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

This was my first visit to the Bhimsen Mandir , the temple of our Kul Devta . Located at Bhimsen Sthan on the way to Hanuman Dhoka in Kathmandu , this old wooden, three-story temple is a heritage structure. A small staircase on the right side of the historic temple leads to the second floor, where the idol of Bhimsen is enshrined. A purohit applies a red tika to the forehead of each devotee as a blessing from the deity. The atmosphere is serene and spiritually uplifting, filled with the devotion of visitors who come to pay their respects. The intricate wooden carvings and the historical significance of the mandir add to its charm, making it a must-visit for those seeking to connect with their cultural roots and spirituality.

 

 

 

Gangtok, 01.03.22 : Sikkim Newar Guthi, Gangtok, Sikkim, India was awarded the “Sudarshan Kapila Sirpa” award at Biratnagar, Nepal on February 25, 2022. The award was presented by “Jhi Pucha '' Non-Government Organization, Biratnagar, Nepal from the hands of Hon’ble Chief Minister Rajendra Kumar Rai, Pradesh No. 1, Nepal. Earlier the same award was offered to Dr Sathyaman Joshi (Fathers of Newars) by Jhi Pucha, Biratnagar. The reason for the selection of this highly honoured award to SNG was because for 3 decades Sikkim Newar Guthi dedicatedly worked in the preservation and conservation of Newar Language, Culture and Traditions in Sikkim, India. The programme was organized by Jhi Pucha under the leadership of Hari Bahadur Shrestha, President, Jhi Pucha, Shri Sudarshan and Mrs Kapila Shrestha, Founder Sudarshan Kapila Trust, and dedicated executive bodies. From Sikkim total of 19, Central Executive Committee Members attended the felicitation programme from different places of Si...

Myth about Legend of Nepal published in 2010 by writer Jnan Kaji Manandhar writes about two legends related to the origin of Kumari. One such story says, there used to be a Yantra , a mystical diagram endowed with miraculous spiritual powers of goddess Taleju. The legend says the first Kumari arrived at the valley of Kathmandu in the form of Yantra. In those days, the king could talk to the Kumari (Yantra), seek advice and directions regarding administration guidance. Once the lid of the mystical Yantra was let open, that made the royal girl disappear forever. The king was very sad; he could not talk with the Yantra. With days passing by the King was in his deep sorrow. One night in a dream, the goddess appeared and told him to install a virgin girl from the Sakya caste and she will immerse in her body. Then the king could talk to her as a Kumari. The other version says that one Malla King used to play dice with the goddess Kumari. At one instance, the king was infatuated with t...

Ten years back on my first visit to the Indra Jatra festival at Zero Point, Gangtok I happened to see a photo frame of a small girl in a red costume significantly distinct from other girls of her age with the painted third eye on her forehead. That was my first day with Indra Jatra, Newar’s biggest festival at Sikkim, and of course with the goddess Kumari, which in 2011 was declared a Government Holiday by the State Government of Sikkim.  The festival highlighted the pulling off of a chariot by the devotees with a photo frame of Goddess Kumari on it that was moved through the streets of Gangtok from Zero Point to MG Marg. The chariot was led by masked dancers with faces of deities in honour of God Indra and a long procession of Newar devotees. Getting back to the story of Kumari, it is said there are eleven living goddesses known as Kumari in Nepal. The Kumari of Kathmandu also known as the Royal Kumari is considered to be the most significant and largely followed by the Newa...

One of the reasons that I am getting less time for my blog is due to my involvement in the agriculture field. You heard it right, we are into agriculture and believe me we just had our first vegetable and that was tori ko saag . It might have been a small offering from this huge field, nevertheless, we are enjoying it and that is what matters the most. We had taken a 5 acre land on lease and have sowed tori (mustard), Anupama bean, and potato right now and in coming days we shall be into zinger and cardamom, while plans of integrated farming are also in the threshold.   One of the motives we are into this area, where three of whom are associated partners is truly raw persons when it comes to farming. We are together; with our interest and for the support of Sikkim State’s mission of Organic State. With each passing day, we are learning and with each passing day our interests are also getting deep-rooted We just plucked our mustard leaves (for vegetables) and it was a wonde...

SINGTAM: Badhaichha Creation and Singtam Basibiyalo have congratulated Prakash Sundas, a singing sensation from Gangtok for his first recording of a Nepali feature film song.  Sundas had returned from Kathmandu a few days back after recording his song for a feature film Sheesha. The film is produced by Uma Baby, a famed Nepali cine actress cum producer from Sikkim. Saroj Khetri is the director of the movie while Sushil Saha is the sound recordist and Lucky Sitaula, is the music director.  Praveen Pradhan, Managing Director of Badhaichha Creation, and Mohan Pradhan “Neeraj”, Sansthapak, Singtam Basibiyalo said it is a proud moment for us to see Prakash Bhai scale a step of success further. We had been promoting him for the last three years and we are very proud of him, both echoed. I had never imagined singing for a Kollywood film and it is more than a dream come true and I shall ever remain grateful to Uma madam for her blessing and opportunity, told Sundas. In a short tim...

I found these things very fascinating out at Nepal, most of the trees that grow around roadside small mandirs have their roots covering the entire construction. The first look at the natural splendor gave me an image of the famed Angkor Wat. This was a wonderful find for me and I really enjoyed it. It is more than unexpected how mother nature plays with her creation. On most occasions, these trees are banyan or peepal and their long roots resemble more of a serpent hovering over its prey.

I have been writing about Sikkim, but I am sorry I never talked about its physical features. Once a Himalayan kingdom until 1975 and now part of a mighty Indian Union, the small state of Sikkim has seen many changes over the last 50 years. Jawaharlal Nehru and Chogyal Tashi Namgyal, the king of Sikkim, had a very warm relationship.  It was even said that Nehru wanted to spend his retired life in Sikkim, but that could not happen due to his sudden death in 1964. After Nehru's death, some of his ashes were brought to Sikkim and thrown over the sky of Gangtok, Kanchenjunga Range, and other places.  Even Chogyal Tashi Namgyal presented his paintings to Nehru, which is said to be at Anand Bhawan, the ancestral home of the Nehru family at Allahabad. But it was under the leadership of Indira Gandhi, the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, that Sikkim was merged with India just 10 years after Nehru died.     Sikkim shares an interesting geographical boundary. Three countries...

I enjoy what Gerda Lerner, a renowned historian, once quoted: “What we do about history matters? The often repeated saying that those who forget the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them has a lot of truth in it. But what are 'the lessons of history? The very attempt at definition furnishes ground for new conflicts. History is not a recipe book; past events are never replicated in the present in quite the same way. Historical events are infinitely variable and their interpretations are a constantly shifting process. There are no certainties to be found in the past. As a toddler, we are here to comprehend the beauty of those immemorial days that have lived up to its days.”  Fig 1. Delisle’s 1723 Carte d’Asie shows the first map of Sikkim, then written as Bramson Often repeated words that history should never be repeated but re-created, I personally believe we have come to that hour of need where we can have local writers brushing up with some history exemplar, pu...