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

 first published in SPARK magazine, edited by Shital Pradhan “…..his hunger never stops.” This often-repeated phrase echoed by many of his friends aptly suits the persona of Mr. Ganesh Kumar Pradhan. Known mostly among the associates as a humble and soft-spoken gentleman, this grandfather has so far successfully carved a niche of himself among the odds.                               His Ram Gauri Sangalaya, named after his parent’s name is a self-made personal museum that has in a short time capitulated his name and fame across the state and beyond. The three-story museum house has had visitors including the Governor of Sikkim Shri V. Rama Rao, numerous ministers, MLAs, Chief Secretaries, DGPs, High ranked officials from Army, and others beyond the state to have been to his home. Some of the noted personalities of ‘who is who’ of Nepal...

In my little knowledge, there are two instances that a tortoise was ever recorded in Sikkim, on both occasions the tortoise was reported to be Indotestudo elongata .     * The first recorded instance was during the last week of July 2008 a little yellow tortoise was found by two labours working at the site of a Rock Garden construction, at the base of nearby Tarey Bhir (South Sikkim) on the bank of a seasonal rivulet called Khanni Khola. that was later identified by Usha Lachungpa Sr. Research Officer (WL), she identified it as a male Sal Forest Tortoise Indotestudo elongata (Blyth) of the Family Testudinidae. * The second finding was from Chalamthang near Rhenock (East Sikkim) on June 27, 2011 . The yellowish color tortoise weighed around 3.5 to 4 Kg. It was later taken to Kitam Bird Sanctuary. It was rescued by Mani Kumar Pradhan, resident of Chalamthang. The department confirmed the species as Indotestudo elongata , an endangered species. This cold-bloo...

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.

{ A small state of Sikkim won Silver and four Bronze medals at the recent National Philatelic Exhibition held at Ohkla, New Delhi on December 10-12 but the greatest achievement Sikkim made at the event was it made its presence felt among the other states. }  I last participated at the National Philatelic Exhibition in Chennai in December 2008 and the moment I found my possibility to be part of the Delhi National Exhibition I could not let my excitement go off. The organizing committee wanted me to be the State Representative of my state which I happily agreed to. There was an expectation that Sikkim would send a maximum entry at the exhibition to which I am crossing my fingers. I had a talk with Ganesh Pradhan, President of Sikkim Philatelic Society and he too voiced that we should send more entries than the last exhibition. Last December Sikkim had sent three entries at Vadodara Single Frame National Exhibition where Roshan Prasad and I went to win the individual Sapphire Awar...

Ganesh Pradhan, President of Sikkim Philatelic Society Roshan Prasad Singtam: Ganesh Pradhan, President of the Sikkim Philatelic Society, on behalf of the club, has congratulated the young budding philatelists from Sikkim who bagged five medals at the recent National Philatelic Exhibition held at Okhla, New Delhi. Sikkim won Silver and three Bronze Medals in the Senior Category along with another Bronze in the Youth Section. In his message, Ganesh Pradhan said that Sikkim was represented by 9 philatelists, which had as many as six philatelists participating in a national event for the first time. Roshan Prasad, who had won the Sapphire Award at Vadodara in December 2009, managed the lone Silver for the State for his collection on “Cricket” while Shital Pradhan, who also had won a Sapphire Award at Vadodara in December 2009, went on to win two Bronze medals in philatelic display for his exhibit on “Sikkim through Philately"...