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

I had been writing on different topics related to Sikkim for the last 10 years. From flipping over the pages of Sikkim heritage to Sikkim royal family, from century-old Sikkim Postal History to Shapi, and today we will talk about an unusual plant species. Rather a strange case, at least to me and a few of my friends with whom I share the photographs. This was something weird, never reported or heard before. I was thrilled to find this particular banana species growing along the National Highway while on the way to Gangtok a few days back. On that particular day near Orange Village Resort, there was a long queue of vehicles where an army vehicle had collided with a Bolero. From the queued line of vehicles where I was sited, I came across this banana species planted in front of a nearby residence. It took me by surprise and I could not help myself to go near the plant. I had never come across such a banana plant with its flower and fruits growing upright towards the sky a...

Cucumis metuliferus, orginally from Africa is consumed for juice and salad. The pecuilarity of this species lies inside the friut as it contains large numbers of seeds. This fruit is more popular for its horn and is also known as African horned cucumber.   This particular species was collected from Khamdong-Singtam.

A few months back, I read an article on a cannonball tree in a Science Reporter magazine and came across something like that in front of me. I had never expected it to happen so soon. I was off to the jungle of Chisopani, Singtam, along with my father and Naresh, a helper, to repair our household water pipes. As usual, my camera was with me. I carried my camera along with me. Who knows what awaits you? All the way, with a nip of moments, I was clicking off photographs of the wild nature. Our small self-made water tank lies near the stream that flows all from Saang. I was clearing off the dry leaves and the dead twigs that had fallen into the tank. My father and Naresh were working on the other side of the water pipes. Suddenly, I was attracted by the broken cup-shaped fruits on the ground and some pieces scattered over the tank. As I looked up at the nearby trees, I was spellbound. I could see a few more round structures attached to the tree trunk. As I moved to the other side of the r...