Aila: The Sacred Spirit and Soul of Newar Culture

Aila is a traditional Newari beverage made by distilling grains like rice or millet. In Newar culture, it is treated not just as a drink, but as a sacred offering that connects people with the divine.

During festivals, rituals, and ceremonies, Aila is first offered to deities such as Lord Shiva, Bhairava, and various goddesses as a sign of deep devotion. After the gods are worshipped, it is received back by the devotees as Prasad—a sacred blessing that brings good health, protection, and positive energy.

At cultural feasts called Bhoj, serving Aila from a traditional brass jar called an Anti into tiny clay cups (Salfi) is a warm gesture of hospitality and respect toward guests. Passed down through generations, Aila represents family unity, ancient customs, and the rich spiritual heritage of the Newar community.

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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 ...

Early Poets of Sikkim : Subhash Deepak

During the early two decades of the twentieth century young boys belonging to rich and aristocratic families including upper caste Brahmins were sent to Darjeeling or Benares for studies. These young boys naturally got an opportunity to encounter the new trends of awakening like the National movement of Indian Independence. The influence of great literary personalities like Lekhnath Poudyal (1884-1965), Lakshmi Prasad Devkota (1909-1965) and Balkrishna Sama (1902-1981) is very much evident on the poets associated with Apatan Sahitya Parishad . This was the time when Parasmani Pradhan , Surya Bikram Gewali and their worthy associates had already had their influences on the young poets. ‘The tide of awakening had swept throughout the area like Sikkim , Darjeeling, Benares and Dehradun . During the second and third decade of 20th century Dharanidhar Koirala’s ‘ Naibedya ’ (1920), Mahananda Sapkota’s ‘ Mana Lahari ’ (1920) marked a break with the traditi...

Snake like fish caught in Singtam River

The Indian mottled eel, locally known as Raj Bam, was recovered from the Singtam River at Golitar this early morning. The snake-like fish weighed around 7 kg and was four feet long. The local people said that they had never seen this species for so long. Such mysterious-looking marine fish are also sighted from time to time on the river banks, local people added.

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