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

Major Durga Malla , the first Gorkha soldier in the Indian National Army (INA), devoted his life to India's independence. Born in July 1913 in Doiwala near Dehradun , he was the eldest son of Nb Sub Ganga Malla. At the age of 15, he was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi 's Dandi March , which sparked his vocal opposition to British rule. By 18, he had joined the 2/1 Gorkha Rifles in Dharamshala , aligning himself with the INA under Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose by 1942. His exceptional skills and dedication earned him the rank of Major and a vital role in intelligence operations. On March 27, 1944, while gathering enemy information, Malla was captured near Kohima . Tried and sentenced to death at the Red Fort in New Delhi , he faced coercion from authorities to confess his rebellion. Even under immense pressure, including the presence of his wife Sharda, whom he had married just three days before being recalled to duty, Malla remained resolute. His final words to her emphasized his fa...

23.12.22, Singtam: Free Eye Medical Camp was organized by Pipal Dara Social Organisation, Singtam in collaboration with Asha Foundation, Kalimpong at Community Hall, Singtam. The camp was held between 10 am to 7.30 pm, and more than 200 individuals were given free medical treatment. The treatments included Free Eye Testing & checks, Free Medicines, Free Micro Surgery Operation/Cataract Operation, two years of free medicines & free services and 60% discount on spectacles. The eye camp had participants from far-flung places like Siliguri, Rongli, Rhenock, Gangtok, Sang, Martam, Namthang, Khamdong, Mamring and all the nearby places of Singtam.   Speaking on the occasion, Feroj Lohagun, General Secretary of PDSO stated that our organization is dedicated to the betterment and upliftment of society. We want to motivate the younger generation and make our society strong. Through this press release, the organization has thanked Shri Suresh Tamang, (President) and all Council...

SINGTAM, JULY 19:   Valediction program on twenty days Newa workshop on Language, Food and Dance ended with joy and enthusiasm. The last day of the program had an exhibition of newa food items prepared by the trainees of the workshop. Newa dance and presentation of mementos to the teachers was the other highlight of the day.  More than twenty-six members of newa community from in and around Singtam had registered for the workshop. The program was organized by Newa Bhay Bowneykuthi, Singtam. Laxmi Sakya, Member, Newa Deya Dabu, Tamsipakha, Kathmandu , and Yogbir Sakya, Kalimpong were the two teachers for the twenty days long Newa Workshop. Laxmi Sakya taught on the preparation of food items while Yogbir Sakya taught newa language. Distinguished guests present on the occasion included Praveen Pradhan from Rongli Passa, Dr. Sushen Pradhan, Sarad Pradhan, and Bikash Pradhan from Sikkim Newa Guthi Youth Affairs, Babita Pradhan, newa teacher from Chujachen SSS, and mem...

  This is an interesting anecdote extracted from an article published in Himalayan Times in 2004 related to Lady Mountbatten on her visit to Sikkim . The year then was 1947 and a summer month.   It was her only visit to Sikkim, and her daughter accompanied her. Before visiting Sikkim, she stayed at Kalimpong for two days. On the third day of her arrival at the Hills of Darjeeling Districts, she decided to visit Gangtok, the then capital of the Himalayan Kingdom of Sikkim.   Chogyal Tashi Namgyal , the king of Sikkim, had invited Lady Mountbatten to Gangtok.    On that joyous day, Chogyal Tashi Namgyal had particularly arrived at Rangpo to receive the special dignitary. Chogyal was to receive Lady Mountbatten at Rangpo Dak-bungalow.  The 1935 Ford V8 Tourer model, which had the number DJPC 405, arrived at Rangpo, the border between India and Sikkim, at around 10.30 am, and the guests were taken directly to Rangpo Dak-bungalow. Hartka Baha...

Entry is open for all the interested teams of Sikkim, Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Kurseong, Dooars, Bhutan, Nepal. Organized by  Majhitar Educated Unemployed Youth Co-operative Society  for the third  successive term on the memory of Late Man Rupa Gurung. Cash Prize of Rs. 50,000 & Rs. 30,000 for Winner and Runners up respectively. The last date of entry is the  31st.July.2014 and the Final will be played on Independence Day on  15th August . For more information contact: 9775981169, 9851846643, 9851508686.

  (This article is more like a grandfather telling a story to his grandson. The story is not found in the books but borrowed from the pages of the past. It is a story of a grand old man from Bom Busty, Kalimpong, a retired Gurkha soldier, a World War II veteran, a father, a grandfather, and a great grandfather. This is the story of the late Rudramani Pradhan, who passed away on November 26, 2006. The stories were recorded during my two-day stay with him at Kalimpong Hospital.) Being a grandson to a legendary Gorkha soldier was of little importance to me until I found out that he himself was a legend of his own. I was his grandson from his second daughter, settled at Singtam, Sikkim. For two days every year on Dussehra we would visit  Aja-Aji  (Grandfather and Grandmother in Newari Language) out at Bom Busty, Kalimpong. Those early days telephones were not heard off and occasionally sending letters by  Aja  to my mother was the only means of con...

Hiramaya Pradhan, my grandmother was 86 years old when she had her right leg amputee last December due to gangrene. Family members agreed to cut her leg in a hope that she shall live for a long but her diabetic condition did not allow it. She had kidney failure and breathe last on January 7 at around 3.25 pm at Kalimpong. Her dead body was brought to her home at Bong Busty. She was survived by four daughters and a son and dozens of grandsons and granddaughters and great-grandsons. A lively lady and always smiling behind her wrinkled face. She was my grandmother and much loved and admired by people who knew her. Some year back she had told me that she was from Turuk, South Sikkim and there are still her relatives that she had not come across for a long time. I still remember her words about her marriage in her teens when she was brought to Bong Busty unknown to her and later she came to know she was married. My grandfather was a part of the Gorkha Regiment and was in Burma du...

  These newspaper cuttings belong from the personal collection of Late Pem Tshering and are now under her daughter Sabnam Lama. Late Pem Tshering had done marvelous work in putting off the newspaper cuttings that hit the headlines all over the world regarding the political turnover at Tibet in 1959 through the newspaper of Amrita Bazar Patrika, he passed away in 1975 and he was Inspector of Police, Frontier Check Post posted at Kalimpong.

These newspaper cuttings belong from the personal collection of Late Pem Tshering and are now under her daughter Sabnam Lama. Late Pem Tshering had done marvelous work in putting off the newspaper cuttings that hit the headlines all over the world regarding the political turnover at Tibet in 1959 through the newspaper of Amrita Bazar Patrika, he passed away in 1975 and he was Inspector of Police, Frontier Check Post posted at Kalimpong.

by H ira Chhetri Kalimnews : Popular weekly news magazine, publication of which was discontinued after its 114th issue published in July last year, has now re-emerged in a new avatar i.e. in a monthly format with the title Nav Prawaah . Today is a very ordinary function the monthly news magazine Nav Prawaah was released by Sashi Sunam, a local theatre personality and literary figure at the conference room of Town Hall here.  The program was chaired by the President of Prawaah Service Co-operative Society Ltd. which is the publisher of the magazine, Samsher Ali, and attended by Dr. Harka Bahadur Chhetri, former Editor, and Samuel Gurung, former Manager of the magazine. Other personalities present on the occasion were Satish Subba, Patron, Suman Gurung, Chief Editor, A.K. Rai (Secretary, Kalimpong Press Club, Sub-Editor), Churamani (Cartoonist), and members of the society and Press Club. Dr. Chhetri while addressing the gathering congratulated the new tea...

by Hira Chettri Kalimnews, 14 Nov : On the occasion of Children Day Hamro Bhavishya Bal Sanstha of 14th Mile, Echhey Busty, Kalimpong organised 83rd episode of monthly literary programme Basibiyalo. Tshering Bhutia, a young and energetic literature lover of the locality read out the code of conduct of the programme as usual and the new and old literary figures like Bishnu Bhujel, Samsher Ali, Jangey Tamang, Dr. Kamal Pokhrel, Gyan Sutar, Hira Chhetri, Capt (Retd) Bhumiraj Rai, Tulshi Ojha recited their creative poems and short stories. By presenting a self composed song about the beauty of Darjeeling Himalayan Railways, B.K. Shilal added the extra attraction to the programme.  It was decided in the programme to organise the next 84th episode of the monthly programme on second saturday of December at Pudung Busty. In the programme Sahsher Ali, who also happens to be the chief co-ordinator of the monthly litarary programme, viewed that now this litarary program...

Kalimpong (BGP Media Cell) : The Bharatiya Gorkah Parisangh , Meghalaya State,  organized the Balidan Diwas (Martyr's Day) on 25th August 2009. In the morning, the president of the Meghalaya unit of BGP unfurled the flag at a Gorkha Pathsala Ground.   A blood donation camp was organized at 10am in the Thakurbari Cultural Hall in collaboration with the Regional Pasteur Institute and Meghalaya Blood Bank. Fourteen people donated their blood, including Sri CM Adhikari, a 65-year-old advocate and Vice President of BGP, Meghalaya state. The Blood Donation camp was declared open by Rev. Enos Das Pradhan, General Secretary of the Church of North India (CNI), New Delhi. At the camp, Dr. Nongrum spoke about the awareness and benefits of donating blood to help the poor and the needy. He further appraised the gathering that the blood donated does not harm a person's health as it is regenerated shortly within a couple of weeks. Therefore, people should not hesitate to ...