Lepchas of old Sikhim

 from digitalgallery.nypl.org

Landslides at Singtam (August 28-29, 2010)

Road blocked at Sirwani

Ill-fated vehicles at Manpari Busty

At Manpari Busty

 

landslide at Shantinagar, Singtam

Affected house at Juice Factory area

Affected house at Juice Factory area

 People walking at the landslides

Vehicle problem that hit Singtam bazaar

The local coolies of Singtam have all gathered at the landslide area and they charge upto Rs 200 to cross the landslides.

Rinchenpong celebrates Panf Lhabsol with premiere of neali film Timro Hamro Zindagani

By Suresh Lama

Rinchenpong, West Sikkim: 24^th.08.2010: On the eve of Panglasol Festival Premiere show of Nepali Feature Film “Timro Hamro Zindagani” was successfully screened at Community Hall, Rinchenpong. Premiere show was organized by HALLOWED FALLACIOUS HARMONIOUS SOCIETY (A MUSICAL GROUP) of Rinchenpong, West Sikkim.  On this occasion Shri Tseten Tashi Bhutia, Officer in charge, Kaluk was the Chief Guest and Producer cum Actor of the film Shri Basant K. Lama as a Guest of Honour. Along with Chief Guest and Guest of Honour other high level dignitaries were present. 

 Nepali Feature Film “Angalo Yo Mayako” promo was also played in interval, because society will screen this movie also. Viewers had appreciated the film and the society for organizing the show and requested the society to organize such function time to time. Screening started with short speech from Shri Praveen Gurung, President of the society and one welcome song from the society band was also performed to welcome the guest. Rani Film Production, Ranipool had given thanks to the all the society members for making the Premiere of this film a success. 

Speaking on this occasion President of HALLOWED FALLACIOUS HARMONIOUS SOCIETY (A MUSICAL GROUP) Shri. Praveen Gurung “This is the first time ever any West Sikkim society is involved in screening of the movie, we had gain lot of experience from this screening, society and production house main concept was to screen the movie from West Sikkim because normal people can’t come Gangtok to watch the movie so they will be left out, now society will bring every entertainment in Rinchenpong to make the place rich with Art & Culture. Premiere show ended with thanks giving and a dinner party to the guest.

A beautiful insect that visited my room tonight

A beautiful insect that visited my room tonight

Sikkim’s Indian Idol contestant Prakash Sundas entertained I Day celebration at Mangsila

Gangtok: Prayas Band from Gangtok regaled Mangsila crowds with couple of hours of musical treats at 64^th I Day celebration. The four hour long late night musical show held at the premises of Mangsila SSS had more than 300 crowds encouraging the singers in every song they performed.  The lead singer of the band Prakash Sundas, a contestant of Indian Idol 5 from Sikkim went on to sing over two dozen songs in both Nepali and Hindi language. His songs had mixed theme that included patriotic, romantic, classic and latest movie songs. The other singer of the band Amit Gurung went on to sing half a dozen songs that were equally cheered by the gathered crowds. The other members of the bands were Bijay Kumar Rai, Sabin Duraa, Krishna Chettri and Sabeel Hashmi.

Phoptographs of 40 Maharajas of India had a surprise face of Chogyal Thutob Namgyal.

This vintage post cards of the 40 Maharajas of India had a surprise face of Chogyal Thutob Namgyal.

source: ebay

Chief Minister Pawan Chamling being welcomed at Tshlamthang school (16-08-2010)

Chief Minister Pawan Chamling being welcomed at Tshlamthang school (16-08-2010)

Sikkim's Special Cover on Queen’s Baton Relay

It surprises me that this was for the second time that a special cover was released from Sikkim and no body knew about it. This time around Special Cover on Queen’s Baton Relay was released at Gangtok but nothing more was knew and the release function was not highlighted enough.

Press Release for "Timro Hamro Zindagani"

Press Release

Film production in Sikkim is going on fast pace, shooting of “Eshara”, “Letter” & “Angalo Yo Mayako” had already completed their shooting and releasing their film soon. Current Nepali Feature film “Timro Hamro Zindagani” produced by Basant K. Lama under the banner of Rani Film Production, Ranipool, East Sikkim is releasing in this August. Producer wants to show this movie from West Sikkim, because that part of Sikkim is far off from capital Gangtok. And most of the West Sikkim viewers will be left out. Production house wants any non profitable societies or clubs of West Sikkim to come forward and take a job of screening so that organization and clubs of particular sub divisions will be benefited. 

Nepali Feature Film “Timro Hamro Zindagani” is screenplay and directed by renowned director of Nepali film Industry Mr. Pratap Subba his debut film was historic “Paral Ko Aago”, story of this film is written by Shri Hirdainath Lama, cinematography by Binay Raj Shanker, choreographed by famous choreographer Kamal Rai and music direction by Deep Waiba.

This film was completely shot at Darjeeling district and some part of Sikkim. Star cast by new faces for this industry  Basant K. Lama, Kavita Sharma, Arvind Chettri, Ritika Lama, Nandita Rai, Soyam Rizal, Pukar Gurung, Pinky Biswa, Pinki Rai, Ganesh Rizal, Kamala Lepcha, Pravin Shanker, Milan Tamang, Rajen Rai, Ranjit Gurung, Manju Tamang, Sujata B.K., Bhasker Pradhan and many others.

Besides that the song of this film is sang by Himalayan Idol Banika Pradhan, Thupden Bhutia, Surya Prakash Rai of Mangan, Kiran Waiba and Hira Rasaily.

This film is uniquely made because of different stories based on 5 main lead artists. Viewers will be entertained till the end of this movie. Director Pratap Subba speaks out that “ this movie will really make a great impact to the current Nepalese society as well as there are so many things this movie will give to each and every individuals about their life “. In the first phase Rani Film Production, Ranipool is set to screen this movie all over the places of Sikkim and Darjeeling district. In the 2^nd Phase film will travel some other states of India also. To listen the melodious song of this movie listener can tune on 93.5 Mhz Red FM Sikkim.

Archeological Exploration in Sikkim (2002-2004) finds place in a book

I still remember writing an article on early man tools found in Sikkim some time back. I had wrapped in brief three separate excavations completed in different parts of Sikkim. A few years later to find a complete package of excavation reports of the last excavation done at Sikkim (2004) in a form of a book was enough to excite my small heart. 

The book “Archeological Exploration in Sikkim” written by Dr PK Mishra provides the report of the excavation done in the years 2002 and 2004 at Sikkim by the team led by Dr. Mishra from the Pre-historic Branch of the Archeological Survey of India.  The book also illustrates photographs with information of early man artefacts discovered from over two dozen Neolithic sites from North and East Sikkim. 

Dr. Mishra writes those tools recovered from Sikkim were collected from the fields, under step cultivation and even from the local people who thought that those were “Chattang ko Dunga” or the “Vajra Dunga” stone from heaven. I smiled when I first read about it. Well, this reminded me of an interesting point from a well-read book “Lepcha – My Vanishing Tribe” by AR Foning. The author AR Foning writes about his experience with “Sadaer Longs”, the so-called thunder stones that the old folks used to term as possessing blessings from the Thunder God.

According to the book, "interesting aspect of the excavation done at Sikkim pushed a significant breakthrough in the world of archaeology, the scholars considers that the region of Sikkim as a corridor through which the Neolithic Celt making techniques entered India from South East Asia. The tools found in Sikkim were derived from dolerite, shale, slate and fossil wood. “The typological analysis of the tools suggests two phases in their development, which forms the basis for a twofold schema that has been introduced for their identification. These phases are: (i). Early phase with tools being wholly chipped and the edge ground. (ii). Later phase with pecked and edge ground and fully ground tools. Using this schema, the early phase shows common features with the Hoabihian Culture of South East Asia dated to 10,000 B.C., and the later phase assignable to 8000 B.C. shows a close affinity with that of South China and South East Asia.”

I am sure these findings take back the origin of the land of Sikkim way back as we had never thought. I still remember a news article published in ‘Now’ newspaper covering this very excavation that said the most excellent part of the exploration was the findings of a fossilized antelope horn in the Sajyong area near Rumtek that was reported to be about 1,50,000 years old. But somehow nothing is written about the fossilized horn on any of the pages. The other major breakthrough of the excavation was the carbon dating of one of the Neolithic tools dating back beyond 2,500 BC in the East District of Sikkim.

Sikkim Girl in Amol Palekar's"And Once Again"

pic from Santa Banta

Yuden Zongtenpa plays a key role in the movie "....and Once More" directed by the famed Amol Palekar. The film is exclusively shot in Sikkim. Yuden Zongtenpa is a student of Tashi Namgyal Academy.

 Below is the extract of the review of the film that was screened in Goa

Sikkimese Child Actress Grabs Hearts

By Andrew Stephenson - BollySpice.com
29 Nov 2009

Trapped between Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan, the mountainous Himalayan kingdom of Sikkim, which only officially became part of India in 1975, is not known for the number of Bollywood actors it produces - but it may have found a star of the future in seven-year-old Yuden Zongtempa.

Yuden steals the movie in Avartan (now"....and Once More"), currently being screened at the International Film Festival of India in Goa. Yuden, who is being raised in California where her father is an IT professional, had no problems with the dialogue as the film was shot in English. 

The movie's title refers to the natural cycle of beats in North Indian music and in the movie this is reflected in the intense relationships between three people. The movie also stars living screen legends Rituparna Sengupta and Rajat Kapoor. The film was shot entirely in Sikkim and is worth seeing for the extraordinary natural images alone.

 

Lo-Men Tsong Sum- Englsh translation by Prof. Ringu Tulku

I saw that artifact missing at Tumlong ruins

I was at the ruins of Tumlong few months back where the restoration work of the Palace is going on. That was my second visit to the Chogyal's Palace of till late 1700s. Even in my first visit few sculptured artifacts were lying while more than a year later the same artifacts i had seen then were still found at that ground but one of the stone with a hole in its middle was found missing. I do not know whether the stone is moved or taken away from the site.

I was looking for the photographs that i had taken of that stone in my last visit but in hundreds of CDs  went mixed up and i am happy i found it today. I believe the stone i saw was a significant one in terms of that era.

Gnathang Post Office (East Sikkim)

Gnathang is at an altitude of about 12000 feet.
Pin Code : 737102