Identify this legendary house of Sikkim ?

Photograph shared by Vicky Palzor Lepcha

Body of unidentified male found

Sikkim Express

GANGTOK, August 28: A body of an unidentified male aged between 40-45 years was traced between the boulders in the middle of Rani Khola near Singtam, suspected to have been swept away from higher areas of Rani Khola.

Singtam Police have informed the people to contact them if any persons are missing.
Later, the unidentified male body was sent to Singtam Hospital, where it has kept for 72 hours preservation for identification. Police have registered a case of unnatural death.

Maharani Kunzang Dechen wife of Chogyal Sir Tashi Namgyal

Maharani with her children

Photo shared by Tenpa

I am thankful towards Tina Tashi for providing information about the persons in the photographs.

Maharani Kunzang Dechhen in the centre to her left is Prince Paljor, to her right is Prince Palden Thondup Namgyal who latter became the Chogya of Sikkiml, in front is Princess Pema Tsedeun. Baby is Princess Pema Choki.

MAHARANI KUSHANG DECHEN RAGASHAR was married to Chogyal Sir Tashi Namgyal, the King of Sikkim on 8th October, 1918 at the Royal Chapel, Tsuklakhang Monastary.

They had three sons and three daughters: Paljor Namgyal, Palden Thondup Namgyal, Jigdal Tsewing Namgyal, Pema Tsedong Namgyal, Pema Choki Namgyal and Sonam Palden Namgyal.

Maharani Kunzang Dechen died at the Royal Palace, Park Ridge, Gangtok, March 1987.

NB: Information taken from Royalark

Is Nathula border facing war like situation?

There were rumours in the streets that army vehicle would take over the National Highway for three days to transport warfare to Sikkim border, to which few days back the army personal had denied the news as baseless and disclosed no plans doing such in days to come too, as published in a local newspaper and all of a sudden there is this news published in internet about India, China armies clash in Sikkim. So whats the truth...whats cooking up?

from Google news

Extracted from Pakistan Defence

India, China armies clash in Sikkim?

The Indian and Chinese armies have reportedly been locked in sporadic exchanges of fire in Sikkim, where the two countries share a high-altitude border, since Tuesday night.

A senior defence ministry official in Kolkata, where the Eastern Command is based, said the conflict had been on at Nathu-la pass — 54 km east of Sikkim’s capital Gangtok.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry of Defence, however, denied any shooting on the border.

The defence official, who refused to be identified, said, “The gunbattle intensified during the early hours of Wednesday. There are, however, no reports of any death or serious injuries.”

He said although India had not deployed any additional forces in the area, all civilian traffic had been stopped. But the ministry statement said the roads had been closed in the area because of landslides.

The official said, “The skirmish caused concern as at a special joint meeting on August 15 both sides reaffirmed their resolve to strengthen the existing friendship.”

Situated at 14,140 feet, Nathu-la reopened for trade in 2006 after the 1962 Sino-Indian War.

Proud to be a Sikkimese on "Talk Sikkim" magazine

Hey guys do u know that my blog "Proud to be a Sikkimese" has been featured on the August issue of monthly magazine Talk Sikkim, published from Gangtok. I am sharing the scanned page. I would like to thank everyone for making my small effort of understanding Sikkim worth giving your precious time.

Yo!!......monthly magazine

FROM MY COLLECTION


YO!

YOUTH OFCOURSE

VOL 1/No.5 01-14 August
2002. Gangtok-Sikkim

Editor
Pema Wangchuk

.......(Sikkim) This country is gone

I was just surfing at Ebay auction web site, there i came across some material related to Hope Cook, former queen of Sikkim on sell. There is an autograph photograph of former queen Hope Cook, her letter and an envelope in which it was send to USA. The three material cost you 300 dollars.

The heading of the items says:

HOPE COOKE NAMGYAL AUTOGRAPH, Queen consort of SIKKIM

ONE OF A KIND PIECE, VERY RARE, THIS COUNTRY IS GONE!

Just read the last line that says...."This country is gone". Sikkim is no more an independent country now so it is more often referred as a dead country.

The further description says:

PHOTOGRAPH:
4-1/2" X 6" MEASUREMENTS, BLACK AND WHITE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND SIGNED IN BLUE INK PEN, "HOPE NAMGYAL"

LETTERHEAD:
8-1/4" X 6" THE PALACE, GANGTOK, SIKKIM, DATED 15TH SEPTEMBER 1969 AND SIGNED SINCERELY HOPE NAMGYAL, "GYALMO OF SIKKIM

ENVELOPE:
8-1/4" X 6-3/8" WITH 13 STAMPS FROM INDIA AND 1 BIG STAMP COLORED PURPLE FROM INDIA (INK STAMPED FROM POST OFFICE DATED 17, SEPT. 1969
RETURN ADDRESS IS FROM GYALMO OF SIKKIM, GANGTOK, SIKKIM. VIA - EASTERN HIMALAYAS

HISTORY:

In 1959, Cooke, then a freshman at Sarah Lawrence College, met Palden Thondup Namgyal, Crown Prince of Sikkim, in the bar of the Windamere Hotel in Darjeeling, India. He was then a widower nearly twice her age.

Four years later, Cooke, an Episcopalian, married the Crown Prince in a Buddhist monastery on 20 March 1963, an act which caused her to be dropped from the Social Register. He became monarch of Sikkim nine months later but was deposed in 1975 and confined to his palace under house arrest. The couple had two children, Palden and Hope Leezum; she also has two stepsons and a stepdaughter from her husband's first marriage.

The Chogyal and his wife separated soon after he was overthrown, and she moved to Manhattan, where she raised her children. The royal couple divorced in 1980, and the Chogyal died of cancer in 1982 in New York City.

Today

Cooke is a tour guide and historian in New York City. She lives in Brooklyn Heights, New York. She wrote a memoir of her life in Sikkim, Time Change.

SHIELA DIKSHIT PAYS HOMAGE TO SHAHID DURGA MALLA ON BGP’S BALIDAAN DIWAS IN NEW DELHI

Shared By Hira Chettri

New Delhi (Media Cell, BGP) : On August 25 sixty-five years ago, a young Gorkha major in the Azad Hind Fauz was hanged by the British in Delhi. Today, Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit paid homage to the Gorkha martyr, Durga Malla, at the spot where he was hanged. The occasion was Balidaan Diwas observed by the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh all over India in remembrance of all Gorkha heroes who have given their lives for the sake of their country.

After paying floral tributes to Major Durga Malla, who sacrificed his life at the young age of 31, at the memorial site in the Maulana Azad Medical College premises, the Delhi Chief Minister planted a sapling to mark the occasion. At the function, Mrs Dikshit interacted with the families of Gorkha war heroes who had died in the Kargil war in 1999. Then, the chief minister led the large number of Gorkhas from all walks of life who had gathered there in the Sankalp ceremony in which they pledged to uphold the great sacrifice made by the martyrs and work for the unity and integrity of India.

The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh, which is the donor organisation for the statue of Shahid Durga Malla that stands in Parliament House complex, remembers all Gorkha martyrs on this day. The sacrifices made by Durga Malla, Dal Bahadur Thapa, Dal Bahadur Giri, Bishnulal Upadhyaya and all the other Freedom Struggle heroes were recalled.

The Central Programme Cell of the BGP had met Mrs Dikshit last week and apprised her of the issues related to the Gorkhas of India, including the demand for a separate state of Gorkhland.

As part of the Balidaan Diwas, the BGP also organised a musical tribute to the martyrs on August 22. At the very well-attended programme in the St Thomas School auditorium in New Delhi, several bands sang songs about the country and Gorkhas, including their bravery and their contribution to nation building.

General Ashok Mehta, formerly of the 5^th Gorkha Regiment and Commanding Officer of the IPKF in Sri Lanka, was the chief guest. Prominent guests included Col R B Rai, who passed out in the very first batch of the Joint Services Wing, the predecessor of the National Defence Academy.

Groups that participated included iWitness, Himalayan Youth Forum, Decorus, Hamro Sanskriti, Kushal and group, and Mantra Two, which comprised two members of the erstwhile Mantra band. They all presented patriotic Gorkha songs, recalling the life and loyalty of the Gorkhas to the country. Diya and Sujata Pradhan also mesmerised the crowd with their dances.

I have seen Bhaichung Bhutia grow

Bhaichung Bhutia, the only Indian football player to have played 100 international matches was a class junior to me during my schooling days. When i was in class xii studying at TNSSS as a PCB student he was at class xi at TNA but busy with football boots. I still remember watching him play against our school football team. The year than was 1992-93. The matches between TNSS and TNA was nothing short of what the cricketing world have curiousness when India plays Pakistan. None of the teams wanted to loose.

TNSSS never had that excellent players like Sherap, Ram and Laxuman, the twin brothers and Bhaichung himself that capitulated many famous wins for their school TNA but they could give them a strong fight for the result of the matches. Bhaichung was already a star in his schooling days and his Boys club, the most popular football team at Gangtok.

By the end of 1993 he shifted to Kolkata and he never looked back. So today when i read on newspapers people of all age praising for Bhaichung Bhutia i feel proud and say myself, i have seen this legend of Indian football grow.

Mahatma Gandhi Marg (Gangtok) over the years......

My last post was bit easy and a bit nostalgic. When i was in Gangtok as a TNSS students and as a Sikkim Government College student i do had many memories at this Mahatma Gandhi Marg. This first market place of Sikkim over the years have had a major turn over. So when i started collecting old photographs about this market place i am sure many of you to would see your bygone days pass by with the flip of each photographs. So for those people who do remember their prime like me this is our MG Marg.

DURING CHOGYAL PERIOD -BEFORE 1970s

DURING PRE MERGER PERIOD- 1973

MG MARG -2009