Sikkim

Sikkim, tucked away in India's North-East corner, between Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal is, without question, a very special part of India beautiful, unspoilt, green, full of orchids, mountains, butterflies and monasteries.

SIKKIM, a small Himalayan State which is the second smallest state of India, lying between 27 to 28 degrees North latitude and 88 to 89 degrees East longitude is the second smallest state in India. It is barely 7,096 sq. kms in size yet has an elevation ranging from 300 mtrs. to 8585 mtrs. above sea level. It's Geography is dominated by the most majestic mountain chain in the world which includes the Khangchendzonga, world's third highest mountain and is worshipped by the Sikkimese as the guardian deity to their land.
AREA : Sikkim is situated 7096 sq. kms. in the Eastern Himalayas, bordering the Tibet autonomous region to it's North, Tibet and Western Bhutan to it's East, Eastern Nepal to it's West and the Darjeeling Gorkha Hills of West Bengal to it's South.

CAPITAL TOWN : Gangtok is elevated at 5,840 feet above sea level.

DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS : North - Mangan, South - Namchi, East - Gangtok, West - Gyalshing.

POPULATION - 5,40,493( Census -2001)

LANGUAGE SPOKEN : Nepali, English, Hindi, Bhutia (Sikkimese), Bhutia (Tibetan), Lepcha, Limboo.

LITERACY RATES : 69.68%

CLIMATE Cold Winters in the month of November to February with minimum temperatures dipping to 4 centigrade during January - February. It is between the month of March and early May when sunshine is quite abundant. Though summer is officially from May to October, Sikkim is almost always wet due to the heavy monsoons, with rains at times continuing for days on ends. Longest recorded nonstop rain is 11 days. September to October is Autumn. A peculiar feature of Sikkim weather is that though there is a classification of sorts of the various seasons, actually experiences a cold winter from end of November to February and monsoons throughout the year with a little respite during May - June and October - November. Even the winter months can be irritatingly wet and damp with the unpredictable showers.

Until 1975, Sikkim remained an independent kingdom, ruled by the Chogyal, whose palace is tantalizingly hidden by trees, and is inaccessible to the public. The Tsuk-La-Khang, or Royal Chapel, is not always open to the public - it's better to go and ask, for depending on the guard on duty, you may be able to gain admission.
Gangtok means, aptly enough "hill top" and the little capital of Sikkim is perched at 5,500 feet, high on the ridge of a valley. From Gangtok, you look over the hillside, down and across to terraced fields, with tall, white Buddhist prayer flags flutteri ng in the wind, and endless vistas of many shades of green. The town careers wildly and very steeply up and down the hillside, and no matter how you arrange it, you'll always end up at the top of the hill when you want to visit the little restaurant at t he foot of the hill, or you'll be at the bottom of the town, and remember you have to do some shopping at Cottage Industries, right at the top-just resign yourself to lots of steep climbs, and being a lot trimmer at the end of your stay.

In Sikkim various communities with their own customs, religion and culture intermingle freely to constitute a homogeneous blend. The predominant communities are the LEPCHAS, BHUTIAS and NEPALESE. Many plainsmen have also settled, especially in the urban areas and they are almost always engaged in business and Government service. A small part of the population consists of migrant labourers from the plains and Nepal attracted by the development activities in the state, like the construction of roads, bridges and buildings.

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