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

  "Her crown is composed of rows of pearls, interspersed with alternating turquoises and corals. The necklace consists of coral beads and large yellow amber balls. The charm box attached to it is set with rubies, lapis lazuli, and turquoise. The portrait was painted by Damodar Dutt, a Bengali artist, in 1893." The Postcard named " Oil Portrait of the Late Queen of Sikkim " was issued by FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, CHICAGO, U.S.A.

  22.05.22: Sikkim started off the centennial birth anniversary celebrations of Late Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal starting today. A year-long celebration had been decided in the state of Sikkim till May 22nd 2023.    A major celebration was held today at Chogyal Palden Thondup Memorial Park, Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Deorali. More than 34 different organisations along with the Chogyal Centennial Celebrations Committee had come together to celebrate the occasion.    Prince Palden Gyurmed Namgyal, the son of the Late Chogyal gave his gracious presence to make the event a memorable one. Prayers and a cultural program from different communities were held on the occasion.   Earlier in the morning, a day-long, Sowa Rigpa Free Medical Camp at MG Marg was inaugurated by Ganga Prasad, the Governor of Sikkim. The camp was conducted by The medical camp was conducted by Soga Rigpa Medical College of NIT, Deoarli. The Governor of Sikkim then visited Chogyal Pal...

On June 23 rd , 2020, I received an email from Ellis Gordon, Bethesda, Maryland, USA, who wished to share an interesting story for my blog {Proud to be a Sikkimese (sikhim.blogspot.com)} about the royal silver-end caps she had in her family possession gifted by late Princes Pema Tsedeun Yapshi Pheunkhang way back around 1969. We shared a couple of emails as I wanted to know about her family and her family’s connection to the late princess. Ellis, the senior-level cyber-security engineer, said she has a pair of silver-end caps crafted for a hanging scroll that was made for her parents by the Sikkim Palace silver-smith under the order of Princess Pema Tsedeun Yapshi Pheunkhang during the late 60s. Tsedeun, as she liked to be addressed, told Ellis was a frequent dinner guest at their house in Washington D.C., USA. Tseduen, would visit his father on Capitol Hill where she was introduced to members of the US government such as Sen. Edward Kennedy.  ALSO READ - Royal...

I have always loved old stuff and to be part of it is what I love the most. I have been to Baba Harbhajan Singh's mandir a little over a dozen kilometres from the famed Changu Lake a few times but each time I have tried to visit a cafe nearby before I enter the mandir.  Never take a sip of coffee at a height of 13,000 feet above sea level.   The Cafe 13,000 as its name are painted on its wall welcomes every visitor. Here in this cafeteria lies a piece of history. As far as I know, this is the only place where I have seen and touched the royal flag of independent Sikkim. Each touch has given me pride and a bond that belongs to me. Three flags are kept side by side, of the two an Indian tricolour is kept slightly a step taller than the other two, obviously, that always hurts me. On the right side is the flag of the army and to its left is the royal flag of the Namgyal Dynasty which ruled Sikkim for more than three centuries.  "The national flag of Sikkim cons...

Prince Palden at his childhood. Pic: LIFE

--> Tashiding, in West Sikkim, was one place I wanted to visit for the last few years, but it never happened until last month, and I am in high spirits. I finally did it. Regarded as the holiest of monasteries in Sikkim, the Tashiding Monastery, over the centuries, does hold strong its own legends and folks. The first look at the faintly yellow roof of the monastery on top of a hill from the opposite roadway gave me a pleasant feel that was beyond my expectations. The Monastery is built atop a ridge between the Rangit and Ratong rivers. I am told of a legend that  Guru Padmasambhava  had shot an arrow to select his place of meditation, which is the present site of the Tashiding Monastery.  It is even said that the rock is still found at the Tashiding Monastery premises, where the great Guru meditated. One of the reasons I wanted to visit this place was to see the stupa of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö, regarded as the most outstanding Tibetan master of the...

   by Benu Pradhan About 3kms from Pelling and a few minutes walk further down from Pemayangtse Monastery are the Rabdentse ruins, the 2nd capital of Sikkim, founded by the 2nd Chogyal of Sikkim Tensung Namgyal in the year 1670. In this palace, Tensung Namgyal married three wives, first from Tibet, second from Bhutan and the daughter of the Limboo king, Yo Yo Hang of Limbuwana eastern Nepal. The 3rd Chogyal Chador Namgyal and his half-sister, Paden Wangmoo (the daughter of a Bhutanese mother), claimed the throne against her brother, which led to the Bhutanese attack on Rabdentse and the fleeing away of Chador Namgyal for political shelter to Lhasa, and losing Kalimpong to Bhutan in the process finally to the brother of Chador Namgyal.   The assassinations by his sister Paden at Borong hot spring when the king was deep in treatment (1716). With the final wishes of the dying king, Sister Paden Wangmoo was caught and strangled to death and burnt at Samduptse (Na...

This information was provided by Tenzin C. Tashi The ‘Kham-sum-ongdu’, the coat of arms of the Namgyal dynasty melds oriental symbolism with British heraldry. The symbol of religious and political government, the ‘Kham-sum-ongdu’ literally means the conqueror of the three worlds or ‘lokas’, these being: 1. ‘Kama loka’ – the world of sensual pleasure 2. ‘Rupadhatu loka’ – the realm of the material world ... 3. ‘Arupadhatu loka’ – the spiritual world or world of formless spirits The two griffins symbolise the mythological horse of Indra as well as Tachog Balaha, one of the manifestations of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig. The twelve rings within the shield represent the ‘twelve interdependent contributories of origination of all phenomenon.’ The eight lotus petals symbolize the Eight Fold Path which is to bring peace and harmony to Sikkim. The helmet, symbolising the defensive force of our land is crested by a conch shell which depicts the propagation of Dharma in Sikkim....

Here i am sharing few photographs related to Royal family of Sikkim from the collection of a gentleman from Australia named Harold. He was kind enough to let me share his collection that also includes letters send by Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal. He writes for his blog Radical Royalist, that speaks of the volumes of his love for Royal Monarchies across the globe. To speak off he does have a nice collection of write ups and photographs of monarchies that have lost to the wheel of clock. To start with, below is the photograph of Crown Prince Tenzing of Sikkim, son of the 12th Chogyal and Sangey Deki, daughter of Yapshi Samdu Phodrang of Tibet. The Crown Prince died in a car accident on 11th March 1978.

Well this photograph was shared by my friend from Singtam, She must be of Royal family. It is written Maharani Lhadine and circulation of 1890. During the year 1890 Sir Thutob Namgyal was the King of Sikkim.

Left to Right: D.E.Holland, Ugyen Wangchuck, John Claude White, Thutop Namgyel and his consort Yeshe Drolma . Standing from left to right: Bhutanese guard, Capt. Henry Hyslop, Ugyen Dorje, Lobsang Choden, Jerung Dewan, Burmiak Kazi, Bhutanese guard, Sikkimese guard. (Photo by unidentified photographer, print from Fondation Alexandra David Neel, Digne) This historic photograph was clicked when the King and Queen of Sikkim was invited at Calcutta Durbar during the occasion of the visit of the Prince and Princes of Wales in 1905. For those who wanted more information on Sir Thutob Namgyal, he was the first person from Sikkim to be knighted by the Queen of England with the "Sir" title. He is the same person under whose name the the famous hospital at Gangtok is situated. STNM stands for Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial Hospital was build in 1917. photo: bhutan2008.bt ted to the Calcutta Durbar in 1905 on the occasion of the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales

" The first animals intentionally sent into space were fruit flies , accompanied by corn seeds aboard a U.S.-launched V2 rocket in 1947. The experiment aimed to explore the effects of radiation exposure at high altitudes. Some further V2 missions carried biological samples, including moss . Albert II, a Rhesus Monkey , became the first monkey in space on June 14, 1949, in a U.S.-launched V2, (after the failure of the original Albert's mission). Albert II died on impact after a parachute failure. Numerous monkeys of several species were flown by the U.S. in the 1950s and 1960s. Monkeys were implanted with sensors to measure vital signs, and many were under anesthesia during launch." But it was September 28, 1935, a rocketmail experiment was conducted in Gangtok in which a cock was lifted in the rocket. A cock with 155 Sikkim Rocketgrams was also launched along with it. The experiment was conducted by Stephen Smith, father of Indian Rocketmail, with the ...

--> Pic 1: Semla Pema Tsedeun Namgyal being painted by her father Late Chogyal Sir Tashi Namgyal ADDED INFORMATION BY SHITAL PRADHAN Former (Semla) Princess Pema Tsedeun Yapshi Pheunkhang Lhacham Kusho better known as “Kuku la” had passed away on December 2 nd , 2008 in Kolkata. She was the eldest daughter of late Chogyal Sir Tashi Namgyal. According to the notification issued by Sikkim Government, the State Government Offices and Educational Institutions shall remain closed throughout the State of Sikkim on 10th December 2008 to pay respect to the departed soul. Princess (Semla) Pema Tsedong Namgyal was born in Darjeeling on 6th September 1924, educated from St Joseph's Convent, Kalimpong. She had married Gompo Tsering Tendup Yapshi Pheunkhang at Tibet in October 1943 who passed away in 1977. She is survived by three children (Soden La).  --> Pic 2: Another lively photograph of Semla Pema Tsedeun Namgyal In his condolence message, Govern...

Artefacts lying at the ruins of Tumlong BY SHITAL PRADHAN Last month I visited the ruins of Tumlong, the third capital of Sikkim and the observation to that historical site and the half done repairing work made me feel are we, I hear say are we Sikkimese really concern about our prime past. When I was going through the different pages of Sikkim history I believe there are many things we still do not know about our Sikkim or I say we know very little about it. Time has come the account of Sikkim history should be re-written from its initial stages, though we know that we have limited resources along with us. I am sure to capture the early days of Sikkim (from that epoch when we find the first settlements to this land) in 2008 isn’t as easy as it seems, but we can give an attempt.   As a student of Sikkim History I feel it is not within our perimeter to come up with the entire scene of near the beginning era of Sikkim till now at once but we can create a space for our comi...