Skip to main content

Proud to be a Sikkimese: My homage to my Sikkim-i


My fascination with Sikkim History started in early 2003 after I completed my graduation from Sikkim Government College, Tadong where I joined the famed newspaper Weekend Review at Gangtok and since then there is no looking back for me. Over the last seven years I am fortunate to have my articles published in reputed newspapers and magazines of Sikkim and few from North Bengal too. My query to know more about the Sikkim’s past made me visit different corners of the state. Visiting those sacred places I find myself blessed to have born to this place, a heaven on earth.


Blogging for me started in 2005; as a result “Proud to be a Sikkimese” was born. Proud to be a Sikkimese is my homage to my Sikkim and contains collection of articles and essays I had written over the years more prominently about Sikkim History. The technology of Internet has helped writers like share my work with people across the globe and it gives a pleasure of satisfaction to know that my articles have helped people understand about Sikkim’s past. Over more than one lakh people across the globe have gone though my blog and I am happy, my small effort has paid off.  Every day I get more than 300 visitors who go through my blog.

On numerous occasions I have received mails from people to whom I never know and it is nice when they congratulate me for the work on Sikkim’s past I do through my blog Proud to be a Sikkimese. Over the last one year I have exchange mails or messages with the unbelievable personalities (atleast to me!!) involved with Sikkim History in Prince Palden and Hope Leezum Namgyal (Son and Daughter of Late Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal), Claire M Jordan (Grand Daughter of Elisa Maria, wife of LD Kazi), Horst Geerken and Ulrich Bihlmayer (with whom Late Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal talked at HAM about Political unrest of merger), author like Sunanda K Dutta-Ray and the list continues with many unsung heroes of Sikkim History who have helped popularize my blog.

Today my blog Proud to be a Sikkimese has given me an identity as a student of Sikkim History and is well read and followed as I am told by my readers! I have always believed in sharing information, more I share more I learn about my Sikkim was my motive behind which I started my blog Proud to be a Sikkimese. I am delighted I have succeeded in my goal and I shall ever remain grateful towards people who have helped me build an encyclopedia of Sikkim. Proud to be a Sikkimese is the next Wikipedia of Sikkim where you get familiar with parts of Sikkim History that have long lost their existence to the wheel of clock. Also found in my blog are articles on genuine Sikkim, ones that has never been published elsewhere. The complete stories of Sikkim Rocket Mail Experiment 1935, Ham Radio of Late Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal, the first map of Sikkim along with rare classic photographs of Sikkim are only found in my blog.
      

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

JANHA BAGCHA TEESTA RANGIT

This was a national song of Sikkim sung in the Nepali language during the monarchy system. During the merger with India, the song got banned and later re-released. Two words on the 8th para, which earlier said 'Rajah rah Rani,' were replaced with "Janmah bhumi."     This song was dedicated to the King and Queen of Sikkim. The song lyrics were penned by Sanu Lama, and the music was composed by Dushyant Lama.  The song was first sung on the birth anniversary of Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal on April 4, 1970, at Gangtok by Aruna Lama, Dawa Lama, and Manikamal Chettri.    JANHA BAGCHA TEESTA RANGIT,  JAHAN KANCHENDZONGA SEER   YEHI HO HAMRO DHANA KO DESH,  TAPAWAN HO PYARO SIKKIM     INTERLUDE     PHULCHAN YEHA AANGANAI MAA,  CHAAP , GURAS, SUNAKHARI   SWARGASARI SUNDAR DESH KO  HAMRO PYARO PYARO JANMAHBHUMI     JANHA BAGCHA……     BATASHLE BOKCHAA YAHA,  TATHAGAT KO AAMAR WAANI ...

Royal flags of Kingdom of Sikkim (1877-1975)

Sikkim (India)   Image by Mario Fabretto Description of the flag Historical flags 1877 - c. 1914 c. 1914 - 1962 1962 - 1967 Description of the flag From Barraclough (1971):  "Sikkim, formerly a protectorate of India, was incorporated as the twenty-second state of the union in May 1975, and the office of the hereditary ruler, the Chogyal , was abolished. Sikkim has, or had, a flag of white with a red border all round, and a yellow Chakra (fimbriated in red) in the centre."  "...the Chakra [is] a Buddhist symbol representing the Law of Dharma , or eternal change." The Chakra on the flag of Sikkim is different then the one on India's flag. It has eight spokes rather than the many spokes on India's, and has an ornate "nub" on the wheel at the head of each spoke. Don Hagemann, 28 November 1995 [editor's note: The source of this quote is not Barraclough (1971), but probably a later edition of the ...

Have you eaten Sikkim Cucumber ?

Ever heard of " Sikkim Cucumber "? To my little knowledge, I have very little heard about it. Well to my surprise, there seems to be a cucumber species in our locality that is known to the other parts of the world as "Sikkim Cucumber" or more efficiently " Concombre Apple Sikkim ". It is said to have an orange-red skin colour. It is said that "Sikkim Cucumber is not a hybrid, but an ancient variety which grows in Sikkim State in India . Protected by hard skin, it can easily be stored safely for months! It is comparatively small, never reaching more than 10 cm/4 inches. Its skin makes for a beautiful design and is a popular ornamental plant in Europe. But it is edible. Its taste is soft and void of acidity. It can be eaten raw or cooked. It certainly seems very popular in the Indian Himalayas . It can actually be prepared in as many dishes as usual green cucumbers." Never knew that one of my favourite Karkra had its ancient connection with S...