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

SINGTAM, MAY 1: Aritar Secondary School held an Inter-House Cultural competition at the school premises on April 29. The competition was part of the activity calendar for the year 2015. The theme of the cultural activity was based on Nepali folk songs. All the four houses that included Tiger House, Snow-lion House, Dragon House, and Eagle House presented their colorful presentation amidst a whooping crowd that had teachers, students, and local people. Speaking on the occasion, H.N.Shenga, Headmaster of the school briefed the students about the importance of extra-curricular activity. He further said that Aritar SS had always been a champion in the cultural activity and the students had brought laurels to the school by bagging first prizes in the various cultural competitions held in and around the constituency. He urged more new faces to be given chances in the school activities. Further, he also put forth his viewpoint to work collectively for the overall development of the sc...

Diliram Sharma Neopany said, in earlier days he used to regularly visit the forest and look for herbal plants but these days he has all the plants in his field. There was even a time when he used to ask for plants from Chiwabhanjyang, he said. He talked about a few names of the herbal plant that he had in his small field. Those plants included Hathjorra, Kaulo, Birray jhar, bhui champa, aleo vera and others that he used in his medicines. He has 31 herbal medicine used as powders that have to be eaten while 21 other herbal plants are used during the wrapping of the wounds. According to this herbal practitioner, for a broken or fractured bone patient below 45 years it usually takes 18 to 28 days to be cured and for people above 50 years old it takes over one and half months. He shows his confidence and makes me believe that he had done this before. He made a more positive approach when he said that he had cured patients with intestine-related problems that do not need to be operated...

He started his fascination of curing broken bones complications some 18 years back and today with more than two thousand patients he has cured, he is an asset in his village. He enjoys helping people and to him, it is his hobby to cure people that visit him with different types of broken bones related problems. Meet Diliram Sharma Neopany, aged 58, an herbal practitioner locally called ‘Baidhya’ from Aritar- Khamdong (Rhenock). In the remote village of Aritar- Khamdong, he had been serving people for a long time and it is not the regular doctors that the villagers prefer but it is Diliram Sharma Neopany, who is much sought after. More or less, he has been helping his village people save their money from travelling far away from Aritar- Khamdong. Sharma never fails to look at the X-ray of the visiting patients before starting up his medication. He has cured people from far-flung places of Yumthang, Lachen, Kalimpong, Kagey, Pedong, and Pabak to name a few and there are places he h...

The legend of Lampokhari and an unknown burial at Aritar I find myself fortunate that my effort to provide information about our state's bygone days through this column is appreciated. I have always considered myself a storyteller rather than a history digger.  I am just a medium through which these stories, anecdotes, and essays are shared so that readers can learn more about the state of Sikkim. I firmly believe that the more I share, the more I hear in return. To add to last week's article on “Revisiting Dalapchand,” today I share exciting stories of a legend of Lampokhari, which is not recorded in papers but passed on from one generation to another. BB Rai, my former staff member at Dalapchand SS, told me some exciting stories he had heard from old folks. When the British occupied Dalapchand after the 1888 Sikkim Expedition, the water of Lampokhari dried up. The British men then used the huge landmass to collect rations for the British soldiers and villagers near...

SINGTAM, SEPTEMBER 14: Scouts and Guides Units of Dalapchand SS, Aritar SS and Phadamchen SS Scouts were flagged off by the SDM, Rongli for three days of Zuluk trekking i.e. from 13 th September to 15 th September 2013. A total of 150 participants including 140 students and ten scout teachers from three secondary schools are part of the trek. On the first day, N Lepcha, SDM Rongli Subdivision flag off the Scout and Guides contingent from Rongli to Phadamchen where they had a night halt. Interaction and scouting programme between the Scouts and Guides Units of the three schools was the highlight of the first day. The late-night campfire was also organized at Phadamchen SS along with other programmes. Sonam Thendup Sherpa, Panchayat Secretary was the Chief Guest of the night. On the second day, the Scouts and Guides Units of the three schools trekked for two hours to reach Zuluk and returned back to their base camp at Phadamchen. They were offered lunch by the Army posted at Zuluk...

SINGTAM, AUGUST 16: Dalapchand SS had won the Aritar School Challenge Cup 2013 that was held at the Lampokhari Festival Ground, Aritar. They defeated St. Joseph’s School, Rhenock with three goals to one in the final. Puran Gurung, Area MLA was the Chief Guest on the occasion. From Dalapchand SS Santosh Chettri of Class, IX scored two goals in the first half and Goutam Gurung of Class VIII added another goal in the second half. The trophies were sponsored by Mr. Chewang   Norbu Sherpa in memory of his father along with cash prizes of 10,000 and 5,000 for the winning team and the runner-up team respectively. Santosh Chettri from Dalapchand SS was adjudged ‘Player of the Match’ as well as the ‘Player of the Tournament while the Seventh Day Adventist School team of Rhenock was conferred with the trophy of Most Promising Team. Dalapchand Sec School had played its first match with St, Xavier’s School, Pakyong, and won with a big margin of 5-2 goals. The second match was with Phad...

SINGTAM:  With the Lampokhari Paryatan Mahatsov starting in the next two weeks, the scout and guide students of Dalapchand SS and Aritar SS observed a cleanliness drive in and around Lampokhari on March 27. More than 45 students along with their Scout Teachers Sonam Dorjee Bhutia (Dalapchand SS) and Suman Chettri (Aritar SS) were present on the occasion.  Bhim Subba, Scout Master of Ben SS, and Nil Kumar Chettri were the guest scout teachers on the occasion.  Along with the cleanliness drive, the Scout and Guides students also had a Rope Knotting session with the guest Scout Teachers at Aritar SS. Speaking on the occasion SD Bhutia, Scout Teacher from Dalapchand SS told that in view with the Lampokhari Pryatan Mahotsav approaching we the two schools Aritar SS and Dalapchand SS wanted to contribute for the festive occasion and it was no better than to carry on with the cleanliness drive. We are very thankful for the two guest Scout teachers for their involvement in...

ALL IS INVITED AT THE 7th LAMPOKHARI PARYATAN MAHOTSAV,  ARITAR DALAPCHAN, EAST SIKKIM

DALAPCHAND, JUNE 3:   Dalapchand Secondary School added a new chapter to their 57 year old history when the Bharat Scouts and Guides unit was formed yesterday. The Investiture Ceremony of Scouts & Guides was conducted at the school premises. PC Rai, Panchayat President was the Chief Guest along with the gracious presence of Meena Bhutia, State Training Commissioner (Guide) and Suman Chettri, Scout Master and a GT (Bio) of Aritar SS. Also present on the occasion was ST Bhutia, Headmaster Dalapchnd SS, his staff and the students. SD Bhutia, GT (Bio) Scout Master of Dalapchand was the host of the day while Prakash Poudhyal, GT gave the welcome speech. Songs and dances were also performed on the day. SD Bhutia, Scout Master of Dalapchand SS told that establishing the Bharat Scout and Guides Unit was a path to bring discipline and a lesson of brotherhood among students that shall be fruitful for these students in days to come. Meena Bhutia, State State Training Commissioner (G...

RONGLI, November 12 : Dalapchand Secondary School bid a colourful farewell to their two former teachers at the school premises on November 10. The two teachers, Miss Shreya Pradhan had been transferred to Aritar SS while Mr. Phurba Tamang had been transferred to Land and Revenue Department, Khamdong BAC. Present on the occasion were ST Bhutia, Headmaster of Dalapchand SS along with his staffs, students, former students and few local villagers. The few hour long programs was hosted by Karma Bhutia, senior teacher. Madhu Regmi gave the welcome address while NR Sharma, senior teacher gave a short speech representing the teaching staffs. Students displayed exciting cultural programs to entertain the gathering. Ishwar Dawari, School Captain recited a Nepali poem for the departing teachers. ST Bhutia, Headmaster in his speech informed the gathering about the role played by the two outgoing teachers in the development and progress of the school and they will be missed, Bhutia said. Bhut...