Proud to be a Sikkimese: Sikkim Travel, Culture & Local Heritage

I have been writing about Sikkim, but I am sorry I never talked about its physical features. Once a Himalayan kingdom until 1975 and now part of a mighty Indian Union, the small state of Sikkim has seen many changes over the last 50 years. Jawaharlal Nehru and Chogyal Tashi Namgyal, the king of Sikkim, had a very warm relationship.  It was even said that Nehru wanted to spend his retired life in Sikkim, but that could not happen due to his sudden death in 1964. After Nehru's death, some of his ashes were brought to Sikkim and thrown over the sky of Gangtok, Kanchenjunga Range, and other places.  Even Chogyal Tashi Namgyal presented his paintings to Nehru, which is said to be at Anand Bhawan, the ancestral home of the Nehru family at Allahabad. But it was under the leadership of Indira Gandhi, the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, that Sikkim was merged with India just 10 years after Nehru died.     Sikkim shares an interesting geographical boundary. Three countries...

Singtam: Under Sikkim Green Mission Eurasia Reyukai 28 th Singtam branch conducted a plantation program at Singtam SSS on June 28. The chief guest of the program was PK Pradhan, (Chairman Poultry). The other guest attending the plantation drive were BS Tamang, (RO Singtam Range), A Gurung (BO Singtam Range), Kumar Rai (Chief Advisior), Teachers from Singtam SSS, students, Sunrise Club, local NGOs and others. More than 300 different varieties of seedling were planted along the school premises. Suresh Limboo gave the welcome speech while the program was hosted Speaking on the occasion PK Pradhan highlighted the importance of the plantation at day to day life. He insisted the gathered students to understand the ill effects of the global warming and urged that such plantation drive is necessary for other places too. BS Tamang expressed his full support from the Forest Department for anyone who wishes to organize such plantation drive. Praja Pradhan The other highlight of the d...

Ever since Sikkim became part of the Indian Union, four major state-level Philatelic exhibitions had been held organized by the Department of Post. Little is known about the first philatelic exhibition SIKKIMPEX-82 except that among the many participants on the exhibition one of the participants was Late Ganga Kaptan, a legendary figure in Nepali literature. The three-day exhibition had three special covers released. Sikkim Philately had to wait for two decades to have the next major exhibition. Twenty years later in 2002, a three-day exhibition was held at White Hall. It was for the first time the people of Sikkim took a keen interest in that gummed piece of paper.  Dr Pawan Kumar Chamling, the Chief Minister of Sikkim was the Chief Guest on the occasion. The exhibition was a huge success. The occasion helped introduce Dipok Dey, a renowned stamp designer from Kolkata and the only Indian to design a United Nations Stamp with the young and eager stamp collectors of the state. Amo...

Bishal Kirath Rai Secretary, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Delhi & NCR Unit. I on behalf of all Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Delhi & NCR unit would like to thank different organizations and individuals for their support and help to rescue a Gorkha girl from Siliguri in Delhi . Gorkha Janmukti Nari Morcha, Delhi & NCR Unit, Ms. Matilda Gurung Ms. Kiran Ms. Meena Limbuni Ms. Lucy Rai and their team. Bharitya Gorkha United Forum Mr. T.L. Shrestha and his members. Himalayan Youth Forum President and members. Gorkha Welfare Society. Mr. Yam Kumar Shrestha Mr. Kiran Rai Pravesh Ms. Jyoti Thapa Mani for supporting us financially to publish the missing girl’s information in Time of India and Dainik Jagaran . Mamta Chettri, a resident of Badi Bada, P.S. Bhaktinagar, Siliguri was employed as domestic help through Anju Tutors and Placement Service, 38 Mohammadpur, Bhikaji Cama Place, Near Ram Mandir, New Delhi – 110066 with Mr. Vijay Bhusan, G/28...

from Statesman GANGTOK, 25 JUNE: The Sikkim state animal husbandry department set at rest all the speculations doing rounds regarding bird flu outbreak in the wake of large scale pigeon deaths at Singtam in East Sikkim, saying that the pathological probe has ascribed deaths to some blood sucking parasites. According to Dr KC Bhutia, joint director, Disease Investigation Cell, state animal husbandry department, the investigation into the first batch of samples sent to the Regional Disease Diagnostics Laboratory of Guwahati, has attributed bacterial infection to the pigeon deaths. “The birds getting wet during the rains created conditions conducive for the parasites to breed,” Dr Bhutia said. As per the official records, 56 cases of unnatural pigeon deaths over the past two months have been reported from a particular region of the state. Springing into action with flu panic spreading among people, the state animal husbandry department has pressed into service a full...

I was at Rongli this Sunday and i was surprised to watch the terror of nature that nearly took away Rongli bazaar last month. Thou no lives were lost but the after effect have had its impact among the people out here. The people out here are still amazed of that late noon heavy shower. I could see the river had switched off its course of route shows its presence of that D-day. The photographs below speaks more volume. NOW THEN

Well this photograph was shared by my friend from Singtam, She must be of Royal family. It is written Maharani Lhadine and circulation of 1890. During the year 1890 Sir Thutob Namgyal was the King of Sikkim.

In one of a grandeur gesture students of the Government Secondary School at Yuksom in West Sikkim have written a five page letter to Mahendra Singh Dhoni with a Lays wrapper stapled along with it. Dhoni endorses potato chips which uses non bio-degradable wrappers. Dhoni's advertisement of LAYS "Please come and see for yourself. Should not we aspire to keep our pristine environment unpolluted?" the students wrote seeking his cooperation in their endeavour to keep the environment clean. It was found that in a cleanliness drive from Yuksom to Dzongri last month, the students had come across wrappers of the potato chips comprising 47 per cent of the non bio-degradable waste in the state. Dzongri The students also appealed to Dhoni to consider making some arrangement to collect the wrappers for disposal. They, however, expressed their adulation of the cricketer and urged him to visit their school with the national team to play a cricket match with them. "We will take you...

Photograph shared by Arpan Pradhan