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

Singtam: Deepen Pradhan from Rhenock has received a Bronze medal in the recently held Stamps of India National Exhibition 2011 that was held at New Delhi from November 3-6. Deepen Pradhan won the bronze for his theme on ‘Pre Independence Indian Stamps’. Ganesh Pradhan, President of Sikkim Philatelic Club in his message has congratulated Deepen Pradhan’s performance and had hoped that he will bring more laurels to the state in days to come too. Due to the 18/9 Sikkim Earthquake, Sikkim Philatelic Club had decided only to send 4 exhibits from Ganesh Pradhan, Shital Pradhan, Deepen Pradhan, and Sristikaa Pradhan.

Sikkim Mahinda Thero BY SHITAL PRADHAN I first heard about S Mahinda Thero in 2005 while in Kolkata when I was asked by one of the stamp dealers whether I was interested in a 20 paisa stamp of S Mahinda Thero issued by the Sri Lankan Postal Department in the early 1970s. I collected philatelic items on Buddhism, but I never understood who he was talking about. He told me, as I was from Sikkim, I might be interested to know more about the person, and he went on to add it was Sikkim Mahinda Thero, a Buddhist monk who is regarded as a national hero, a famous poet in the Sinhalese language whose poetry promoted patriotism and the revival of Buddhism to this part of the Island. He promised to send me the stamp of S Mahinda Thero from Colombo through the mail, but I have never heard from him since then. However, regarding my limited concern, it was enough to know that such a person keeps the name Sikkim with honor and pride in Sri Lanka. I had the name...