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

Chogyal Thutob Namgyal in UPU 1 Anna Postcard  

 Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal press photograph (1980)

  A group photo captures the installation of Tashi Namgyal, 11th Chogyal or King of Sikkim, on February 19, 1915. Tashi Namgyal (seated third from right) is joined by Kunzang Dechen (seated fifth from right) and Charles Bell, Political Officer for Sikkim (fourth from right). Behind them stand European, Sikkimese, and Tibetan officials. Notable figures include Achuk Tsering (far left), Dr. Graham of the Dr. Graham Homes, Kalimpong (behind Tsering's left shoulder), and Lobzang Choden (far left), a prominent Sikkimese landlord. Chonyi, the Maharaj Kumari of Sikkim, stands behind Charles Bell's right shoulder.

 

Major W. L. Campbell and Tashi Namgyal,  Chogyal of Sikkim, C.1918 Source : allposters.com

In 1953, Crown Prince Palden Thondup Namgyal was appointed as President of the Mahabodhi Society of India, a South Asian Buddhist organization. Here, the Crown Prince addresses a crowd in Bodhgaya, India, during the 1956 celebrations for Buddha Jayanti, which marks Buddha’s birthday. Source: I love Siliguri facebook

Sir Tashi Namgyal succeeded his brother to become Sikkim’s 11th rule in 1914. His reign was characterized by socio-economic reforms, including the separation of executive and judicial powers, and the abolition of unpaid labor. Here, people sit for his coronation luncheon in 1914. Source: I love Siliguri facebook

Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi walks with Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal near Denzong Cinema Hall in Gangtok during a visit in 1968. Source: I love Siliguri facebook

The Tibetan wedding party of Princess Sangey Deki Samdo Phodrang arrives in Sikkim’s capital of Gangtok, ahead of her wedding to Crown Prince Palden Thondup Namgyal in August 1950.  Leading the procession- Rai Bahabur Sonam Tobden Source: I love Siliguri facebook

A popular blog of royal families “Radical Royalist” shares an interesting anecdote related to Chogyal Wangchuk Tenzing Namgyal, the present heir to the Namgyal Dynasty. The anecdote shared by his fellow freind during his schooling days at London. I am sure my reader would love it. The anecdote says about the talk between the two friend Prince Wangchuk and David (his friend)……. “He [Prince Wangchuk] used to accompany a small group of us to the pub at lunchtimes. He was never a big drinker, but used to participate in the banter, and enjoy the company. One day I asked him where he came from - he replied: “Sikkim – it’s a small country in the Himalayas, between Bhutan and Nepal”. I then asked, “So why are you here in London, Wangchuk?” “Oh, my father thought it would be a good idea for me to get a British education”. My next question was: “So what does your father do in Sikkim, Wangchuk?” “Oh, he’s in the government.” “So what does he do in the government, Wangchuk?” “Oh, he’s quite sen...

It has been after few months, i found the photograph of Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal and Gyalmo Hope Cooke in the the web. So sharing for my readers...indeed a perfect match altogether.

King of Sikkim, Palden Thondup Namgyal, on the right, and his wife, American born Hope Cooke, on a visit to Washington ( November 18, 1971 ) Arthur E. Scott photograph collection

JC White had a significant influence on Sikkim. In his popular blog, Rajen Upadhaya, History Lecturer, Namchi Govt. College writes, “With the appointment of J C White as the Political Officer in 1889, Sikkim witnessed his self-styled Zamindari System. Several Lessee Landlords were created throughout Sikkim with untold powers to mortgage or confiscate the lands of innocent peasants, further, with the help of his Sikkimese protégés Claude White board upon a policy of obliterating the ancient economy of Sikkim. This paved the way for the birth of Kaziism, the Thikadari system, and all the other forced labors like Kuruwa, Kalobhari, Jharlangi, Theki-Bethi, Ghar-Lauri, etc.”. In 1889, JC White conducted a land survey, according to which each piece of land was leased to the interested landowners at various rates. A Labour tax of two rupees for every household was charged, along with an excise charge of two rupees for brewing grain alcohol. Auctions for the license to weigh and ta...

I had heard from old folks that there used to be a statue of JC White at the exact place where Jawaharlal Nehru's statue is today at Ridge Park near White Hall, Gangtok. Later on, during the early 70s, the statue was removed and replaced with the statue of the first Prime Minister of India. JC White's statue had gone missing until it was again found and kept at Smile Land near Ranipool. My fantasy about JC White grew with each passing day and I just wanted to know more about his persona.  John Claude White, a British engineer, was sent to Sikkim in 1887, and he peacefully handled the situation at the Sikkim–Tibet front. A year later, he was again sent to Sikkim as an Assistant Political Officer with the British Expeditionary Force. With the defeat of the Tibetans during the 1888-89 conflicts, the power of control over the small Himalayan kingdom of Sikkim came under British rule.  A new post as Political Officer of Sikkim was created, thus making John Claude White an a...

Wow!! Was the first word that came from my heart. Watching Hope Cooke speak was nothing more than a dream come true. As a student of Sikkim History, my passion for learning more about my state grows with me with each passing day.  Today, I am more than happy to see our former Gyalmo speak in Sikkim. I might be among the first few to have seen this video; so far, 14 views have been recorded. I hope my readers, too, like this video from YouTube.  The video was produced by Yale University and released on YouTube on June 14, 2013.

  (This article is more like a grandfather telling a story to his grandson. The story is not found in the books but borrowed from the pages of the past. It is a story of a grand old man from Bom Busty, Kalimpong, a retired Gurkha soldier, a World War II veteran, a father, a grandfather, and a great grandfather. This is the story of the late Rudramani Pradhan, who passed away on November 26, 2006. The stories were recorded during my two-day stay with him at Kalimpong Hospital.) Being a grandson to a legendary Gorkha soldier was of little importance to me until I found out that he himself was a legend of his own. I was his grandson from his second daughter, settled at Singtam, Sikkim. For two days every year on Dussehra we would visit  Aja-Aji  (Grandfather and Grandmother in Newari Language) out at Bom Busty, Kalimpong. Those early days telephones were not heard off and occasionally sending letters by  Aja  to my mother was the only means of con...

This photograph from 1966 shows the then Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal and Gyalmo Hope Cooke visiting KC Pradhan, who was then studying Masters in Forestry at Yale University (USA). Pic: Ebay

For a stamp sized state of Sikkim, 6 th  November 2006 hold a moment of glory and recognisation in terms of world philately. Indian Postage had featured a postal stamp on Changu Lake in a group of five lakes from different part of India. The Changu Lake stamp with Rs 5 denomination features among the five Himalayan Lakes of India that include Roop Kund, Sela, Tsomo Riri and Chandra Tal. The stamp and First Day Cover had been designed by Bharati Mirchandani and Cancellation designed by Alka Sharma. The stamp is printed in photogravure process and printed at India Security Press, Nasik. It was for the first time in the history of Indian Postage, an individual theme from Sikkim got introduced in Indian postage stamp. For the last few years efforts were made on to feature individual theme from Sikkim. Along the lines various tourist destinations including Rumtek Monastery, Changu (Tsangu) Lake, Guru Dongmor Lake, Nathula Pass and cultural diversity of Sikkim were discussed but it...

Chogyal Sir Tashi Namgyal was a popular painter and one such coloured works "Glacier", an oil painting is placed at  the entrance hall of Chumbi Residency at Gangtok.  Time magazine in 1963 in one of its article about Sikkim writes ...." Ever since, India has handled Sikkim’s foreign affairs and defense. Tashi retired into a private life that consisted largely of prayer and painting —he specialized in misty Sikkimese landscapes, and painted one “vision” of the Abominable Snowman, who is pictured as a skinny, jet-black animal with a red face scampering over a snowy summit carrying a nude, pink-skinned lady with an alarmed expression. Tashi conversed with spirits, who are prevalent in Sikkim, looked out at the world through green-tinted glasses, and seemed fashioned of gold, so stiff and heavy were his brocaded robes."

Ebay as i always say is a wonderful find for me for some rare materials. I had always been passionate about Sikkim and whenever i get an opportunity to watch anything of my Sikkim's past, i just want to share with everyone.  If ever i had any regrets in life, i am sure i have this in my small heart that i could not see "my Independent Sikkim" and my Chogyal. So whenever i come across materials associated with my old Sikkim, my happiness knows no boundary. Here i am presenting a greeting card of Chogyal and Gyalmo and more sweeter is the name written in it ....." Hope and Thondup"