill
Council in West Bengal. The border is drawn by Twin Rivers- Rangeet and Rangpo.
At her north, across Kanchenjunga, is Tibet. Beyond the Chumbi Valley at her
east are Tibet and Bhutan. Nepal lies beyond the Singalila mountain ranges at
her west. Amid all this beautiful natural sight flows Tista from north to
south. Buddhist architectural remains are strewn all
over. A walk through the state takes you through a huge crowd of countless of
Lungtas (prayer-flags) and Mani-Lakhangs (prayer wheels).
In this state
the tourists are frequently greeted by colorful writings on the roadside:
Sikkim is the Jewel in the Crown of India. Sikkim, for a long time, was a
protectorate of India. Constitutionally the king was the ruler. But her foreign
policy and defense lay in the hands of India. Sikkim the 22nd state
of India, keeps her doors otherwise open to the Indians. 36% of its territory
is being covered in forests. Sikkim has rich jungle resource comprising sal,
simul, tony, fir, oak, birch, maple and varied species of bamboos. There are at
least 4000 species of plants and 650 species of flowers. The entire valley is
aflame in April and May with 36 species of rhododendrons, magnolias, primulas
and alpine flowers. Sikkim also grows cardamoms, apples and oranges. The upper
Himalayan region is inhabited by snow leopards, wild asses, blue sheep and red
pandas- Precisely Sikkim is a paradise for any tourists.
Gangtok-meaning the glorious mountains-is the new state capital offers
lot of tourists attraction such as Deer Park which is made as a replica of Sarnath.
There is also an image of Sarnath Buddha and a museum. On a small hillock, 7km
away, is a small temple named Ganesh Temple. The hilltop presents an overview
of Gangtok. Just above it- 11km away from the town- is another view point,
Hanuman Tok. India’s only Butterfly Park with not less than 400 species- is
another attraction in Gangtok. Rumtek Gumpha
is one of the world’s richest and most important Dharmachakra centre. One of
the major items in your Gangtok tour is definitely Tssango Lake. Tssango lies
in its snowy splendor at a height of 3774m. On the way to Nathula is the Temple
of Baba Harbhajan Singh i.e. Gurdwar in the beautiful Kupup Valley. Yumthang, another tourist attraction is a piece
of heaven with mountains all around and the valley of Alpine flowers. Yumthang looks
most beautiful during spring time. Fiercely rushing down from a 300ft high
cleavage, Kanchenjunga Falls is an attractive sight in Pelling.
Demography-
Population wise,
there are only 44 persons per sq km.n75% of the total population are the
Nepalese, 18% are the Lepchas, 6% are Bhutiyas and a meager 1% consists of
Indian tradesmen from different states. The Lepchas- the indigenous community
of Sikkim are a majority in Central and North Sikkim. Legends and myths govern
their social life. The literacy rate in Sikkim is 70%. The main language of
this state is Sikkimese and Gorkhali. Also practiced are Lepcha, Limbu,
Bhutiya, English and Hindi. Sikkim is entirely a mountain state.
Climate-
An ideal time to visit the place is from March to June and October
to mid December. Flowers take a breath taking landscape in April-May. October comes
again with a new cycle of flowers. The sky is clear in November- one of the
best times to enjoy the scenic splendor. It is quite cold in March and December.
The monsoon stays from end June to early September. Both the rivers Tista and
Torsa- swells up, causing occasional flash floods and disrupt normal life.
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