Scenic Sikim, The mystical wonderland, nesting in the heart of the majestic Eastern Himalayas is wedged between West Bengal, Nepal, Chinal (Tibbet) and Bhutan. Lepchas the inhabitants of the State called it ‘Nye-mae-el’ or the ‘Heaven’. For the Nepalese, this green and promising land was ‘Sikkim’ or the ‘New Place’ and for the Tibetans it was ‘Denzong’ or the ‘Land of Rice’. Writer James Hilton and rightly described it as the nearest thing to Paradise. Shangri-la, the valley of eternal youth in Hilton’s ‘Lost Horizon’, sounds much like Sikkim’s Pass of the Wild Alder, phonetically rendered as Sangali-la. The early history of the State dates back to the 13th century, with the signing of a blood-brotherhood treaty between the Lepcha Chief Thekong Tek and a Tibetan Prince Khye-Bumsa at Kabi Lungtsok in North Sikkim. The year 1641 A.D., was marked by the historical visit of three revered Saints to Yuksom in West Sikkim, where they met Phutsog Namgyal, a sixth generation descendant of Khye-Bumsa and formally consecrated him as the first Chogyal of Sikkim at Yuksam in 1642, thus heralding the beginning of the Namgyal Dynasty in Sikkim, which ruled for about 332 years. After the Indian independence, Tashi Namgyal signed a treaty with India and ratified the status of Sikkim as a protectorate with the Chogyal as the Monarch. In the early 1970’s, the political rank and file of the State demanded the removal of the Monarchy and on 16th May, 1975, Sikkim became the 22nd State of the Indian Union.
Sikkim, the tiny Himalayas State mainly consists of mountainous terrain, interspersed with ravines and verdant valleys. The snow-clad Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest mountain dominates the tiny State and the range is considered as the guardian deity of Sikkim. The main rivers of Sikkim are the Teesta and Rangit. The people have remained cocooned for centuries by the protective mountains and have developed and inimitable lifestyle of their own, untouched by external influences. They structured their dress, folklore and cuisine around their ancient faith. Their sense of colour was inspired by the exotic floral wealth and colourful butterflies. The dance captures the savage forces of nature, while in their endless quest for the secrets of nature, the scholars and seers in their monasteries have opened doors of mental perception, which, for one, compel them to accept re-birth as a proven fact of life.
Sikkim is an enchanting medley of lofty peaks, verdant valleys, serpentine streams, holy lakes, ancient Monasteries and a rich variety of flora and fauna. Sikkim, the ‘Kingdom of Flowers’, has over 4,000 varieties of wild flowers, rare trees and scrubs, including 700 species of rare orchids and Rhododendrons blooming in its fragrant meadows. It is paradise for Botanists, Bird watchers and Butterfly fanciers, as well as for mystics, folklorists and those who seek a reality beyond the apparent. The stunning environs are a delight for the lovers of adventure sports and outdoors activities. And also for a common or garden holiday maker, who just wants to get away from the daily grind to this ‘Land of the Lost Horizon’. Sikkim has shown a noble example by sending trucks of relief material to the neighbouring country of Nepal which, suffered from a major earthquake recently.