Samiti members sanitizes Shantinagar and its premises

Singtam, July 25: Members of Shantinagar Gaon Sudhar Samiti volunteered to sanitize different areas of Shantinagar and premises of Karma Thujee Monastery.  Krishna Chettri, President, SGSS had yesterday called upon Shri Prakash Kharel, MEO, Singtam Nagar Panchayat  via mobile and requested him for the sanitization of Shantinagar and its surrounding.

With the immediate response from MEO, Singtam Nagar Panchayat, the sanitizing materials was send to Shantinagar this morning where the members of the Samiti came forward for the noble cause. Those members included – Arpan Pradhan, Nikhil Sundas, Suman Sunar and Dhiraj Pradhan. The team of four boys was led by Krishna Chettri.

Shantinagar Gaon Sudhar Samiti’s President had directed the shops under its area to maintain social distance and informed the shopkeepers not to allow anyone who visits the shop without masks. A4 size posters on maintaining safe shopping was also distributed to the shopkeepers, reads the Press Release.

Princes Tsedeun's gifted royal silver-end caps to a US family

On June 23^rd, 2020, I received an email from Ellis Gordon, Bethesda, Maryland, USA, who wished to share an interesting story for my blog {Proud to be a Sikkimese (sikhim.blogspot.com)} about the royal silver-end caps she had in her family possession gifted by late Princes Pema Tsedeun Yapshi Pheunkhang way back around 1969.

We shared a couple of emails as I wanted to know about her family and her family’s connection to the late princess. Ellis, the senior-level cyber-security engineer, said she has a pair of silver-end caps crafted for a hanging scroll that was made for her parents by the Sikkim Palace silver-smith under the order of Princess Pema Tsedeun Yapshi Pheunkhang during the late 60s.

Tsedeun, as she liked to be addressed, told Ellis was a frequent dinner guest at their house in Washington D.C., USA. Tseduen, would visit his father on Capitol Hill where she was introduced to members of the US government such as Sen. Edward Kennedy. 

ALSO READ - Royalty revisited at Lukshyama

Upon asking how their parents came in touch with the Sikkim Royal family, Ellis's email read that she was in 9th grade when she first saw her with her family. The Princess was a regular visitor at dinners or dinner parties organized at their house in Washington, D.C., up until the early 1970s. Ellis’s father worked on Capitol Hill and was the Staff Economist for the Senate Small Business Committee. He had a wide network of contacts throughout the United States government.

Her mother was an accomplished silversmith. The Princess was very interested in her mother’s silver and gold work.  The royal princess wanted her parents to have an example of silver craft from the palace’s silversmith. Ellis wrote she could remember the princess going over to the hanging scroll in her parent’s dining room and measuring the roller dimensions for the palace silversmith to make the end caps. 

Ellis remembered the Princess as very communicative and highly intelligent. She was also very friendly and outgoing. The Princess could speak excellent English and mix with the West as well as the East. She added that she was a special ambassador for Sikkim.

After 30 years, Nolina flowers blooms in Evergreen Nursery, Rhenock

Ganesh Pradhan, Sikkim State Awardee, founder of famed Ram Gauri Sangralaya and Evergreen Nursery from Rhenock called me up last week and very excitedly said – my Nolina plant gave flower. I could feel his happiness that could be compared to excitement of a child. Over the years, Ganesh Aja (my relationship with him) had always shared his happiness with me and when he talked about the flowering of a plant, I too felt there was something special.

He told me this species of flowers in thirty years. He had never seen or heard this flower bloom in any part of Sikkim till now. To me, this flower was exceptional and I felt it should be documented. I don’t deny the fact that this plant might have flowered in Sikkim but documentation is important, so my interest grew in it.

Beaucarnea recurvata, locally known as Nolina or most popularly identified as Elephant’s foot or Pony Tail palm is a xerophyte flowering plant. Native of Mexico, this plant is one of the most popular ornamental species. Nolina plant has some peculiar features – the swollen trunk that looks like an elephant foot, single slender palm-like stem with hair like strap-shaped leathery leaves, resembling a ponytail on its top. These plants are slow growers and adaptable to dry land.

For a few days, I was regularly in touch with Aja asking him about the plant and its flower. Around 1980, he had seen Nolina plant at Chandra Nursery, legendary plant nursery of Rhenock for the very first time. Interested in plants and fascinated by their unfamiliar appearance, he bought four Nolina plants from Chandra Nursery. Those plants were then two and a half years old. Among the four, only two Nolina plants had survived over the years. The older of the two has a trunk of 12 feet but strangely it had not flowered. The next Nolina plant having the trunk measurement of 8 feet flowered during the first week of June, this year, told Aja.

The flowering of this plant after thirty years gave me and my family emotional happiness that cannot be explained. He further went on to say, when I first saw its yellow (it is more correctly ivory colour) panicle flowers in the early morning, I hurriedly called upon my wife and my sons. We saw the flower of Nolina for the very first time. Those flowers stayed for two weeks and later dried up. Today I have sixteen Nolina plants in my nursery. One of them has decayed at its trunk and I have experimented with it in bonsai, he told.

When I am writing this article, Rhenock is facing the crisis of corona pandemic and this plant-man from Rhenock is busy nurturing his plants, who knows which plant surprises him the next.

PRIDE OF SINGTAM 03 – DEVANSHI AGARWAL

In 2018, Devanshi Agarwal was in national news when she won five gold medals and a bronze medal only in her second tournament - 17th Uttrakhand Open State Shooting Championship. Since then this shooting talent has no looking back; more than 20 National medals on her side and representing India at the Czech Republic and Germany.

A student of Ecole Globale International Girl’s School, Dehradun, Devanshi had added another laurel to her achievement. In her Class X CBSE result she has scored 95.25 % and a subject topper in English and Painting with 99 and 98 marks. She further went on to score 94 mark in Social Studies and 90 in Hindi.

She is the daughter of Sanket Agarwal and Sonia Agarwal; grand-daughter of Raghubir Agarwal and Nirmala Devi Agarwal. Many many congratulation to Devanshi. Singtam and Sikkim is proud of your achievement.

Shantinagar Gaon Sudhar Samiti takes stay-hygienic initiative

Singtam, July 16: Members of SGSS has come up with an appeal not to litter used hygienic kits at public places. Led by Krishna Chettri, President SGSS, A4 size print out was pasted at important and crowded places in and around Singtam, Shantinagar and Rangpo. The poster was also presented to District Hospital Singtam, Singtam Police Station, RTO Singtam Motor Vehicle Department, Dr Khan Clinic and others.

Earlier in the morning, the National Highway site between Shantinagar ATTC Hostel and Shantinagar Petrol Pump was sanitized as per the direction of Prakash Kharel, MEO - Singtam Nagar Panchayat. This initiative came after an incident of July 13, 2020 evening when an unknown person threw worn-out PPE kits along with two polythene bags filled with food wastes and others along the National Highway near Shantinagar. The serious matter was informed to Singtam Police Station providing the vehicle number. The person was informed, and he collected the thrown out wastes.

Krishna Chettri followed up with the matter and met with different officials of Health, Police, and MEO, Singtam Nagar Panchayat. He even consulted Norden Tamang, President – Singtam Driver Association, HB Subba, President - Singtam Truck Driver Association and shared this major concern. Chettri further contacted SDM - Rangpo and RTO - Singtam Motor Vehicle Department and informed about the PPE Kits incident.

SGSS appeals everyone to be more concerned, follow civic sense and not to litter hygienic wastes including the used face masks at any public places or roads.

SINGTAM NBB DOES A PLANTATION DRIVE

SINGTAM, JULY 12: Members of Singtam Newa Bhay Bowneykuthi conducted a plantation drive at the premises of Karma Thuje Choling Monastery, Shantinagar, Singtam. More than 20 members participated on the event.

More than 60 different varieties of saplings were planted. Binod Pradhan, President NBB speaking on the occasion said since this is a plantation drive month, we too wanted to contribute to the environment. We had consulted with the Head Lama about the plantation drive; he helped us with the location. Suresh Tamang, Social Worker and Rinzing R Lhamu, member Monastery Committee was also present on the occasion.

Singtam COVID 19 warriors honoured at Bhanu Jayanti

Singtam, July 14: Dr. MK Sharma, Area MLA and Health Minister attend a short program at Bhanu Park, Singtam to observe the 206^th Bhanu Jayanti Celebration. A Ramayan Path and a poetry recitation were organized to celebrate the occasion. Proper social distancing was maintained while the program was organized.

Raj K Shrestha, noted Nepali literary figure was the Guest of Honour of the day. The Chief Guest and the other distinguish guests offered khadas to the bust of Bhanu Bhakta. LN Pradhan, President, 206^th Bhanu Jayanti Committee gave the welcome speech.

Chief Guest Dr. MK Sharma handed over mementos to the officials of Singtam Police Department, District Hospital Singtam, Singtam ASHA, Singtam Food and Civil Supply and Singtam Nagar Panchayat. The program was conducted by Sundar Rai, Coordinator of the Committee. Parakshit Dhittal from Singtam recited a phrase from a Ramayan while SN Pandey and BK Sharma from Singtam and Singbel recited nepali poems.