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

SINGTAM, APRIL 30: Singamari, a Darjeeling-based hobby-promoting organization, Alpine Philatelic and Numismatic Society (APNS) set out their second phase of appreciating the Covid-19 warriors. With the motive of thanking the unsung warriors of the current situation, they met and acknowledged the Bankers and the Banking Sector on the 28 th  of April 2020. The backbone of any economy – the BANKS has been functional throughout the lockdown. APNS visited the UCO Bank, Bank of India, and Allahabad Bank in Darjeeling and thanked them for their services. The management and employees were handed out gloves, masks, sanitizers, khadas, and Tokens of Gratitude.   ‘The bankers had been risking their lives and serving the society equally as the other front line warriors. The situation of our people would have been worse if they were not functioning but they had not been acknowledged so far’ said Vivek Yonzone, the founder and Secretary of APNS. ‘Our Honorable Prime ...

SINGTAM, APRIL 23: Alpine Philatelic and Numismatic Society (APNS), Darjeeling felicitated the members of the Darjeeling Press Guild, Singamari Town Out-Post, and the General Post Office, Darjeeling on April 22, 2020. The society offered khadas, tokens of gratitude, gloves, hand sanitizers, and masks to express their gratitude for the dedicated service provided by the Police Department, Postal Service, and the Print and Electronic media. The APNS team led by the Secretary thanked the Officer in charge SI Mitra Dewan and his team at the Singamari Town Outpost for their strict vigilance and maintenance of Law and Order. The Assistant Superintendent of Posts Mr. Bimal Rai and this team was thanked for the various services the Postal Department had been doing. The President of the Press Guild Mr. Rabin Rai and his team of journalists thanked for their daily media coverage. ‘We see and hear them doing a lot every day, risking their own lives for the better good...

SINGTAM, December 24 : For the second consecutive year, Vivek Yonzone from Singamari, Darjeeling , won a silver medal at the National Philatelic Exhibition at World Trade Center, Mumbai, on December 22. INPEX 2019 was organized by the Philatelic Congress of India from December 18-22, 2019. Yonzone is the General Secretary of the  ALPINE Philatelic and Numismatic Society . Yonzone displayed five-frame exhibits on Element of Music . His exhibition had both Indian and foreign materials on music. He is also a member of the Sikkim Philatelic and Numismatic Society. The society was represented at the exhibition by Surya Kanta Biswas , Patron from Murshidabad, and Vivek Yonzone from Singamari, Darjeeling. The event witnessed a display of more than 500 frames of Philatelic materials with competition from many groups like Traditional Philately , Postal History, Indian Pre and Post-Independence Stamps, Thematic Philately, and others. Through this press release, Sushil Karthok, Presid...

SINGTAM, NOVEMBER 25: Members of Alpine Philately and Numismatic Society (APNS), Darjeeling - Mrs. Nilema Yonzone, Mr. Anand Yonzone and students of North Point Academy, a school in Singamari, Darjeeling won 2 bronze medals and a Special School Collection Prize at the State Level Philatelic Competition WEBPEX ‘Ekla Chalo Re -2019’. The 6 days exhibition was held at the Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata from the 16th to the 21st of November 2019. The two Philatelists representing APNS won bronze medals with their thematic Philatelic exhibits titled ‘Woman Empowerment and ‘The Postal System’ under the single frame category. Students of classes 4 and 5 of North Point Academy (NPA), Darjeeling also won Special School Collection Prize for their collective school collection. NPA has an active Philately Club run under APNS and this is their second achievement after the District Level First Prize won at KALIMPEX in 2018. ‘APNS, formed with the sole motive of promoting intellectual...

SINGTAM, SEPTEMBER 21: Darjeeling gathered to have a glimpse of Penny Black, the World’s First Postage Stamp at Hayden Hall as Alpine Philatelic and Numismatic Society, Darjeeling organized ALPINE 2019, a Philatelic and Numismatic Exhibition on the 20 th September. More than 10,000 postal stamps and coins were displayed at the event. This was the second edition of the exhibition that had a huge appreciation last year.  The other highlight of the day was the felicitation of philatelist Shital Pradhan and Passang Sherpa, Mr. Darjeeling 2019 for his endless guidance and support to the ANPS family. Four postcards – three featuring paintings of Darjeeling by Sunny Tamang, a young local budding artist, and one dedicated to the 50 th  Anniversary of the Hayden Hall were released at the event. Visitors purchased the posts cards and posted them through the Vintage Letter Box installed at the event.  Different award-winning philatelic exhibits on different...

A Special Cover featuring the Legend –Tenzing Norgay was released from the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI), Darjeeling today commemorating the 105th Birth Anniversary of the Legend. The cover was released at a function organized by the HMI celebrating the 105th Birth Anniversary of Tenzing Norgay . After conquering the highest mountain peak – Mount Everest in 1953 with Sir Edmund Hillary, Tenzing Norgay was always associated with the HMI, Darjeeling ever since its establishment in the year 1954. He was the first Director of Field Training of the HMI and an advisor till his death. A special cover is a cover (an envelope) that is released for a special person, occasion, monument or place.  It has to be approved by the Postal Department of India. They are released in limited quantities and so they hold philatelic values and are sought by Philatelists and collectors all around. The special cover and the special cancellation for the event were d...

Darjeeling, July 29  : Alpine Philatelic and Numismatic Society   (APNS), Darjeeling organized a Philatelic Workshop at North Point Academy School, Singamari. The workshop was organized with a motive of educati ng  interested individuals especially students, the Basics of Stamp Collecting. The workshop was attended by interested students of schools like St. Joseph’s School, Rangbang High School, St. Robert’s School, Darjeeling Government College and North Point Academy. The students were made aware of the importance, advantages and fun in Stamp Collecting, which has almost become an extinct hobby in the Hills. Stamps and other postal stationery like First Day Covers, Brochures were handed out to the students. Ways of collecting, method of storing; safe keeping and sorting out stamps were taught with live demonstration. This was a first workshop conducted in Darjeeling by the Society after the success of its maiden Exhibition, ALPINE-2018 that was organized o...

DARJEELING, JUNE 3  : ALPINE 2018, a two day Philatelic and Numismatic Exhibition organized by Alpine Philatelic and Numismatic Society (APNS), Darjeeling ended with great enthusiasm on June 2, 2018. More than a thousand visitors on both days was the highlight of the event, said Vivek Yonzone, Secretary APNS. This shows that there is interest among all ages of life about the two intellectual hobbies, added Yonzone. The first day of the two-day event saw four postcards released by Mr. Pranay Rai, Public Prosecutor, Darjeeling Bar Association, Chief Guest of the day, and Saroj Nembang, Assistant Superintendent, Postal Department, Darjeeling Division. The four postcards featured identities of Darjeeling i.e. Toy Train, Tea Plantation, Pine Trees, and the logo of APNS. The postcards were posted the same day through a vintage British-era post box placed inside the venue. Trisala Gurung and Sulochana Tamang, Everester, Samantha Dong, Lady Land Ro...